rosie wrote:

> tono,
> here in the area of wisconsin that i live in, the RELIGIOUS "twist"
> is not there.
> we DON'T say the LORD'S PRAYER, and we DON'T talk GOD, but rather we
> use the reference of HP and use the serenity prayer after our
> meetings.

That sounds nice! Here in SE PA, even if it's a meeting where the lords
prayer isn't said and instead we say the serenity prayer, it seems
someone is always mentioning their god instead of their "higher power".
And everything seems to be "god's will". I mean *everything*! Like
they got a flat tire on the way to pick up their kid from day care, but
it was "gods will" and there was a purpose for it happening. They
stubbed their toe and almost cursed... it was "gods will". Their spouse
cheated on them... yep, gods will again! That thinking really boggles
my mind. I guess that is a lot of the reason I've been asking the
questions I have, it's like a different world over here.

Tono

tono,
when i go to meetings and hear someone talking about GOD (as they
understand him) i must remember, that it is THEIR choice, THEIR
decision.
no one makes me stop referring to my "god" as HP, so i must practice
patience and tolerance with others.

i will admit that i get "a little antsy" when someone starts the
"jesus is my lord and savior" routine in a meeting, and quite
frankly, if i am sponsoring that person, i do ask them to lighten up
a little, because it CAN be a real turn off to others around the
table, and our job is to carry the message, as best we can.
if the topic/discussion is really "god heavy" i make it a point when
its my turn to share, to explain how grateful i am that no one
forced god down my throat in the beginning of my sobriety.

that's my experience, and that's what i do!





--
rosie

http://airamericaradio.com/www/pub/globalDefault.htm
AIR AMERICA RADIO



"Tono" <tono1@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:y94bc.3133$Bp2.420@nwrdny02.gnilink.net...
: rosie wrote:
:
: > tono,
: > here in the area of wisconsin that i live in, the RELIGIOUS
"twist"
: > is not there.
: > we DON'T say the LORD'S PRAYER, and we DON'T talk GOD, but
rather we
: > use the reference of HP and use the serenity prayer after our
: > meetings.
:
: That sounds nice! Here in SE PA, even if it's a meeting where the
lords
: prayer isn't said and instead we say the serenity prayer, it seems
: someone is always mentioning their god instead of their "higher
power".
: And everything seems to be "god's will". I mean *everything*!
Like
: they got a flat tire on the way to pick up their kid from day
care, but
: it was "gods will" and there was a purpose for it happening. They
: stubbed their toe and almost cursed... it was "gods will". Their
spouse
: cheated on them... yep, gods will again! That thinking really
boggles
: my mind. I guess that is a lot of the reason I've been asking the
: questions I have, it's like a different world over here.
:
: Tono

JB wrote:

> "Tono" <tono1@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:w5%ac.3006$Bp2.1293@nwrdny02.gnilink.net...
>
>>I'm wondering what meetings are like in other countries. Do they
>
> all
>
>>throw in the christian stuff? Or do some countries throw in their
>
> own
>
>>major religion? Or do some places have a program that truly is
>>"spiritual" and not "religious"?
>>
>>Just curious,
>>
>>Tono
>
>
> I live in the UK. At the meetings I attend, we do not speak any
> prayer or verse or hear any reading that might be found in a Christian
> church service. There follows the format of the two meetings I
> regularly attend:
>
> Group 1 (General Meeting)
>
> 1. Apologies for absence
> 2. The Preamble is read out " Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of
> men and women who share their experience .............."
> 3. Members spend a short time thinking about why they are in the
> rooms
> 4. Reading from "As Bill Sees It" (one of the Officer's chooses
> someone to chose a reading in advance of the meeting. That person
> reads their chosen piece aloud then speaks to it.
> 5. Floor opened for sharing
> 6. AA-related notices read out while the donations cup is passed
> round
> 7. Serenity Prayer - everyone joins in.
>
> Group 2 (12 x 12x Group)
>
> 1. Apologies for absence
> 2. The Preamble (as above) is read out
> 3. Members spend a short time thinking about why they are in the
> rooms
> 4. "I am Responsible when anyone, anywhere reaches out for
> help............ " is read out
> 5. AA-related notices read out
> 6. Reading from the 12 x 12. It's a read round the room
> 7. Speaker. He/she is chosen by the Secretary in advance of the
> meeting. He/she speaks to the Chapter that was read out.
> 8. Floor opened for sharing
> 9. The donations cup is passed round.
> 10. Serenity Prayer - everyone joins in
>
> JB

Take away the "aplogies for absence" and throw in the lords prayer at a
little over half of the meetings, and we are pretty much the same.
Except like I mentioned in another reply, there is a lot of "god" and
"gods will" talk. The strange part is that the "gods will" isn't what
we may think our god or HP would like us to do or how to act, instead,
over here most people put a twist on it making everything that happens
in life "gods will". The 4 year old girl dies in an auto accident... it
was "gods will". I just don't get it.

