It is dedicated to those who want recovery from alcoholism, but have difficulty with the word god. The purpose of this study guide is to enable the student to better understand the information the authors of the book, alcoholics anonymous, intended to impart to each of us based on their experience and knowledge of alcoholism and. They are not aa approved, but are aa permitted to use and adapt the aa 12 step program. God in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we discuss his alcoholic problems and explain our fellowship. As we continue to study the big book we will learn there is nothing we can do about the. To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience. Pp 5354 we agnostics the faith of reason the eaa group. We agnostics assignment we have covered the first and second components of the disease of alcoholism.
Joe and charlies we agnostics big book step study my. It sounds like they are trying to convert me to something. A perspective on we agnostics chapter 4 of the big book how could there possibly be a god when there are so many starving people and wars where everybody says god is on their side. Is this the christian god, or can we really take this to mean a god of our own understanding. There were lots of suggestions good orderly direction, guidance on demand, group of drunks the last being the most popular with agnostics and atheists. This is the full archive, listed by date of publication in other words, the earliest ones appear first. The 1996 canadian census only counted 21,975 agnostics. This is the part of the big book where their blatant proselytizing for god happens. In its chapter, we agnostics, the big book outlines.
The big book of quotations for atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists kindle edition by probulos, i. Comparing we agnostics to the original manuscript for our basic text comparison format colors appear here only and are not used in the actual comparisons. Into action, which describes steps five through 11. They summarized what they learned from the oxford group in six simple principles. Big book study walking through the big book of alcoholics anonymous with chris s. There are now secular aa groups in virtually every major city in the nation. Schematic outline of the first 103 pages of the big book. The eaa group rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Big book workbook is for those who are willing to grow along spiritual lines 60. Chapter 4 of the big book, we agnostics, in which bill w argues that recovery requires belief in god, is an insulting mishmash. Agnosticism is really the second largest religious belief system in the u. Chapter 2 there is a solution, chapter 3 more about alcoholism and chapter 4 we agnostics gives us. We confessed or shared our shortcomings with another person in confidence. You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves.
Atheist in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. We agnostics i n the precedingchapters you have learned something of alcoholism. Aa cofounder bill wilson wrote we agnostics in an attempt to address the issue that. Agnostics chapter of the big book just got back from a meeting closed discussion where we read this entire chapter and shared on it holy crap what an arrogant, insulting, and condescending way of looking at atheists and agnostics. The big book of quotations for atheists, agnostics, and. Especially, as that word gets used by individuals who embrace traditional religious concepts of.
I thought it had to be done precisely as laid out in the big book, and although bill w. Chapter 2 there is a solution, chapter 3 more about alcoholism and chapter 4 we agnostics gives us this information. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the big book of quotations for atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists. Chapter 4 of the big book is titled we agnostics and explores the meaning of a higher power. We need a spiritual experience to conquer the illness. One of the many myths that i was taught about the big book is that its the collective workwords of the original 100 members of aa.
The chapter on we agnostics was often suggested by wellmeaning friends, which can, in essence, be summed up as fake it till you make it. As we continue to study the big book we will learn there is nothing we can do about the physical allergy of the body. Below you will find all of the recordings made by dr. Aug 24, 2009 we have a new site come and check us out thursday night big book study. Throughout the big book atheists and agnostics are portrayed as people who need to be convinced to open their minds to the idea of having a personal relationship with god. Your rational thinking, but those who are religious can arrive at. What we know of course is that the big book was bill wilsons baby its a collection of his opinions and beliefs at 34 years sober. How it works, which outlines the 12 steps and how to follow them.
List of big book step study bbss groups in the united states hyannis format meeting schedule. Feb 05, 2017 below you will find all of the recordings made by dr. We admitted we were licked, that we were powerless over alcohol. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. When i first approached this step, i was concerned with doing it exactly right. When this was brought up in our carc2 meeting, the reply was that they were afraid the next step would be to change the big book. One can now listen to the alcoholics anonymous big book from front to back, or by choosing a chapter. The outlines and the promise of the new land had brought lustre to tired eyes and.
During any such meeting to study the aa big book, you would expect to encounter a wide variety of viewpoints on the portions under consideration. An agnostic is defined as a person who accepts the concept of god but. The list was an attempt to outline what had worked in the program for others. We have a new site come and check us out thursday night big book study. The outlines and the promise of the new land had brought lustre to tired eyes and fresh courage to flagging spirits. Now, we turn our eyes toward there is a solution, the story in which the big book begins to truly shine in its depiction of alcoholism and its many, many dangers. If we are to accept our disease and learn to overcome it, we must accept that we. It is the sharing of our collective experience, strength, hope and wisdom inspired by our reading of this big book together that will make a difference in our recovery. So it was comforting to learn that we could commence at. This exercise is meant to be an individual study aid of the big book in which the author identifies the references to god.
Taken from the book alcoholics anonymous frequently called the big book. Big book alcoholics anonymous chapter 4 we agnostics pages 44 57. Especially, as that word gets used by individuals who embrace traditional religious concepts of what it means to them. We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the nonalcoholic. Although these books are not written specifically for the agnostic, they use nonjudgemental direct language and are higherpower neutral. The outlines and the promise of the new land had brought lustre sic to tired eyes and. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. Aa speaker turn our will and our lives over to the care of god new 20 duration. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about god. Jul 16, 2015 joe and charlie cover the chapter we agnostics from the big book of alcoholics anonymous in such masterly detail. In the last analysis it is only there that he may be found. In doing so, the big book also presents a method by which readers can investigate theological questions for themselves. Do we then outline the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous. We wish to make the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous part of our.
