Boise unitarian universalist fellowshipgarden city. The author is an atheist and member of alcoholics anonymous who has not had a drink for more than 17 years. Atheist and agnostic aa members share their experience, strength and. I went to lots of meetings, listened and read, and did not pick up that first drink. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. Aa for atheists and agnostics, a secular daily meditations book based on quotes taken from the first 164 pages of the big book. Oct 12, 2017 one of many good places to begin is in alcoholics anonymous aka the big book, specifically chapter 4, we agnostics. While he has got the program in spite of the god references in aas 12 steps and big book, he has encountered many agnostics and atheists who have been put off by them.
The big book bb notations are to page and paragraph, as in 64. Because this book has become the basic text for our society and has helped such large numbers of alcoholic men and women to recovery, there exists a sentiment. Many aaers will say this proves we welcome all religions. Find all uses of this word in the big book alcoholics anonymous and the twelve steps and twelve traditions of a. Our mostly agnostic group of drunks online meeting. He refers repeatedly to the god or higher power of your under standing. For many of us that seems to be an impossible task. Agnostic alcoholics welcomed back into aa fold the star. In its chapter, we agnostics, the big book outlines its attitude toward spiritual and religious matters. The authors of aas big book stress again and again that the message of recovery extends not only to people who can readily grasp and apply spiritual principles, but to those for whom a spiritual experience seems utterly impossible. Books that are helpful to atheists, agnostics and freethinkers in recovery from. 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. Between the we agnostics chapter and the suggested prayers throughout, the prose and spirit of this literature just doesnt resonate with or help many of us. Please be sure to read appendix ii about the spiritual experience.
Then the big book states you can make up your own higher power, it can be a rock group or aa whatever it doesnt matter. We agnostics is the fourth chapter of alcoholics anonymous, or the fifth if you. Quad a alcoholics anonymous for atheists and agnostics was launched in 1975 in chicago. The stories told in the big book, personal testimonies in meetings and the twelve suggested steps have. Original manuscript chaper 4 we agnostics alcoholics anonymous alcohol allergy rehabilitation of alcoholics dr. Silkworth aa big book aa anonymity statement anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions. We agnostics chapter of the big book religious forums.
Aa beyond belief is website and podcast, but its much more than that. Jim burwell jimmy the atheist was one of aa s first members. James work was know to bill wilson, primary author of the big book and cofounder of aa. We agnostics is the fourth chapter of alcoholics anonymous, or the fifth if you include the doctors opinion. Feb 21, 2017 it is clear that the aa fellowship knew since its beginnings that nonbelievers could also get sober in their program. We agnostics i n the precedingchapters you have learned something of alcoholism. Aa beyond belief is a refuge, a home in aa for agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, and all others who seek a secular path of recovery within alcoholics anonymous. The big book and god thing got me nowhere, says one fitchburg attendee. An unofficial alcoholics anonymous podcast featuring aa speaker meetings and workshops. Although these books are not written specifically for the agnostic, they use nonjudgemental direct language and are higherpower neutral. Atheist and agnostic aa members share their experience, strength and hope kindle edition by aa grapevine inc, aa grapevine inc.
By john huey one big hoax a view of the book one big tent published by aa grapevine. These members share how they found their place in aa, work the program, do service and sponsor others. To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is means disaster. This was quite an onerous task that took some time to complete and it is, given how bad a book this is, something i would not have taken on had the errors and misrepresentations embodied in this work been of less consequence. Alcoholics anonymous has no opinion on outside issues. Provided to youtube by cdbaby we agnostics alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous. Reading guide for we agnostics amethyst recovery center. Knight was involved with the founding of two agnostic aa groups in. Each quote is followed with alexs thoughts on the topic and. Location temporarily closed, online meeting, open, secular. Videos or graphic images may not be downloaded, copied or duplicated without the express written permission of alcoholics anonymous world services, inc. Is this the christian god, or can we really take this to mean a god of our own understanding.
This is not a discussion podcast, simply speaker meetings and workshops in a podcast format. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. More than 300,000 copies of the first edition are now in circulation. Bob, giving birth to alcoholics anonymous, which would soon number 100 people. Alcoholism12 step support a perspective on we agnostics chapter 4 of the big book im not going for this god stuff. Local members are drawn to the secular approach of agnostic aa meetings. A big book compromise opens aa to unbelievers by christopher m. 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.
Most of us sense that real tolerance of other peoples viewpoints and a respect for their opinions are attitudes which make us more useful to others. The book is published by alcoholics anonymous world services. The popular alcoholics anonymous aka big book outsells the other two. It is named, of course, after a chapter in alcoholics anonymous often called the big book. You cant take less stock in the references made to god in this book than i would have if this book had been available to me at that time. The publication began in 1944, just five years after the founding of aa. This is the third time we have been referred to appendix ii spiritual experience. In his book, writing the big book, schaberg wastes no time dropping a bomb on any version of aa history originating from bill wilson or any of his closest associates who were actively involved in the earliest formative stages of what eventually became aa. This is the official website of the general service office g. Aas 12 steps, 12 traditions and big book are replete with references to. In november of 2014 agnostics, atheists and freethinkers in a. The first 164 pages of the big book with lined blank pages opposite each page of text for note taking. The second edition 1955 consisted of 1,150,000 copies.
