New blog: "The twelve promises of AA"

[Andy F]

An agnostic interpretation of the twelve promises found on pages 83/84 of The Big Book of AA 

 

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https://aaforagnostics.com/blog/the-promises-of-aa/

 

[likerdup1]

The promises you are referring to are the 9th step promises. They are not the twelve promises of AA. There are many more than twelve. The "phase of development" referred to is the 9th step. 

 

There are promises for Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 9, Step 10, Step 11 and 12. Many more than just the 9th step promises you call the AA promises in your blog post. Please see an exhaustive list of the AA promises in my blog post below.

 

In fact the greatest of all the promises in the Big Book (IMHO) are the 10 Step promises found on page 84.

 

https://www.prestongroup.org/aa_docs/10th_Step_Promises.pdf

 

Here is a blog post I wrote that outlines most all of the AA promises including the 9th step promises you are referring to as the "promises of AA".  The complete list of promises of AA are in my blog post here.

 

https://neweraspiritual.blogspot.com/2021/06/promises-of-12-steps-as-found-in-book.html

 

If you'd like to know more about the AA 12 step program I'd be happy to refer you to some great Big Book study groups that are literature based and solution based AA groups endeavoring to carry the accurate message of AA.

 

[Andy F]

Sorry, not interested. I am "happy, joyous and free" (BB p 133) as a sober member of AA. The twelve promises on pages 83 and 84 are good enough for me. These days, I wear my sobriety like a lose garment. I don't need the rigid, fear-driven slavery of Big Book fundamentalism. If you believe that AA is all-inclusive, then could you kindly refrain from projecting your particular brand of AA onto sober members that don't want what you offer. Most of us are happily sober. There is room in AA for everyone. The believers as well as the atheists, agnostics and freethinkers. Any other position is rigid and closed-minded. Where is the spirituality in that? 

[likerdup1]

12 hours ago, Andy F said:

If you believe that AA is all-inclusive, then could you kindly refrain from projecting your particular brand of AA onto sober members that don't want what you offer. Most of us are happily sober. There is room in AA for everyone. The believers as well as the atheists, agnostics and freethinkers. Any other position is rigid and closed-minded. Where is the spirituality in that? 

Your reply is hyperbolic. You call me rigid because most of your opinion is not backed up by AA basic texts. In fact the one who has been and is being rigid is you. You insist that AA bend to you prejudice towards a Higher Power instead of just being open minded that most people in AA are actually experiencing a real connection with a Power Greater then themselves.

 

Do you think we are all delusional? That my friend is rigid!!

 

I have also said repeatedly that of course AA is all inclusive. THE FELLOWSHIP is all inclusive.

 

I have sponsored many men who had a problem with the word God or who were agnostic or atheist. I simply helped them do step two by telling them my experience. That they do not have to believe in any kind of God to do step 2. They just simply need to become willing to believe that all the people in AA are not lying when they say they've tapped into a Power Greater than themselves by doing the work steps 4-9 .

 

By the way. Exactly who is projecting their particular brand of AA on who? You have been posting weekly "topics" about YOUR brand of AA which you claim is an "agnostic" brand. You are ALSO TRYING TO SELL BOOKS! How spiritual is that? Asking people to pay for your "elevated" interpretation of AA.

 

AA is fine that way it is. AA does not need new versions of the program disguised as "interpretations". There is no agnostic AA (your brand of AA). There is only AA.

 

Re-read step two in the 12 and 12. It was written 15 years after the Big Book. Just as in "The Chapter to the Agnostic" of the Big Book step two in the 12 and 12  still talks about how members who were once agnostic or atheist came to believe in a Power Greater than themselves through just simply being open minded and even willing to believe a Power Greater could restore them to sanity.

 

One pamphlet does not change the whole program of AA. I believe you would like to think it does but this is only your opinion.

[Andy F]

If your brand of AA is keeping you sober and happy that's great! As an agnostic in AA my higher powers are "Love and service" to the still suffering alcoholic. I do not impose any belief systems on my sponsees. I let them find their own way. If they clear away the wreckage of the past and become interested in helping other Alcoholics through love and service then that in my mind, is a valid spiritual awakening. No need to bring a monotheistic, anthropomorphic God into this. LOVE is the Higher Power that gets alcoholics well.