Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover from alcoholism. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend on money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.
First, don't assume that anyone in an A.A. meeting is an alcoholic. Individuals are allowed to decide that for themselves, but good sponsorship, if you will, can straighten this out. It requires what's already laid out in that wonderful book. If someone is in the wrong place, we can direct them to someone who can better help them.
"Cooperation with other fellowships and the professional community."
Remember that one?
"It's not us against them!" This takes a lot of pressure off of me and you.
It is said that the 12 Steps will work for about any group, if there's the foundation of truth; common problem.
It is said that just about everything that we know about alcoholism came to us from non-alcoholics, like Dr. Silkworth and Dr. Harry Tiebout for example.
Just about everything about spiritual came from non-alcoholics, like Sam Shoemaker, Dr. Carl Jung, Fr. Ed Dowling, etc.
"We don't have the answer. We have an answer. The principles are universal. They have been freely given to us and we share them freely." This... also takes a lot of pressure off of me... and us.
It is said that some of our professional community and other friends of A.A. are leaving off the physical craving phenomena of alcoholism and it's the very thing that sets us apart from the non-alcoholics... and it's not their fault. It's ours. Should we not stick to the one thing we do well? A.A.?
The most anti-social, anti-God, anti-each other group of alcoholics can call themselves an A.A. group...which leads to Tradition 4.
