Tom Powers (1911-2005) attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in White Plains, New York, in October, 1941. After several unsuccessful hospitalizations Powers remained a hardened alcoholic and drug addict, and his initial success in AA was seriously compromised by his atheism.
Your higher power can be anything that you believe in: the universe, nature, Buddha, music, love, Allah, humanity or even AA itself. AA doesn't require you to believe in anything that you don't want to; each step is a suggestion along the road to a sober life.
How Did the Twelve Steps Start? Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the two men who founded AA in 1935, drew their inspiration for the Twelve Steps from the Oxford Group.
Both had been active in AA's immediate precursor the Christian revivalist Oxford Group where they joined other alcoholics in supporting each other until separating into a fellowship for alcoholics only.
Origin of the 12 Traditions
The 12 Traditions of AA were first introduced by the founder Bill Wilson, who wrote a series of essays for the Grapevine Magazine in April 1946. They were titled “Twelve Points to Assure Our Future”. In 1947, pamphlets of Bill Wilson's words were sent to all members, free of charge.
What most Christians do not realize is that Alcoholics Anonymous can be traced back to an evangelical Bible study called the Oxford Group. The 12 steps are based on the Oxford principles, which were used to help Christians in their walk with God.
The first and foremost Spiritual Principle in Step Twelve is Service. It would seem the Twelfth Step would be a culmination of all the previous steps. In a way it is, but we are also introduced to a few new ones, too. Among them is Service as the basis for this Step, and for that we are grateful.
You should also avoid cross-talk because it can be offensive and embarrassing. It is also often against the rules.
By the mid-1940s, a number of black alcoholics had found sobriety in the program. Jim S., a physician, was called the originator of A.A.'s first black group.
Later that same year (April 1945) came the story of Dr. James C. Scott, Jr., M.D., the black physician who founded the first black A.A. group in the nation¿s capital, and was the first black A.A. member to get his story in the Big Book.
So let's do away right from the start with the idea that AA is a program that is not based on God. The 12 steps, which are the heart of the program, mention God specifically four times, and God is referred to indirectly two more times.
Are 12-step programs religious? No. While the 12 Steps were inspired by spiritual ideals, a 12-step program itself is not religious at all.
“God” is mentioned in five of the Twelve Steps, but the fellowship is without guidelines that specify who or what members believe that their Higher Power is.
GOD acronyms heard at Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step meetings: GOD - Good Orderly Direction. GOD - Group Of Drunks, AA's higher power.
In describing the steps they took to recover from alcoholism, the founders of AA wrote that they “came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” The term higher power, or HP, is used throughout the Big Book of AA to reference the power that was greater than they were.
Mrs. Marty Mann was a pioneer in the understanding and treatment of alcoholism from the time that she was well into recovery in her 30s until her death in 1980 at age 76. She was one of the first women to embrace Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and achieve long-term sobriety through it.
Bill Dotson, the "Man on the Bed," was AA number 3. At his death, he had not had a drink in more than nineteen years. His date of sobriety was the date he entered Akron's City Hospital for his last detox, June 26, 1935. Two days later occurred that fateful day when two sober alcoholics visited him: Dr.
From the Early Days of AA: Marty Mann
While she wasn't the first ever woman to join AA – that was “Lil” – she was the first woman to achieve continuous sobriety from the program. Mann was born in Chicago to an upper-middle-class family in 1904.
Am I allowed to tell other people I'm in Alcoholics Anonymous? Yes. The principle of anonymity dictates that you should never share anything about another member that you learned during an AA meeting. It doesn't require you to hide your membership from the people you trust.
Friend or Sponsor
A sponsor does not have to become a person's friend. Whether or not a person builds a bond with the sponsor is based more on personal compatibility than anything else. Sometimes friendship gets in the way of primary work in completing 12 steps. When friendship is appropriate depends on what arises.
12 Step meetings allow you to meet others in similar situations who will reassure you that you are not alone as well as provide you with advice on how to get through obstacles that may challenge your recovery.
The 12 spiritual principles of recovery are as follows: acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly-love, integrity, self-discipline, and service.