Understanding Anonymity
June 17, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Often questioned…
From Alcoholics Anonymous;
“Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.”
What is the purpose of anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous? Why is it often referred to as the greatest single protection the Fellowship has to assure its continued existence and growth?
If we look at the history of A.A., from its beginning in 1935 until now, it is clear that anonymity serves two different yet equally vital functions:
- At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard often of special importance to newcomers.
- At the level of press, radio, TV, films and new media technologies such as the Internet, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal gain.
Please visit the link above and read the rest 
An alcoholic isn’t finished without more -> Some questions and answers about anonymity, Facts about anonymity in A.A.
In keeping with Tradition Twelve the I becomes We. The spiritual foundations becomes more important than any group or individual. It protects us from our character defects and renders personalities and their differences powerless. Anonymity in action makes it impossible for personalities to come before principles
Hmmmm – verrrrrry interesting…
AA almost destroyed me. I read every piece of AA publications, and then rejoined my church of faith. When I got a job in retail with a well-known company in my community–it was on. Because many AA cult members frequented this store they confronted me verbally, in my workplace about my missing meetings. This was a HUGE step for me to get a decent job. After repeated incidents, I was fired. Thanks AA
I’m sorry Kelly… but, at the risk of irritating you – AA never told those fools to do that. That is on them, not AA. Even more so it is on those fools if they were requested to discontinue their actions and didn’t. I’d have asked for a discussion with the store manager and requested that those people be asked to leave by security for harassment.
I also feel like you didn’t quite tell us the whole story here either. Any chance you reacted to their harassment?