Long Form; No A.A. group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate A.A., express any opinion on outside controversial issues-particularly those of politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion. The Alcoholics Anonymous groups oppose no one. Concerning such matters they can express no views whatever.
Short Form; Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
I don't owe anybody an explanation. My actions and my words may be helpful to somebody, but likely not many. But that's ok. If I could get something like 48% approval, I could be President.
Besides, the only approval I want is my own and some of my peers. The only ones I need to even appeal to is those who are real alcoholic and who want to do a certain something about it. Outside of that, it's all just chatter.
So AA doesn't have an opinion and neither should I. At least as an AA member I shouldn't lead others to the conclusion that I represent AA in my beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI have them and I express them. Hopefully in the right place.
But, people out there in the real world know that I am a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
I have no control over what other people think and If I come off as a flaming liberal then they may assume that AA is full of flaming liberals.
After all, we're all brainwashed to think the same way. We all practice mind control over sponsees and we all 13th step the new girls
What are our alternatives? Do we go into hiding? Do we become a "Secret Society" like The Masons?
Where is the line drawn when it comes to
"Public Controversy"
Even here we may have user names that are symbolic of something much more Demonic.
Bottom line is that no matter how we behave. What we say, what we do. We are going to attract some and we are going to repel some.
It's unavoidable.
Had I walked into a group of Choirboys I may not be in AA today. Had I walked into a room full of crotchety old timers, I may not be in AA today.
Things had to be "Just Right"
But "All" are allowed on the Broad Highway as long as we're headed in the same direction.
But would you not admit that we spend sometimes too much time going at it with folks who either hate A.A. for whatever reason and also folks who just don't see the need to accept all of the program of action as it's spelled out?
ReplyDeleteWhen I first came to A.A. meetings I saw a bunch of grumpy old farts sitting around telling me that I was too young. Well, I was 18, so maybe they were right. Wouldn't it suck to quit for good and all too soon? I had to get pretty badly mangled a few more times. Finally, the time came where I didn't give a flying fuck who you were, I'm getting my cup of coffee and I'm elbowing my way in here and getting a piece of that pie. If I wanted to go to a fucking church to get it, I would have. If I wanted to go to a fucking sudoku tournament to logic my ass sober, I'd have done that.
A.A. is where I've always figured where drunks go to get and stay sober. It's proving to be a pretty good idea now.
Can I come here and not break any rules? Can I come here and be as innocuous as possible and not offend anybody and not set a bad example? If so, show me which line to stand in. I'm willing to give it a try.
Any time spent arguing with them is time wasted. My time would be better spent teaching the dog how to answer the phone or teaching the kids how to flush a toilet.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told,it is what it is and it will become whatever it will become.
In the end, there will still be AA as we know it and there will be AA bashers just the same.
So, there is no end. I'm willing to bet the debate will continue long after I'm dead and buried.
So why waste the time? Because it's fun. Futile, but fun.
However I should contain my debates to my political forums where we actually do discuss things that matter.
Much more than someones opinion of AA.
War, Doctors killing tens of thousands with prescriptions, Government Spending, Systems that create criminals for profit, an oppressed country that boasts freedom, etc... I'll just remain anonymous while doing so.
I'll also add that others are taking the wrong aproach.
If someone takes issue with Court Ordered AA, write your Congressman. Save the bandwidth for passing jokes and searching for pictures of Paris Hilton.