Uncorked, you are providing misinformation. Someone may have told you certain things, but they are incorrect. The BOOK “Alcoholics Anonomous” contains the program, not the people who attend meetings.
With reference to the 12 steps the book states “Here are the steps we took, which are
suggested as a program of recovery”. In fact on page 164 it states “
Our book is meant to be suggestive only”. The third tradition states that “the
only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking”. So when you state “you
have to "do" the steps. Each one”, this is contradicted by AA's own literature.
Likewise when you speak of “black and white thinking”. If the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking I cannot imagine an organization with fewer requirements and less “black and white”
I think it's best to let people who have a greater familiarity with AA address the specific concerns raised rather than provide misinformation. I think this is why endgameNYC took offence.
Checking what you may have heard in a meeting with the AA literature (before posting it as factual) seems like it might be a good idea.