Chops from SR has started a thread called "Question"

Chops from SR says,

Question
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Trying to get something straight in my head.


It seems that most people in here who are in AA and follow the suggested program of the 12 steps support our brother and sister alcoholics who have found an alternate way to stay sober.


They are recovering / have recovered through another spiritual approach.


But the minute they step into AA and are not working the steps they are now unrecovered or a crazy or dry or a dry drunk, just abstinent etc. ?

So Alcoholic "A" has their own program and it has worked for him and he is content with that, "A" decides to go to AA for the fellowship, the company, who knows, the coffee or whatever. He decides not to engage in the 12 steps. Maybe he shares what worked for him. Does he then go from the category of someone who is recovered through alternative means to someone who is just dry because he walked into AA?


I swear I am not trolling:-) I am trying to get my head around this.


So there are other ways to recover but if you are in AA there is only one way? And how does that jive with the whole fact that you are a member of AA if you say you are.

Then after some reasonable responses, the OP's tone changes expectedly, and goes to this;

So other recovery methods are cool but just stay out of our house. :-)

Quote: Given by a proA.A.er;

We do a real disservice to the newcomer and to AA, however, when our meetings contain a confusing number of ideas and methods. As a home group member, it is my responsibility to make sure my group sticks on topic and sticks to the solution contained in the BB.

The results of not sticking to this common solution are obvious to anyone in AA. Wander over to the newcomer section and read of the hundreds of people all pursuing their own solution who continually relapse and can't stay sober. And then compare it to the results of those who take the 12 Steps and continue to live by spiritual principles. I don't see that latter group relapsing every few months.

I really do want the hand of AA to be there for the next guy. I believe our program of recovery is a life saver for the hopeless alcoholic. If that message is lost in the sea of everyone's personal opinion on how to stay sober, that hand doesn't reach many people.

Then Chops, the OP translates the above to this, after it gets filtered through his anti/XAer head;

YG says;

What anyone else does is of no real concern of mine but im not going to let the next me come in and get dead because of someone elses opinions who looks good in meetings....its like the pied piper of hamlin sometimes...lets follow him off the cliff he plays a great tune!

Then M says;

Chops, people think what they think. Spending one more second trying to figure out why people think the way they do is purely a waste of time. You'll never come up with an answer because there is no answer. Take care of your own thinking and stop worrying about what others do.

Then Chops responds;

You assume someone else's method will lead them off the cliff.


M, yeah solid advice, I am more baffled than before:-)


Onward and forward....


thanks

Hey Chops, do you want other peoples' opinions or not?  You do, but then you want to try to bash them in with your anti/XAers Orange tools you've been given. 
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Now... my take;

If you don't like A.A. for any reason, you're welcome to try something else.  You can go hijack an A.A. meeting/group and impress your other methods upon those in there if you'd like.

Truth be told, in most meetings around the world, you'll be welcomed with open arms.  There are probably very few groups in the world statistically... that actually work the A.A. program.  You hear middle of the road all the time in most meetings.  I know this for a fact because I've seen it high and low; "Just don't drink, no matter what."  "You have to really want it."  "Keep coming back."

In groups where they work steps, they say things like "What brings you here?"  and "What makes you think you're an alcoholic?"  And... "What do you drink like?  Tell us about you and booze."  and... "Maybe you're not an alcoholic.  You ever think of that?"

Now, if you want to find another way to get and stay sober, that's great.  This should take the burden off, not add to it.  But go start your own damned meeting.  Or go to one of the existing MOTR meetings that are so prevalent in the real world.  But don't focus your beady little eyes and point your miserly little fingers at the Big Book Thumper when he steps up and says, "Fine for you.  But that shit does not work for me.  I do what's in this book.  Do what's in this book with me and we can rap about it.  But until then, I'm not interested in your opinion of what I do."

Chops:

I consider you a friend dude, so I can say it like this, will you post a link citing a source of where you get the current numbers on AA success rates or have you just heard and said a number so many times that your starting to believe it as truth?



Seriously Mk, point me to the statistical study that can show me World Wide AA success rates.........


We have no spiritual monopoly dude, our basic text states it, we only have a way that worked for us. Assuming that other methods are failing to keep others sober smacks of BS.


If our message is so strong then why do we need to denigrate other messages.
 
Then a MOTRer from the Old School pipes in;

i Just Thank God i am Not a BB Thumper.. i have had more than a few People at A.A. tell me they Like my "Attitude" (i have an Open Mind) i have No Business Trying to "Make" anyone Find their Own Path to Lasting Happy Sobriety..

Hey, what we need to do is get rid of the A.A. program and throw those God-fearin' Faith Healing Big Book Thumpers out of A.A. and out of recovery.  They have no right.  We should pour booze down their throats too because they have no business even being sober.  They have no right!

Oh, and Keep It Green!