Spiritual not Religious?

[Guest guest]

With regard to previous discussions, the following might be of note. This

volume does not give the original AMA review of the big book, which was

extremely scathing. Fosdick was a minister of religion, something that is worth

remembering if 'Father Ed' should decide to put in an appearance:

In 'Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age', p.323-4 (AA World Services Inc., 1957),

Appendix E:d 1939 'Book Review of Alcoholics Anonymous by Dr. Harry Emerson

Fosdick; also a quotation from his autobiography', Fosdick says of AA " The core

of their whole procedure is religious. " Subsequently Fosdick is quoted in his

autobiography as saying:

" Month after month I read the Grapevine, AA's official journal - about the most

moving collection of testimonies to the possibility of personal transformation

of which I know. Moreover, these testimonies bear witness to religion's

reality, for Alcoholics Anonymous is deeply religious. That Eleventh Step is

an essential factor in its program: 'Sought through prayer and meditation to

improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for

knowledge of His will for us and for the power to carry that out.' ...

.... I have listened to many learned arguments about God, but for

honest-to-goodness experiential evidence of God, His power personally

appropriated and His reality undubitably assured, give me a good meeting of AA! "

There are those who may say I have quoted out of context, and may even feel

moved to repost this passage in its entirety. wheareas I have indeed drawn

attention to particular points, but unless there is a direct contradiction in

the remaining material, there is nothing that could possibly be said that could

alter the meaning of 'The core of their whole procedure is religious' and

'Alcoholics Anonymous is deeply religious'. Note that is in an appendix of an

offical AA book, which, despite its claimed desire not to be entangled with

outside interests or to promote itself, is very happy to print this endorsement

from a minister of religion (there are numerous others given, including a

supportive telegram from Eisenhower). A well as revealing the hypocrisy around

that notion, it also shows that originally AA was not upset abt being called

religious. Fosdick does not reveal why he should be spending so much time in AA

meetings, but the obvious suspicion is that he himself is an AA member, and with

typical anonymous 'humility' does not reveal this and is promoting AA as if he

were an impartial third party. Rather like anonymously referring someone to

oneself as a practitioner, I think.

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Pete Watts

Grant me the Strength

To Change the Things I Can Not Accept

PERSONALITY-DISORDERS SUPPORT LIST:

http://rdz.acor.org/athenaeum/lists.phtml?personality-disorders

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