And the peace of god, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus. Alcoholics anonymous wrestles with its spiritual roots. Nothing in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. It is not meant to be the the final word by any stretch. Ananda, your conception doesnt have to match bill ws conception or the conception described in the big book. First half talks about how aa came to be and last half shares inspirational stories of other addicts and alcoholics who have worked the program and now lead sober lifestyles. Some hardcore aa faithful even believe that wilsons writings were inspired by god. Step 2 proposition exercise emotional sobriety and food.
Second, remember that sobriety holds the key to a better life. Most of us feel we need look no further for utopia. This exercise is meant to be an individual study aid of the big book in which the author identifies the references to god. Youll also find recovery, joy, hope, laughter and some of the most creative and intelligent characters you will ever cross paths with. Once god is removed, many aspects of aas program in the big book and twelve steps and twelve traditions can be seen to be focused on stressmanagement. Each day my friends simple talk in our kitchen multiplies itself in a widening circle of peace on earth and good will to men. It is the basic text of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous, and has helped large numbers of alcoholic men and women, young and old, recover as of december 2009, 30,664,881 copies of the big book have been sold or otherwise distributed source aa gso ny. Alcoholics anonymous is a microcosm of the macrocosm. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of gods will. Is it time to stop the god bashing in alcoholics anonymous. In that setting, consider that, over in the corner, sits an old timer who has been around aa for over half a century. Simple compliance with the 12step program is a necessary stage for most aas to go through, but does not constitute.
He is usually longwinded, repeats himself frequently, and has an opinion on just about anything or everything pertaining to the aa program. Turning this into a question for myself when i really see step one, crushed by selfimposed crisis that i cannot postpone or evade, do i believe i had to fearlessly face the question that either god is everything or he is nothing. All big book quotes taken from alcoholics anonymous first edition the following 5 users say thank you to aw2486 for this useful post. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery. The wisdom from the big book isnt limited to 10 quotes. Its words and interpretations are left up to the reader to use as they choose. There are references in the big book that state that a real alkie will not stay sober without god. Maybe youre at a place in your life where it just feels like things are falling apart. It is clear that the aa fellowship knew since its beginnings that nonbelievers could also. God is everything or he is nothing helping others live sober. Paul aas 12 steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. Most had taken shattering losses on nearly every front of life. There is a catch we read about on page 72 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous.
Alcoholics anonymous quotes author of alcoholics anonymous. Instead of regarding ourselves as intelligent agents, spearheads of god s ever advancing creation, we agnostics and atheists chose to believe that our human intelligence was the last word, the alpha. Not that i am a big book apologist the book has no relevance in. The word god is tossed around a lot because thats whats in the big book of alcoholics anonymous and thats the guideline that we use to run meetings and groups, but on the individual level its acceptable to believe anything you want. It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. Learning the process of overcoming resentment literally saves the lives of people who are afflicted with the disease of alcoholism. Nothing i have read in the big book suggests that an athiest cant get sober using the steps and their own conception of a power greater than themselves. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. Alcoholism12 step support god is everything or god is nothing god is. I have had fellow aaers tell me, if i didnt think this was a god given program i was in the wrong place. We asked his protection and care with complete abandon. When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self imposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either god is everything or else he is nothing. Researcher and blogger john lanagan has uncovered the occult origins of this organization and has written a book and a plethora of articles to expose a.
What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Favorite 0 fans translation find a translation for this quote in other languages. Alcoholics anonymous is the only place i know of, where you can raise your hand and say things like. Were our contentions true, it would follow that life originated out of nothing, means nothing, and proceeds nowhere. God is everything literally, and nothing in the sense that he is irrelevant to mans regaining his essence, or buddha nature, in which he has lost. Aa beyond belief provides a space for agnostics, atheists and freethinkers in. First, remember that religion and spirituality arent necessarily the same. God is everything or else he is nothing aa beyond belief. Alcoholics anonymous is my window, this is where i see god pass.
The big book includes an assertion first made in the second edition, which was published in 1955. All bill wilson, big book of alcoholics anonymous quotes bill wilson, big book of alcoholics anonymous books. God in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12 traditions. Step 3 either god is everything or he is nothing i love this exercise which is also from the idiots guide. God is everything or else he is nothing one of the most emphasized and reiterated principles in the big book is, to bring into our consciousness the presence of a god, a higher power, a spirit of the universe, that is within us, and to draw from that power at all times throughout the day. It is my hope that you will find this site useful to you and our friends of bill w. Because whether you liken addiction to hell, limbo, purgatory or otherwise, theres never a decent reason for going back to it. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in god s world by mistake.
