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Posts
Realm of Spirit: This and similar terms appear to describe our condition after the Spiritual Awakening mentioned several times in our literature. (From our online AA literature study guide at AABookClub.org): Big Book: "We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men." Page 46, We Agnostics "We asked ourselves this: Are not some of us just as biased and unreasonable about the realm of the spirit as were the ancients about the realm of the material?" Page 51, We Agnostics "This thought brings us to Step Ten , which suggests we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes as we go along. We vigorously commenced this way of living as we cleaned up the past. We have entered the world of the Spirit." Page 84, Into Action, Step Ten "Abandon yourse...
AA literature/history post - Read Bill's 1947 Grapevine article on Tradition One: Tradition One Our whole AA program is securely founded on the principle of humility -- that is to say, perspective. Which implies, among other things, that we relate ourselves rightly to God and to our fellows; that we each see ourselves as we really are -- "a small part of a great whole". Seeing our fellows thus, we shall enjoy group harmony. That is why AA Tradition can confidently state, "Our common welfare comes first." "Does this mean," some will ask, "that in AA the individual doesn't count too much? Is he to be swallowed up, dominated by the group?" No, it doesn't seem to work out that way. Perhaps there is no society on earth more solicitous of personal welfare, more careful to grant the individual the greatest possible liberty of belief and action. Alcoholics Anonymous has not "musts." Few AA groups impose penalties on...
Self: The use of 'self-' is nearly always negative. This idea is very prevalent in Step Three and always refers to our problems and their source. Three of the twelve Promises in the Ninth Step mention removal of some manifestation of self. The solution to self and self-will is often Willingness , or Dependence on a Higher Power or AA. 'Ego' is also used several times in the literature, and carries the same connotation. A few positive uses of 'self-' are noted at the bottom of the page. (From our online AA literature study guide at aabookclub.org): Big Book: "These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once having lost their self-confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve." The Doctor's Opinion "Understanding myself now, I fared forth in high hope. For three or four months the...