Tono

"Tono" <tono1@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:w5%ac.3006$Bp2.1293@nwrdny02.gnilink.net...
> I'm wondering what meetings are like in other countries. Do they all
> throw in the christian stuff? Or do some countries throw in their own
> major religion?
>
You pick your own higher power and no one tells you to use a christain God
in the USA. I sponsor several people, one is a Pagan, anothers higher power
is Good Orderly Direction, and several have used their local AA group as a
higher power.
Julie
>
>
Or do some places have a program that truly is
> "spiritual" and not "religious"?
>
> Just curious,
>
> Tono

On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 02:13:05 GMT, Tono <tono1@verizon.net> wrote:

>> Not having the resources of the Christian religion near at hand makes
>> recovery from alcoholism well nigh impossible.
>
> Are you serious Ron?

From time to time. I never seem to manage the same gravitas as someone
wearing a pointy papal hat with a scepter can muster, though. Maybe I
should see if they sell those at Marshalls. Lot of good that would do
me on usenet... :\

Or I could just wear my underwear on the outside of my pants! In
fact, I'm beginning to believe that proper netiquette should require
this of all pseudonymous superheroes everywhere. After all, one should
always dress appropriately for the occasion.

>> Knowing this, most states with an Islamic foundation make drinking a
>> punishable offense, as they are inherently unequipped to deal with
>> the consequences. More tolerant regions have lost millions to
>> pandemic outbreaks of alcoholism, which is why the consequences of
>> their wayward beliefs are so hard to discern: the philistines are all
>> dead.

> Did the Philistines all die of alcoholism? I don't quite get the reference.

Yes, well, it was a pretty sorry attempt at sarcasm, my apologies. I
meant 'philistine' in the generic pejoritive sense, not w/ reference to
the ancient inhabitants of Philistia. Yes, they're all dead, you see,
because alcoholics in non-Christian locales have no hope of recovery.

Ta-boom, ching.

--
AB5DB9CC

>Group 1 (General Meeting)
>
>1. Apologies for absence

What's this?

"Christine" <ctbean3@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040401233253.17528.00000432@mb-m21.aol.com...
> >Group 1 (General Meeting)
> >
> >1. Apologies for absence
>
> What's this?

It's the time when we're told who since the last meeting, has told
someone that they will not be able to attend that meeting. It's not
compulsory for anyone to say that they won't be at a meeting. However,
if you hold a position such as Secretary or Tea maker, chaos can
result when you don't think to tell at least one of the Group's
others servants that they won't be present.

JB

"rosie" <sorry@toomanymalcontents.com> wrote in message
news:wi4bc.12297$YC5.8064@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> tono,
> when i go to meetings and hear someone talking about GOD (as they
> understand him) i must remember, that it is THEIR choice, THEIR
> decision.
> no one makes me stop referring to my "god" as HP, so i must practice
> patience and tolerance with others.
>
> i will admit that i get "a little antsy" when someone starts the
> "jesus is my lord and savior" routine in a meeting, and quite
> frankly, if i am sponsoring that person, i do ask them to lighten up
> a little, because it CAN be a real turn off to others around the
> table, and our job is to carry the message, as best we can.

Your comments remind of what happened to me when I spoke at an AA
meeting about the abuse I had suffered as a child. I was told that I
should not talk about such things in a meeting because it might bring
back painful memories to others which they might then use as an excuse
to drink. I was incensed by this woman's attempt to not allow me to
speak freely on one of the subjects that I thought was fuelling my
drinking, that I decided there and then to stop going to AA.

Given that believing in a God (as the individual understands
him/her/it) is part of AA's recovery programme and that AA encourages
its members to be tolerant of others views, I believe there is a need
for all AAers to try to never openly object to anyone expressing
whatever view of God they feel comfortable with..

