Tim Dill wrote to Bob Perlitz on  and announced ..
 TD> On (30 Jan 97) Bob Perlitz was mumbling to Tim Dill...
 BP> WOW, is that an understatement!!!!!
 TD>  No, Have you my experience?...
 TD>  If not this is an alterative viewpoint.
 BP> I guess you REALLY believe the AA program is a failure.  That does not
 BP> quite coincide with my experience but you are entitled to your
 BP> opinion.
        AA in my opinion has a lot of growing up to do.  I started of a 
        member of that fellowship but as a result of to many members
        dening the real problem (obsessive behavior) and telling me 
        if I had to identify as an "and a" then I needed to share my
        e.s.h. somewhere else.  That is when I started going to N.A.
        
        So A.A. was not a complete failure to me.  I found what I 
        needed by going there first.  And yes I do believe that AA
        definately needs to take a good hard look at the symptom/
        cause issues and the behavior issues that surround them.
        In all the other fellowships that I have attened meetings in
        they all seem to focus more on the "behavior issues" that lead
        up to using our particular "fix".
        
 TD>  Yes, and my opinion marks the ones who have recovered and now are
 TD>  really taking a long hard look at the _Wording_ that got them
 TD>  into recovery. An inventory of the organization that may get
 TD>  people sober.. but leaves them lacking in the way they do it.
        Agreed.
        
 TD>  I support AA but not GSO nor the General Service Committee that
 TD>  wasted 7.2 million dollars of the 7th tradition without
 TD>  consulting the members...
        Glad to hear that you still go to meetings.
 TD>  I support the local groups, I speak at meetings, I make Coffee
 TD>  at my Monday night step meeting... 
 TD>  But I find that the Literature must change else the Great Program
 TD>  which got me sober will die...
        
      Agreed Again!
 TD>  I never thought that once this would be anyone's reaction to this...
 TD>  I am sober/clean by the Goddess' power over 7 years now but
 TD>  it's time I seriously looked at the wording and the way
 TD>  the Books are written.
        Its been a long time comming.
 TD>  In the NA twelve and twelve Character Defects are not mentioned until
 TD>  the 6th step... and ego deflation hardly at all... It looks at the 4th
 TD>  step as the most loving thing that you could do for yourself....
        Good point.
 TD>  There are 22 NEGATIVE references to the ego in the AA 12&12's 4th step
 TD>  alone.. I have not even begun to count the NEGATIVE ideas throughout
 TD>  the whole book. With this in mind, I dare say that with this NEGATIVE
 TD>  reference to us as human beings and one's negative attitude when one 
 TD>  "Hits bottom" and see's the way (and I dare say the only way because 
 TD>  AA won't publish any other) charts the course to recovery...
 TD>  one could think that they are in CATHOLIC school with all the
 TD>  attending sin and worthlessness and guilt associated with just
 TD>  being human and then see this is JUST a spiritual program?
 TD>  I don't think so....
 TD>  Therefore just for the newcomer we need to REVISE the 1939 Texts
 TD>  and the 1947 Texts to reflect the CURRENT membership...
               Its been a long time comming.  I got clean  in sept.
        1989 and felt that way after attending my first N.A. meeting.
        I would very between both fellowships and would leave an AA
        meeting feeling like I just came away from a very primitive
        process for recovery.  I did continue to go to meetings anyway.
        I saught groups that were a bit more open to current thought 
        processes.  But eventually I desided to just stick with N.A.
        meetings.
 TD>  There have been 5 revised copies of the NA Blue books out since I
 TD>  got clean. The NA 12 & 12 has been written in 1990 and published in 
 TD>  1993 reflecting the learning curve of dealing with the "dregs of 
 TD>  humanity" it reflects a gentler way of dealing with the ones hurt
 TD>  by AA's out moded way of TALKING to the sufferer....
 TD>  Tim....
 TD> ... First listen to sermon, THEN eat missionary.
        Not in todays agenda.
        Today is a beautiful day to go to an NA meeting and listen to 
        those who are "in recovery" not "around" it.
 TD> Trudging the road in Brooklyn N.Y.
        Wearing shorts and tank tops in January :-)
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