the message of AA
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Philly and NYC
Posts: 220
Originally Posted by navysteve 
There are alot of things I hate about AA meetings:
Chanting
Whining
Talking about drugs
People getting P!ssed because someone talks about drugs
Inner children
Slogan zombies
Head nodding
People that ask how you are doing in the third person ( How is Steve doing today?)
Lining up to shake hands with the speaker after they share
Most people named Clancy
People that make Clarence Snyder sound like a saint
AA's who make Bill Wilson sound like a saint
AA's who hate Bill Wilson ( yes there are quite a few, see the Clarence Snyder comment!)
AA's who got mad at me for telling a newcomer that Bill Wilson and L. Ron Hubbard were the same person ( hey I thought it was funny!)
Chanting
Whining
Talking about drugs
People getting P!ssed because someone talks about drugs
Inner children
Slogan zombies
Head nodding
People that ask how you are doing in the third person ( How is Steve doing today?)
Lining up to shake hands with the speaker after they share
Most people named Clancy
People that make Clarence Snyder sound like a saint
AA's who make Bill Wilson sound like a saint
AA's who hate Bill Wilson ( yes there are quite a few, see the Clarence Snyder comment!)
AA's who got mad at me for telling a newcomer that Bill Wilson and L. Ron Hubbard were the same person ( hey I thought it was funny!)
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
All is good Ian. Going back to the Last Stop on the 25th, hope to see you there.
I figured you would like :
Liz my favorite Kiwi!!!!!
They were in response to Tommy saying:
I was simply pointing out that there are many things in AA that annoy me but apparently hold real meaning for others in the group. If I want to be part of the "WE" then I need to accept you and the things that matter to you
I figured you would like :
Lining up to shake hands with the speaker after they share
These have nothing to do with the Lords Prayer but they are very funny.
They were in response to Tommy saying:
The Lord's Prayer is inappropriate in an AA meeting.
I was simply pointing out that there are many things in AA that annoy me but apparently hold real meaning for others in the group. If I want to be part of the "WE" then I need to accept you and the things that matter to you
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 196
"I was simply pointing out that there are many things in AA that annoy me but apparently hold real meaning for others in the group. If I want to be part of the "WE" then I need to accept you and the things that matter to you"
Steve that is excellent and so is the list.
Steve that is excellent and so is the list.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Swish Alps, SF CA
Posts: 2,144
I would have responded to this thread but I found my head nodding too vigorously when I was lining up to thank Clancy for mentioning drugs and his inner child while speaking.
The truth is, "take what you like and leave the rest" works for me
I say "deliver us from ego" in the Lords Prayer, being that's the most dangerous thing I have to contend with in dealing with my alcoholism.
I agreed with some things in this thread and disagreed with others, the beautiful thing about this is I don't care what "your" recovery looks like, you know? I agreed with some things on Steve's list and other things didn't bother me, but I have a list I'm sure of "pet peeves", the bottom line is they are unimportant to me anymore.
I went quite a few years not saying "The Lord's Prayer", that worked for me, now I say it, that works for me too.
The amusing thing, is all this hair splitting and quibbling, those guys seem to stay sober, I spent years and years pulling all nighters at cheap coffee houses (like Denny's) with a group of guys arguing all night about the The Big Book.
I'd say out of the guys that did that with me, most if not all of us are still sober.
Arguing about what Bill meant by placing a period instead of an exclamation point on the bottom of page 134 evidently IS part of sobriety, if we look at the evidence.
I mean no one bickers and nitpicks like this forum on this site, and it's usually people with "time" doing all the hair splitting, you'll notice they are all staying sober.
I personally find it amusing, unless of course someone is "wrong on the internet" and then there I am wading in full throttle, lance tilted at windmill.
Hard to drink when you are engaged in an indignant argument about the history of AA on SR, I mean before you know it you have another month of sobriety, 2-3 arguments and you are getting another year chip.
The truth is, "take what you like and leave the rest" works for me
I say "deliver us from ego" in the Lords Prayer, being that's the most dangerous thing I have to contend with in dealing with my alcoholism.
I agreed with some things in this thread and disagreed with others, the beautiful thing about this is I don't care what "your" recovery looks like, you know? I agreed with some things on Steve's list and other things didn't bother me, but I have a list I'm sure of "pet peeves", the bottom line is they are unimportant to me anymore.
I went quite a few years not saying "The Lord's Prayer", that worked for me, now I say it, that works for me too.
The amusing thing, is all this hair splitting and quibbling, those guys seem to stay sober, I spent years and years pulling all nighters at cheap coffee houses (like Denny's) with a group of guys arguing all night about the The Big Book.
I'd say out of the guys that did that with me, most if not all of us are still sober.
Arguing about what Bill meant by placing a period instead of an exclamation point on the bottom of page 134 evidently IS part of sobriety, if we look at the evidence.
I mean no one bickers and nitpicks like this forum on this site, and it's usually people with "time" doing all the hair splitting, you'll notice they are all staying sober.