M download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. There is a solution contains numerous important revelations, illustrating one of them with a story pertaining to one of aas early members. We agnostics, which describes the spiritual beliefs of aa. In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. I also dont approve of the big book saying i dont know who god is. Big book overview alcoholics anonymous or the big book as it is commonly called was first published in 1939 and was subtitled the story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism. Chapter 4 we agnostics page 40 for either case, atheist or agnostic, we are going to have to find some way to have this spiritual experience, and to use this power greater than human power. Schematic outline of the first 103 pages of the big book i.
In its chapter, we agnostics, the big book outlines its attitude toward spiritual and religious matters. For many of us that seems to be an impossible task. Find the ones you want and click listen here to hear them on your computer. Mar 29, 2018 i know it wont be an overnight thing, or if it will even ever happen, but we have to consider that if aa helps 510%, and there are 15% agnostics in the us population, maybe 2025 among alcoholics, i think we tend to be more of an ungodly bunch, this leaves, give or take, around 70% who are not helped by aa and who are not necessarily not. I find it to be very insulting and incompatible with any secular thinking. Reading guide for we agnostics amethyst recovery center. Apr 05, 2016 there were lots of suggestions good orderly direction, guidance on demand, group of drunks the last being the most popular with agnostics and atheists. Words above brackets are from the prepublication version. The outlines and the promise of the new land had brought lustre to tired eyes and fresh courage to flagging.
The we agnostics chapter of the big book just got back from a meeting closed discussion where we read this entire chapter and shared on it holy crap what an arrogant, insulting, and condescending way of looking at atheists and agnostics. Audio big book ideal for those who find difficulty reading, an audio version of the big book in mp3 format. In this text book for permanent sobriety, we find the twelve steps of. There are references in which some will agree and disagree and obviously there are references we omitted where another person might have highlighted it. The author is a christian trying to save and convert agnostics. That means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral. Alcoholics anonymous and the big book are registered trademarks of a. This is because we agnostics includes terms such as creative intelligence, which would appear not to gel with the notion that we are allowed to accept the greater scientific universe as the higher power of our choosing. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either alcoholics.
In brackets after each is the specific source for each books summary. The big book would advise you, however, not to be too perturbed by these references. Coined by professor huxley at a party in london to found the metaphysical society in 1869, huxley combined the a prefix for without and gnostic meaning knowledge. One of the most comprehensive studies of the basic text of alcoholics anonymous ever. These are posted as an aid to the blind, those who have difficulty reading or who are remote from meetings either in prison or in hard to reach places. And perhaps thats why we see this in the big book at the end of the third step material. The chapter on we agnostics was often suggested by wellmeaning friends, which can, in. It is the first text written about the experiences of the founders of the a. So far weve listed earlier secular books for we agnostics in aa. It is not meant to be the the final word by any stretch.
I mean i understood it intellectually, but what i wasnt getting is it god. We, of alcoholics anonymous, are more than one hundred men and woman who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Many aa agnostics have found these books to be useful and enlightening. There is an appendix referenced in we agnostics that notes this. For god to prove himself on demand, physically, would be a grave disappointment, and the strongest christians should be considerably grateful that he chooses not to do so. We can learn the universal, generic pattern of lifes. Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we discuss his alcoholicproblems and. We agnostics by soberrecovery, staff writer nov 21 2014. A perspective on we agnostics chapter 4 of the big book. The individual sections of this study guide material reflect ideas, emotions and attitudes you might hear from the.
Or pick from one of many of the favorite parts we have singled out on our website. Chapter 4, we agnostics, is truly a remarkable piece of writing. This is how i imagine it could have been in the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. According to the big book, when we speak of god, what do we mean. He genuinely believed that he had a spiritual experience granted by god, and it was his sincere view that this. I mean i understood it intellectually, but what i wasnt getting is it god means anything that is outside the self that has the power to healhelpetc. The individual sections of this study guide material reflect ideas, emotions and attitudes you might hear from the mouth of that old timer over in the corner. The big book step study bbss format, based upon an aa meeting format originated in hyannis, mass. Then why does the chaptor we agnostics insinuate were all agnostic till we find out who god is in our lives and we have to have a spiritual awakening. Our goal is to study the steps as a friendly, focused group, and work them as the authors of the big book described. The chapter, we agnostics appears in the book, alcoholics anonymous aka the big book on. By using we in the title, it is insinuated that the authors are agnostic. Joe and charlie cover the chapter we agnostics from the big book of alcoholics anonymous in such masterly detail. Nov 21, 2014 that means we have written a book which we believe to be spiritual as well as moral.
May 21, 2008 in its chapter, we agnostics, the big book outlines its attitude toward spiritual and religious matters. The big book study movement is outside of the structure of alcoholics anonymous in ireland. What about those sanctimonious church goers who judge me for my sins and then commit their own. For the agnostic, atheist and humanist, it can feel like a distraction from the.
The 2001 census data showed that the percentage of atheists, agnostics, humanists, adherents of no religion, etc rose from 12. We agnostics chapter of the big book religious forums. This is the heart of the big book, the chapter that introduces the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous, and is so revered that it is read to open. What if the fourth chapter of the big book, we agnostics had actually been written by atheists and agnostics.
The purpose of this study guide is to enable the student to better understand the information the authors of the book, alcoholics anonymous, intended to impart to each of us based on their experience and knowledge of alcoholism and their program of recovery. We agnostically inclined would not feel satisfied with a proposal which does not. This is a study guide to the book alcoholics anonymous. It would be helpful to you as you read along to substitute the word food for alcohol and compulsive eater for alcoholic. We agnostics aa big book chapter 4 aa big book big book of aa alcoholics anonymous doctors opinion how it works aa preamble alcoholism recovery 4th edition 3rd edition 2nd edition alcohol allergy rehabilitation of alcoholics dr.
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