Question: They told me in AA my “higher power” can be anything.
Answer: That is correct.
Question: Anything? Literally anything? What if my higher power is Satan?
Answer: Yes, in AA your higher power could be Satan.
Question: Could my higher power be President Obama?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Okay, um, could my higher power be George Bush?
Answer: Well, now you’re pushing it, but yes, in AA your “god” is whatever you want it to be–even George Bush.
According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book (the AA ‘Bible’): “We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.” (pg. 75)
Question: Just how broad is that highway?
Answer: Broadee-broad-broad. Extremely broad. Broadgantic. Broadnormous.
In 1941, Jack Alexander of the Saturday Evening Post wrote the article that provided AA its first national publicity. Describing AA’s “higher power,” Alexander noted the alcoholic “may choose to think of his Inner Self, the miracle of growth, a tree, man’s wonderment at the physical universe, the structure of the atom, or mere mathematical infinity. Whatever form is visualized, the neophyte is taught that he must rely on it and, in his own way, to pray to the Power for strength.”
Question: I’m leaning toward making Obama my higher power.
Answer: Sure, lots of people have him as their god, and some of ‘em aren’t even in AA.
Question: Hmmm. What if I want my higher power to be a spirit, or the moon, or something?
Answer: That’s fine. In AA, we tell people who have trouble coming up with a god to make a doorknob, or even the group, their higher power to start with.
Question: What if I decide I myself am the higher power?
Answer: That is absolutely fine.
The AA Big Book tells us, “Sometimes we had to search fearlessly but He was there. He was as much a fact as we were. We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the last analysis, it is only there that He may be found.” (pg. 55)
Question: In the Bible, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”
Answer: (Sigh) You know how exclusionary those Christians are.
The Big Book clearly states, “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men. When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God.” (pg. 46)
Question: My own conception of God?
Answer:That’s what I’m trying to tell you.
Question: The guy who wrote the 12 Steps, where’d he get his inspiration? Church?
Answer: No, Bill Wilson wasn’t a church goer, to say the least. His inspiration came…from somewhere else. He had a different hobby:
“The ouija board got moving in earnest. What followed was the fairly usual experience–it was a strange melange of Aristotle, St. Francis, diverse archangels with odd names, deceased friends–some in purgatory and others doing nicely, thank you! There were malign and mischievious ones of all descriptions, telling of vices quite beyond my ken, even as former alcoholics. Then, the seemingly virtuous entities would elbow them out with messages of comfort, information, advice, and just sheer nonsense.”– –AA co-founder Bill Wilson, from his official AA biography, PASS IT ON, pg. 278
“…[AA co-founders] Bill and Dr. Bob believed vigorously and aggressively. They were working away at the spiritualism; it was not just a hobby.” –Early AA member Tom Powers, quoted on pg. 280 of PASS IT ON
That was funny. I was in AA for years, but when I found out about the extra curricular activities of Bill and the gang, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to go back. I am tempted sometimes, just to see some folks, but I just cant, and wont.
Good to hear from you Elizabeth, and I hope the worst is over.
And they still won’t move AA on from my little Church !! They took everything and everyone except AA. I wanted to hold prayer and Bible study there for the people in that area, but apparently AA was ‘more important’.
I did what our Lord commanded… “Come out from among them……”
I paid dearly because I stood up and refused to deny my Lord !!
That’s why I left my Church (all of it) and worship somewhere else.
Wow!
What a hoot! Great stuff, John!
This reminds me of something I learned a few years ago about L.M. Montgomery, author of “Anne of Green Gables”. Married to a Presbyterian minister, she, too, shared in this most unusual hobby. It’s no wonder that these people go on to write books and ever so subtlely, inject their newfound philosophies into the minds of foolish women and innocent children. Here’s an interesting quote from her:
“‘We used to do it out in Prince Albert for an evening’s fun. When I returned home I introduced it among the Canvendish young fry and it was the fashionable amusement of the winter.’ The next page or so offers descriptive details about things that these spirits did and said. On page 314 and 315, we see her dabbling in the occult through the medium of the Ouija board and, unfortunately, enjoying it thoroughly. ‘Ralph’s father, Dr. Aylsworth, believes that the power behind Ouija is a demonism. He may be right. But evidently some demons have a sense of humor!’” (got that from here – http://www.keepersofthefaith.com/category/BookReviews.html )
How delightful for her! Classic American literature? I’ll pass, thankyou.