As an athiest i would perhaps interpret the phrase god is everything or he is nothing to mean that we need to accept our powerlessness at all times, not just when things go well. There is comfort in knowing you arent alone, that what youre feeling isnt unusual, and that there is a solution. Alcoholics anonymous speaker tapes subscribe to our channel for awesome xa speakers. Many tried everythinghospitals, special treatments, sanitariums, asylums, and jails. Big book alcoholics anonymous chapter 4 we agnostics pages 44 57.
Alcoholics anonymous big book audio read aloud youtube. God in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. Alcoholism12 step support big book quoteall or nothing big book quote when we became alcoholics, crushed by a selfimposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either god is everything or else he is nothing. The irrationality of alcoholics anonymous the atlantic. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either alcoholics. The twelve step prayers were created using the text of the big book of alcoholics anonymous. Even the surrendering to a higher power aspect of aa is firmly rooted in a behavioral soil in that aa members frequently say pray like everything depends on god, but act like everything depends. Nothing short of divine intervention will save the alcoholic. Does alcoholics anonymous work because its a form of. Aa began in 1935 when its cofounders, bill wilson and dr. The path may look bleak, dim, and hopelessbut god changes everything weve all sinned whether it is sex outside of marriage, a bitter heart, alcohol or drug abuse, cheating, or lying.
Alcoholics anonymous quotes by alcoholics anonymous. Creator, maker, father, spirit, god over 400 times counting the capitalized pronouns and the foregoing descriptions taken from the good book, heavenly father, and the. To begin with, there is evidence that a big part of aas effectiveness may have nothing to do with the actual steps. The big book vs the book gods word alcoholics anonymous big book exposed all scriptures taken from the preserved 1611 king james bible. Chapter 4 of the big book is titled we agnostics and explores the meaning of a higher power. Lots of misunderstanding about the words higher power could be cleared up for believers if they do a quick study on a good concordance like the poe concordance and check out the following usages in the big book. This website is dedicated to sharing information gathered by the siesta key mens group of aa. But the truth is, aa is a religious program its christian principles, the whole book.
Page 77 of the big book tells me our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to god and. Alcoholics anonymous calls their book of the same name, the big book. The idea of putting magisterial teaching in a beautiful display case while separating it from pastoral practice, which then could evolve along with circumstances, fashions, and passions, is a sort of heresy, a dangerous schizophrenic pathology. I have provided a link in a couple of places on this page for your convenience, so you can get to the search page. Page 67 of the book, alcoholics anonymous, states, resentment is the number one offender.
Heres a few more quotes from the big book that impress upon the. No need for christ in alcoholics anonymous berean research. Lone liness, great physical and mental agonythese were the common lot. In the big book, the reference to the second step proposition is on page 53, second paragraph. He is only relevant in terms of the scientific guidance that is revealed by the nature of being that has to do with the guide and roadmap of return to that lost nature. We had to fearlessly face the proposition that either god is everything or else he is nothing. The big book vs the book gods word jesus christ is. My hope is that these prayers will provide a framework for you to develop your own or expand on the wording below. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of god as we understood god we were now at step three. When we became alcoholics, crushed by a selfimposed crisis we could not postpone or evade, we had to fearlessly face the proposition that either god is everything or else he is nothing.
Bob smith, began holding gettogethers with fellow alcoholics. When i am disturbed, it is because i find some person, place, thing, or situation some fact of my life unacceptable to me, and i can find no serenity until i accept that person, place. Remember that we deal with alcoholcunning, baffling, powerful. The text used to develop the prayers are shown at the end of the prayer in parenthesis. The whytehouse is, i hope, a way to find that special phrase or saying etc. Whether it be in aa literature asking whether god is everything or nothing versus your own conception of a higher power, aa members telling fellow members to keep coming back when they dont surrender to their god, or in life when politicians try to hold their opponents to high values but seem not to adhere to those same values and many other examples, especially in relationships, confusing messages cause confusion, and they prevent people from engaging in.
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