JB

in article c4janl$3s2$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk, JB at JBCatRB@coldman.com
wrote on 4/2/04 4:15 AM:

>
> "rosie" <sorry@toomanymalcontents.com> wrote in message
> news:wi4bc.12297$YC5.8064@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>> tono,
>> when i go to meetings and hear someone talking about GOD (as they
>> understand him) i must remember, that it is THEIR choice, THEIR
>> decision.
>> no one makes me stop referring to my "god" as HP, so i must practice
>> patience and tolerance with others.
>>
>> i will admit that i get "a little antsy" when someone starts the
>> "jesus is my lord and savior" routine in a meeting, and quite
>> frankly, if i am sponsoring that person, i do ask them to lighten up
>> a little, because it CAN be a real turn off to others around the
>> table, and our job is to carry the message, as best we can.
>
> Your comments remind of what happened to me when I spoke at an AA
> meeting about the abuse I had suffered as a child. I was told that I
> should not talk about such things in a meeting because it might bring
> back painful memories to others which they might then use as an excuse
> to drink. I was incensed by this woman's attempt to not allow me to
> speak freely on one of the subjects that I thought was fuelling my
> drinking, that I decided there and then to stop going to AA.
>
> Given that believing in a God (as the individual understands
> him/her/it) is part of AA's recovery programme and that AA encourages
> its members to be tolerant of others views, I believe there is a need
> for all AAers to try to never openly object to anyone expressing
> whatever view of God they feel comfortable with..
>
> JB
>
>
>
This is the tricky area - the preamble says "AA is not allied with any sect,
denomination, politics or institution; does not wish to engage in any
controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes." But what that refers
to is AA itself - of course it would be great if individuals were perfect at
reflecting that idea in their shares (but its like that commercial, we don't
live in Perfect). That's why most AA meetings (at least the ones I have
been to) have somewhere in the format the reminder that what has been said
in the meeting is strictly someone's opinion and not that of AA. I live in
a "bible belt" area - so sometimes I feel like I'm in someone else's church
all of a sudden, but I am not responsible for someone else's share. We had
one particular group where we ran into problems like this, but there were so
many other issues going on in that group that people were no longer coming,
except for the "strongly opinionated" few and some stubborn cases who wanted
to try to keep the meeting alive. Eventually, another meeting was started.

All you need is a coffee pot and a resentment to motivate someone to start a
new meeting. That's how meetings get started. (at least that's been my
experience). People can get into all sorts of discussions about the
"quality" of someone else's share or content of it, and that is usually
coupled with discussions of that persons quality and quantity of sobriety.
Not for me to judge. I have a choice as to how I handle what other people
do or say, and that is the only thing I can work on.

Principles over personalities.

Love and light
Alana

"Alana Morgan" <cosmoluna@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:BC92BC4B.922%cosmoluna@earthlink.net...
> in article c4janl$3s2$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk, JB at
JBCatRB@coldman.com
> wrote on 4/2/04 4:15 AM:
> > Given that believing in a God (as the individual understands
> > him/her/it) is part of AA's recovery programme and that AA
encourages
> > its members to be tolerant of others views, I believe there is a
need
> > for all AAers to try to never openly object to anyone expressing
> > whatever view of God they feel comfortable with..
> >
> > JB
> >

> This is the tricky area - the preamble says "AA is not allied with
any sect,
> denomination, politics or institution; does not wish to engage in
any
> controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes." But what
that refers
> to is AA itself - of course it would be great if individuals were
perfect at
> reflecting that idea in their shares (but its like that commercial,
we don't
> live in Perfect). That's why most AA meetings (at least the ones I
have
> been to) have somewhere in the format the reminder that what has
been said
> in the meeting is strictly someone's opinion and not that of AA. I
live in
> a "bible belt" area - so sometimes I feel like I'm in someone else's
church
> all of a sudden, but I am not responsible for someone else's share.
We had
> one particular group where we ran into problems like this, but there
were so
> many other issues going on in that group that people were no longer
coming,
> except for the "strongly opinionated" few and some stubborn cases
who wanted
> to try to keep the meeting alive. Eventually, another meeting was
started.
>
> All you need is a coffee pot and a resentment to motivate someone to
start a
> new meeting. That's how meetings get started. (at least that's been
my
> experience). People can get into all sorts of discussions about the
> "quality" of someone else's share or content of it, and that is
usually
> coupled with discussions of that persons quality and quantity of
sobriety.
> Not for me to judge. I have a choice as to how I handle what other
people
> do or say, and that is the only thing I can work on.
>
> Principles over personalities.
>
> Love and light
> Alana

Dear Alana,

After writing my post, I thought that it would be easy for someone who
had difficulty with the "God" bit of AA's programme to be put off
attending meetings at which a lot was said about God and/or Jesus
and/or the idea that everything that happens in life is "God's will".
I do not think that I have any trouble accepting that it's OK for
people to have different views about God to my own because I've come
to believe that their view does not adversely affect my recovery.
FWIW, I often feel glad when people who are recovering the AA way
think they have find the right God for them and are able with their
God's help to build for themselves a sober life that's acceptable to
them.

All the best

JB