Thoughts on Tradition Ten from the Shropshire (UK) Intergroup):

Short form

Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

Long form

No A.A. group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate A.A., express any opinion on outside controversial issues— particularly those of politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion. The Alcoholics Anonymous groups oppose no one. Concerning such matters they can express no views whatsoever.

Tradition Ten Discussion Questions

1. Do I ever give the impression that there really is an “AA opinion” on Antabuse? Tranquilisers? Doctors? Psychiatrists? Churches? Hospitals? Jails? Alcohol? The Government? Drug and alcohol legislation? Vitamins? Al-Anon? Alateen? 
2. Can I honestly share my own personal experience concerning any of those without giving the impression I am stating the “AA opinion”? 
3. What in AA history gave rise to our Tenth Tradition? 
4. When offering guidance or sponsoring, do I offer my opinion as if it is AA lore?
5. What would AA be without this Tradition? Where would I be? 
6. Do I breach this or any of its supporting Traditions in subtle, perhaps unconscious, ways? 
7. How can I manifest the spirit of this Tradition in my personal life outside AA? Inside AA? 

Thoughts on Tradition Ten

So where did the inspiration for this tradition come from? We know from the tradition essay that Bill was aware of the Washingtonians. This was a temperance organisation in America that began in the 1840s. Although it focussed on the personal recovery of alcoholics, there are more differences that similarities in how they encouraged alcoholics to achieve sobriety. The Washingtonians found significant success with a membership of over half a million at its height. They became involved in politics, specifically prohibition and the abolition of slavery. This divided them, diverted them from their primary purpose and the crumbled alarmingly quickly.

The Oxford Groups are another example of this failure to stay on message. The Oxford Groups were a very successful first century Christianity movement that enjoyed success internationally. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury praised them. At their core were the 'four absolutes'; absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness and absolute love. Their leader, Franck Buchman, was active in promoting the Oxford Groups or, as they later became known, The Campaign for Moral Rearmament. After years of working with churches, Buchman realised that he could make more of difference if he were able to gain access to world leaders. He tried on a number of occasions to meet with Hitler in an attempt to put a halt to Naziism. In an interview after meeting Hitler he was quoted as saying, "I thank heaven for a man like Adolf Hitler, who built a front line of defence against the anti-Christ of communism." This was actually a misquote but didn't win him any new converts and affected the reputation of the Oxford Groups internationally.

The Oxford Groups were also heavily involved in business and consequently their core message was eroded further. Today AA is known worldwide and the Oxford Groups aren't. Today they are very far from Buchman's original message and struggle to gain anything like their original traction. So from this experience we can again learn the value of keeping to our primary purpose and avoiding potentially divisive outside issues.

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