Wow....where's my head been at lately; I thought I'd already posted in this thread.........ah well.....
1) "...No where in AA does it say to be honest on all our affairs. It says to practice the AA principles in all our affairs..."
2) "...This can include not being totally honest at times. such as during our 9th step amends, we don't come clean if it will hurt others..."
1) Correct and incorrect (or incorrect and correct, as the case may be). Yes, it is suggested that we practice these principles in all our affairs, and one of these principles is HONESTY. Therefore, it is suggested that we practice honesty in all our affairs. Now, it's just up to each individual to define 'honesty' for his/her self.
2) This can be a pretty tricky one. Yes, we don't want to hurt others, but usually that refers to third parties. We may admit infidelities to our spouses (depending on our motives---not to hurt the spouse but to clean up our side of the street), but we don't give a list of the persons with whom we cheated.
I always loved my sponsor's take on honesty/rigorous honesty. I need to be as honest as it takes to keep me from picking up the next drink. Did I tell my mother all the things I did while drinking, or all the drugs I did (and/or how)..........? Of course not; she didn't need to know, but I could use general statements to convey the truth (like our stories---describe in a general way).
Of course, this is all just my take on all this, but it's kept me sober for a few 24's..................
(o:
NoelleR