We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the nonalcoholic. Many aa agnostics have found these books to be useful and enlightening. Finan december 23, 2018 aa history, new this week 3487 this article is an excerpt from drunks. Emmanuel episcopal church orlando, fl 1603 winter park rd. Nov 05, 2015 provided to youtube by cdbaby we agnostics alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous. We agnostics kansas city at the paseo groups alcathon. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Chapter 4 of the big book, we agnostics, in which bill w argues that recovery requires belief in god, is an insulting mishmash. Our meetings are more secular than most, providing a supportive environment for anyone with a desire to stop drinking regardless of their religious or spiritual beliefs, or lack of belief. Secular aa offers over 520 face to face group meetings worldwide. Feb 06, 2017 agnostic alcoholics welcomed back into aa fold. So many of them read more contemporary books on addiction and recovery and give the aa big book a pass because of its theistic bias, god would and could if he were sought, and so on. Aa for atheists and agnostics, a secular daily meditations book based on quotes taken from the first 164 pages episode 78. Chapter 4 of the big book is titled we agnostics and explores the meaning of a higher power.
Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings in aa s big book. The entire fourth chapter of the aa text, we agnostics, is. Many aa members attend big book workshops where this publication is studied as vigilantly as the christian bible, the jewish torah, and the muslim quran are studied by those associated with the particular religion. We agnostics aa kansas city we agnostics kansas city. The story of alcoholism and the birth of recovery, by christopher m. I think this chapter gets ignored quite often, especially by members that feel theyve got a good grasp of the faith business, but it helped me a great deal when i was trying to wrap my. How could there possibly be a god when there are so many starving people and wars where everybody says god is on their side. Apr 21, 2019 aa speakers joe and charlie how it works.
This is the audio version of the fourth edition of the big book, the basic text for alcoholics anonymous. If you are interested in finding an agnostic aa meeting near you, agnostic aa nyc maintains an ever growing list of these meetings. A big book compromise opens aa to unbelievers aa beyond. This is how i imagine it could have been in the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism.
We agnostics in the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. In 72 years of publishing, grapevine has never devoted an issue to atheist and agnostic membersuntil now. One of many good places to begin is in alcoholics anonymous aka the big book, specifically chapter 4, we agnostics. To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience. Between the big book and the 12 and 12 combined, the word god appears 298 times. Aa without god alcoholics anonymous has helped millions of people recover from alcoholism. Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings in aas big book. A little ditty on the big book of alcoholics anonymous.
May i stop at this point and address a few sentences direct to agnostic or atheistically inclined alcoholics. We agnostics kansas city is an alcoholics anonymous group in the kansas city area. In doing so, the big book also presents a method by which readers can investigate theological questions for themselves. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading one big tent. Chapter 4 we agnostics page 40 for either case, atheist or agnostic, we are going to have to find some way to have this spiritual experience, and to use this power greater than human power.
The word broken down from greek is, a meaning without, and gnosis meaning knowledge. 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. What if the fourth chapter of the big book,we agnostics had actually been written by atheists and agnostics. A little ditty on the big book of alcoholics anonymous we agnostics. Atheists in aa are a minority but even at 5% of aa, thats 100,000 aas that dont believe in a prayeranswering, sobrietygranting higher power. Those closest to wilson are characterized as having atrociously poor memories and at times even tend to. What about those sanctimonious church goers who judge me for.
By the very act of critiquing chapter 4, we agnostics, i admittedly commit aa heresy. Chapter 4 we agnostics page 41 notice the asterisk at the bottom of the page. One big tent is a collection of stories, originally published in grapevine, which represent the shared experience of secular aa members who have struggled with alcoholism, yet ultimately found a common solution in aa. It is dedicated to those who want recovery from alcoholism, but have difficulty with the word god.
This has left historians and aa members divided over some important questions. This is a long chapter, but like the rest of the big book, the ideas are simple and straightforward. Chapter 4 we agnostics this chapter explains the atheist and the believer. Sbbb refers to this steps by the big book workbook. Nov 08, 2018 by john huey one big hoax a view of the book one big tent published by aa grapevine. No religion no prayerjust warm friendly folks like you gathering together for support and sobriety. They are not aa approved, but are aa permitted to use and adapt the aa 12 step program. May 21, 2008 the big book itself does not offer a defense of its own theological method, but one can be found easily enough in the work of aas third cofounder, william james. Over the years ive tried really hard to get this to work, but for me the idea of a divine hand reaching down from the clouds and plucking out the bad bits just worked less and less. This is a study guide to the book alcoholics anonymous.
In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. The big book was originally published in 1939 by aa founders bill w. Alcoholics anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers. The we agnostics chapter of the big book just got back from a meeting closed discussion where we read this entire chapter and shared on it holy crap what an arrogant, insulting, and condescending way of looking at atheists and agnostics. There have been numerous reprints and revisions, in addition to translations into dozens of languages. In this part of the alcoholics anonymous big book study, joe and charlie discuss the chapter we agnostics this series of talks came about from a friendship that started in alcoholics anonymous. To assume everyones version of god is messed up is a problem. This is the second edition of the book alcoholics anonymous, which made its first appearance in april 1939. Big book alcoholics anonymous chapter 4 we agnostics pages 44 57. Oct, 2016 alcoholics anonymous officially recognized atheist and agnostic membership in the october edition of grapevine, the international journal of alcoholics anonymous. Aa s big book calls alcoholism an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer. Atheist in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. The purpose of this study guide is to enable the student to better understand the information the authors of the book, alcoholics anonymous, intended to impart to each of us based on their experience and knowledge of alcoholism and. Words contained within the first 164 pages of the big book.
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