I personally find it amusing, unless of course someone is "wrong on the internet" and then there I am wading in full throttle, lance tilted at windmill.
Hard to drink when you are engaged in an indignant argument about the history of AA on SR, I mean before you know it you have another month of sobriety, 2-3 arguments and you are getting another year chip.
God's Kid
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,820
Originally Posted by navysteve
Thank you Dave. I lose sight of that sometimes. I am glad there is no "As Steve Sees It" book floating around AA. I am but a small part in this thing and never want to be a bleeding Deacon.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Swish Alps, SF CA
Posts: 2,144
Originally Posted by lizw
How about "Doctor Liz and the good half timers"?
How about a band called "Big A and the half measures"?
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by navysteve
The long arm of the Clancy Cult
The one I really can't get my head round is "take what you want and leave the rest"
it translates to me as adopt the parts which are not too difficult and don't cause any discomfort and ignore everything else, in other words doing things my way.
Dave
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 812
Originally Posted by Ago
Hard to drink when you are engaged in an indignant argument about the history of AA on SR, I mean before you know it you have another month of sobriety, 2-3 arguments and you are getting another year chip.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: in the present moment
Posts: 2,060
Originally Posted by bballdad
The chairperson asked us to reflect on the passage in the Lord's prayer :"...lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil..." and to stick to the topic of alcoholism.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
In reference to the take what you want and leave the rest:
From BB page 12.
Now of course this does not say take what you want and leave the rest but it does open the door to finding a way that makes sense to you.
Page 59:
A suggestion is something you can take or leave.
Not trying to start a debate about it. Not saying I agree with it at all. Just saying that the ground work for that was laid a long time ago
My friend suggested what then seemed a novel idea.
He said, "WHY DON'T YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN CONCEPTION
OF GOD?"
That statement hit me hard. It melted the ic y intellectual
mountain in whose shadow I had lived and
shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last.
He said, "WHY DON'T YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN CONCEPTION
OF GOD?"
That statement hit me hard. It melted the ic y intellectual
mountain in whose shadow I had lived and
shivered many years. I stood in the sunlight at last.
Now of course this does not say take what you want and leave the rest but it does open the door to finding a way that makes sense to you.
Page 59:
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery
Not trying to start a debate about it. Not saying I agree with it at all. Just saying that the ground work for that was laid a long time ago
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by navysteve
In reference to the take what you want and leave the rest:
From BB page 12.
Now of course this does not say take what you want and leave the rest but it does open the door to finding a way that makes sense to you.
Page 59:
A suggestion is something you can take or leave.
Not trying to start a debate about it. Not saying I agree with it at all. Just saying that the ground work for that was laid a long time ago
From BB page 12.
Now of course this does not say take what you want and leave the rest but it does open the door to finding a way that makes sense to you.
Page 59:
A suggestion is something you can take or leave.
Not trying to start a debate about it. Not saying I agree with it at all. Just saying that the ground work for that was laid a long time ago
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southern Colorado
Posts: 1,167
Originally Posted by miss communicat
For the record, i am not a christian, but a practicing hindu. I have come to consider the lord's prayer to be non denominational. the "lord of all that is" is very diverse in reality, it's only in our structured beliefs that there exists separation among gods.....
It breaks down that Lord's Prayer really nicely. Instead of arguing it or being prejudice about it, try it out and get an experience with it, I say.
AA is about seeing where religious people are right and making use of what they offer, laying aside prejudice, even against organized religion.. "we BEG of you"... remember?
So if the Buddhists, Islams, Jews, etc. have some good spiritual teachings, prayers, books, etc., sign me up!
I hate the Serenity Prayer and think it's boring. But I love the Lord's Prayer. Oh, I guess I'm a Christian too! Shame on me.
But I'm sober, too. So regardless of what I do in terms of my 11th step and 2nd step, I stay plugged into AA no matter what. Because at the end of the day, those normal religious folks don't drink when they stub their toe.
I say get an experience in it and we'll have something to talk about. Meanwhile, I'm not interested in your opinion about which you know nothing about. I say any path to God is like taking candy from a baby when compared to staring down a bottle of Bourbon.
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
Having said all I said Dave I agree with your point that what is done in AA meetings with that thought process is a perversion of the message. But if it weren't for the absolute freedome we have as a whole many of us might never find our way of life. The rooms and even these boards are full of people who waited years and years to work the program the way it is outlined in the Big Book
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Righthere, Rightnow
Posts: 1,424
I always thought “take what you want and leave the rest” was meant to apply to what was shared at meetings, not “The Program” (aka The Steps). I have to agree with Clarence Snyder here: “There is only one way to work The Program of 12 Steps.”
I hope you guys know that, in my earlier post, I was joking about Clarence and Bill.
Now who’s this dude named Clancy…
I hope you guys know that, in my earlier post, I was joking about Clarence and Bill.
Now who’s this dude named Clancy…
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