What Would The Master Do?
I’m directing this post towards those “experienced AAs” who practice this sick kind of tolerance/intolerance towards newcomers, specifically those newcomers who have problems in addition to alcohol.
From pg. 142 in the 12 and 12. A newcomer shows up with an additional problem and in turn, poses a problem for the membership of the group.
“But,” he asked, “will you let me join your group? Since I am the victim of another addiction even worse stigmatized than alcoholism, you may not want me among you?”
“There was the dilemma. What should the group do? The oldest member summoned two others, and in confidence laid the explosive facts in their laps. Said he, ‘Well, what about it? If we turn this man away, he’ll soon die. If we allow him in, only God knows what trouble he’ll brew. What shall the answer be - yes or no?’
At first the elders could only look at the objections. ‘We deal,’ they said, ‘with alcoholics only. Shouldn’t we sacrifice this one for the sake of the many?’ So went the discussion while the newcomer’s fate hung in the balance. Then one of the three spoke in a very different voice. ‘What we are really afraid of,’ he said, ‘is our reputation. We are much more afraid of what people might say than the trouble this strange alcoholic might bring. As we’ve been talking, five short words have been running through my mind. Something keeps repeating to me, ‘What would the Master do?‘ Not another word was said. What more indeed could be said?
Overjoyed, the newcomer plunged into Twelfth Step work. Tirelessly he laid A.A.’s message before scores of people. Since this was a very early group, those scores have since multiplied themselves into thousands.”
“Shouldn’t we sacrifice this one for the sake of the many?” Will someone please tell me where this is referenced in the Big Big Book?
Thanks,
Mark
Tags: alcoholism, Recovery, third-tradition, toleranceRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Spirituality, The Twelve Traditions
7 opinions for What Would The Master Do?
John B(Edmond, OK)
Jul 20, 2006 at 8:26 am
I believe very strongly in keeping Unity within my own homegroup. I do what I can to perpetuate the traditions. The group must remain strong in order for the individual to survive. The best way to do that is to abide, as closely as possible, to the Traditions.
As a group, our Primary Purpose is the carry the message to the alcoholic that still suffers. That’s the message in Tradition 5. It was explained to me that each Tradition builds on the one before it. Similar to the steps. I’ve heard of groups banning certain people, obviously not in alignment with the Traditions. Each group has the right to make up their own decisions as to how they will conduct themselves. But the farther they stray from the Traditions, the more likely the group will not survive.
John B
markw
Jul 20, 2006 at 9:58 am
Hi John,
Thank you so much for visiting and your comments. Funny that you’d post this comment as I was writing my latest entry talking about how we, as a whole, aren’t paying enough attention to passing the Traditions on…
No Coincidences?
John B(Edmond, OK)
Jul 20, 2006 at 11:58 am
I’m glad to have found the Blog… another Coincidence no doubt.
Feel free to message me offline if you have access to my information.
My sponsor’s sponsor always says: “I believe that any work done for Alcoholics Anonymous is truly GREAT WORK.” and I believe it too. Thanks for the great work.
Micky
Oct 18, 2006 at 4:33 am
The AA Guru
Clancy’s Seven Questions:
Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Inadequacy, Loneliness: The five areas that seem to cause the most serious problems for people in recovery.
Most of the people who approach Clancy or are referred to him, are very hardcore cases who have tried numerous times and approaches to solve their problems.
Here are the Seven Questions:
1. In looking back over your life - what memories are still painful, guilty, dirty?
2. In what ways do you consider yourself an inadequate person?
3. Who do you resent â and why? Be specific.
4. What do you conceive to be your defects of character - as you see them today?
5. What is the nature of the ongoing problems you have with people close to you - in human relations - what seems to always happen when you have these things that blow up?
6. In what way do you believe that A.A. can help you with any of these problems?
7. In what way do you believe that A.A. can begin to change things?
I never give the newcomer the questions without also setting a time for them to complete their writing. Normally, I’ll give them the questions and expect them to be finished with their writing by the next day, and I’ll have them call me so that we can get together and discuss their answers and apply the solution to their problems.
If the newcomer procrastinates and doesn’t meet the deadline for the questions I usually consider that they are not yet serious enough to approach their problem and I move on to help someone else.
I pass them on to you with the hope that they will help you in helping others as much as they have helped me.
Clancy I, is a well known AA identity
Is he a trained therapist!?
If you take time to change, do you suppose that life is in suspension during the time it takes to change? It isn’t in suspension. Everything you are trying to change is being modified & perpetuated by the environment by life itself. So there is no end to it - It is like trying to clean the water in a tank which is constantly being refilled with dirty water. So time is out. The only possible change is a radical transformation in all your relationships not in some vague future. but now.
Enlightenment does not come through a leader, it comes through the understanding of what is in yourself - not going away from yourself. A mind that is dependent on authority & therefore incapable of standing alone, incapable of understanding, incapable of looking directly, such a mind must inevitably have a fear of going wrong of not doing the right thing, of not reaching ecstasy that is promised or that one hopes for. The religious mind is a light to itself. It’s light is not lit by another - the candle that is lit by another, can be put out very quickly.
I imagine that ones light wouuld be put out very quickly by attending AA meetings & meeting up with people like Clarence the Bill Wilson clone. Have you noticed that Jesus Christ is not mentioned in the the interrogation - 7 questions?
Micky
PS: I am a recoverd alcoholic with 21 years of sobriety & Jesus Christ lights my candle, not Clarence the Guru!
Mark
Oct 18, 2006 at 6:29 am
Resentments will get you drunk Micky…
john
Dec 13, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Didn’t we move away fromt the Oxford Group because they did mention JEsus in their literature ???
Mark
Dec 13, 2006 at 6:02 pm
I don’t know about that John but we might also be able to look this up at the History Lovers Group.
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