Great thread!! To me, a Big Book Thumper most often is someone who tirelessly quotes the Big Book but fails to heed it's advice and wisdom. This is something I find particularly relevant...(Sorry, still haven't learned how to use the quote button)
"Good or bad? I don't know - I am in no position to define anyone as such and membership or lack of membership of AA is not part of the primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous - frankly, anyone can call themselves a member and that is fine with me. I have yet to witness anyone being kicked out of a group - but I have witnessed people being shunned, disregarded to the point they just leave AA and still spend a lot of their time getting closer to God by working with drunks" (suGerspun)
I have witnessed people getting kicked out, shamed out, told if they didn't like it they could leave, and even banned from meetings, this at one of the oldest clubs in the county I live in. I have also witnessed the shunning, and the downright meanness for lack of a better word, and the clicques that tend to scare the newcomers. I have heard people with 20 years "sober" completely disregard any way except "their way", saying that programs like NA, Celebrate Recovery, and many other 12-step programs are bs.
Oops, getting on my soapbox now.
That all said, in my opinion, I don't think thumping is necessarily a bad thing..I just wish that sometimes the thumpers would listen to their own words and follow them.