Surely there is none which more jealously guards the individual’s right to Think, TALK, and Act, he wishes. No A.A. can compel another to do anything; nobody can be punished or expelled. Our Twelve Steps to recovery are suggestions; the Twelve Traditions which guarantee A.A.’s unity contain not a single Don’t. They repeatedly say We ought . . . but never You must.
The discussion of the question of an individuals ability to vocalize the specific name of his Higher power as being a right or a privilege and by doing so does that constitute a “Sectarian Religion” and in by so doing alienate the new man
The discussion also focuses on the Traditions. Tradition 10 being out side political issues brought o us by the Washingtonians (political) (is speaking the name of your higher power an outside political issue) and Tradition Six These adventures implanted a deep-rooted conviction that in no circumstances could we endorse any related enterprise, no matter how good. (Is speaking the name of your specific higher power an endorsement of a related enterprise?)
We of Alcoholics Anonymous could not be all things to all men, nor should we try. Six— Problems of money, property, and authority may easily divert us from our primary spiritual aim. (Money, property and prestige)
So what are we actually talking about? What higher power would cause this fear based contention of divisiveness? A rock, no, a tree, no, good orderly direction, a group of drunks, no, no, Hp Hewlett Packard, no threat there Buddha, no he is a jolly sort. An atheist and agnostic that is in the Big Book so that’s gotta be ok, Well let me take a wild guess Jesus, I think we are on to something, the only name the will evoke a passionate response for good or for ill.
The rest we lump together so as to seem democratic in our disdain. Of course we say you can talk about anything, but please refrain from mentioning Jesus because there will be hell to pay, and the new man hearing the name might think we are a religious organization bent on his conversation and run away, Just the name?, not very desperate to be so easily dissuade
The good news is that it is not required by the program to believe in God, and its not required by God to believe in him either, for it is agreed “Chose you this day whom you will serve” as this puts all men on equal ground and choice remains the cornerstone of the program of recovery as well as all spiritual growth. “If a person wants to be atheist, it’s his God-given right to be an atheist.” Michael Patton
For the ego will sacrifice the body on the altar of pride in a vain attempt to stay alive, the preacher said: vanities of vanities all is vanity.
And our rebellious uniqueness often times demands a power greater than ourselves ( If not but a towers height, surely a head and a shoulder) some take idle idols found in the natural world, some that are irrationally profane, and some even default to the God of their fathers. For all are welcome in our spiritual kindergarten of pain.
For they cannot bear meat now, but milk they must receive; wherefore, they must not know these things, lest they perish. Joseph Ben Joseph
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Saul T
If you notice the name Jesus is never mentioned in the Big Book, he is alluded to as the Christ and in the traditions what would the Master do (which has always meant to say what would Jesus do) I believe it was purposely left out to insure a greater scope of participation. But the individual does not speak for A.A. or the group he speaks for himself and the Traditions grant him that right as well as the constitution, so it is, and will remain an individual’s prerogative and a right of self expression to say Jesus is my higher power or a rock, as long as you do not throw (either one) at me.
The question is if I say Jesus is my higher power, or a rock is my higher power does this espouse a *sectarian religion* as I do not wish to disenfranchise the rock people. By curtailing the individual’s freedom of speech and thus taking it out of the mainstream you reduce A.A. to a cult.
Sectarian
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect.
2. Adhering or confined to the dogmatic limits of a sect or denomination; partisan.
3. Narrow-minded; parochial.
A member of a sect. One characterized by bigoted adherence to a factional viewpoint. (As a group)
The individual does not speak for A.A or the group, only speaks for himself and that right is already agreed to, surely there is none which more jealously guards the INDIVIDUAL’S right to think, TALK, and act as he wishes.
A mind is like a parachute it works best when open, of course this depends largely on whose ox is being gored.
It is not someone’s belief or non belief is the rub, it’s the contention that arises from the snub.
And like always if you get 15 alcoholics in a room you will get 20 opinions.
Oh by the way Jesus is my higher power, and it works for me, and if that bothers you, you might want to check you side view mirrors as beliefs may be closer than they appear causing us to become blind to the obvious.
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