No Monopoly
August 22, 2006 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
AA certainly has its critics. I’m grateful I’m not one. It is just my personal, humble as can be (which might not be very), opinion, that those who dislike AA in varying degrees of anger and hatred have had varying degrees of failures with sobriety. There are those who have even had the ability to become sober without AA. And – why not? AA doesn’t say anywhere that they are the end all/be all to recovery.
I like what Dick B has to say at the end of this writing;
“11. AAs can and should be the first to acknowledge that they have no monopoly on God; that just about any person alive can quit drinking if he or she wants to; that A.A. today has no special record of success that cannot be found in many other groups and therapies; and that as with so many other organizations and disciplines you probably get out of A.A. exactly what you put into it. If you throw yourself wholeheartedly into a life without the necessity for drinking, remember what excessive drinking does to you, and count on God for help in resisting temptation, you can be and have the same success as member of the A.A. Society that the early A.A. was when he thoroughly followed their path.”
My interpretation of that …
Just don’t drink.
Thanks dAAve – but I want to continue to remind myself “Whether such a person can quit upon a nonspiritual basis depends upon the extent to which he has already lost the power to choose whether he will drink or not.” (pg. 34)
This is a really great post. A few weeks ago my sober sister’s sponsor shared that AA works for her. She was all for those that found recovery/sobriety in other things — she knew of one man that used softball to get sober. I thought that was pretty cool.
AA works for me. I know others that are sober via other methods and I think that is great.
Anyhow, I enjoy your interpretation and thoughts on this. Thanks for sharing.
A.A. is my mircle but, if others find other ways good for them.
Whilst it’s true that the dislike of AA could be based on past failures, I’d also note that the “god” aspect of AA (note I’m not an AA member but know people who are..and who have tried it) can be a turn off for some people. Now as much as I know that AA isn’t essentially pushing religion, the concept of a higher being doesn’t always work for everyone in a secular and often atheist society.
my 2 cents anyway, keep up the great posts.
Duncan!
Thanks for the compliment
The founders intuitively knew there would be “discussion” along the lines you’ve suggested – which is no doubt why they dedicated a whole chapter to “We Agnostics” in the Big Book.
They also had the well deserved experience that the current “human” power wasn’t working very well at all and some power other than themselves, was necessary to help them stop drinking.
BTW – it has been my personal experience, through many times sponsoring others, that any excuse will work if someone really wants to drink, if they’re an alcoholic, i.e. – turned off by the “God thing.” That is often just the excuse d’jour.
Appreciate you stopping by!
Mark
Been around AA for long time. some of the things that are said at meeting are very difficult to believe. I know not to worry about others say but to me it is beginning to stop people to attend AA meeting.
I found it funny , one day speaking with a friend who admitted to have trouble with drinking , I suggested he come to a meeting with me and he replied ” I quite a thousand times I don’t need AA” I only had to stop drinking once with the program , Someone once said if you want to disprove a belief system you must adopt it in order to disprove it , and there in is the nuts and blots if I do as suggested and apply the 12 steps best as I can into my everyday life I;m living it ,