I'm very open minded.
And, I do believe in helping all people.
That's why I'm willing to help them with financial aid and efforts -- to go start their own thing and to do it some other way, in some other place. How much more open minded and helpful can that be?
There is a great line in the Big Book, that says something like "At some of these we balked. We thought we could find
an easier, softer way. But we could not."
That's found on page 58, of the chapter "How it works"
I'm not willing to remove that sentence from our book, which is our program of recovery, and re-name Chapter 5 "How it works" to "How it USED to work in the old program -- before we invented our new one."
The solution is so simple: Write a different book and start a different fellowship and a different program.
If "AA the book" stops working for those of us that it is working for -- we can go to them and thank them that they got their other deal up and running and that it works.
If their new deal doesn't work -- we'll still be around and will welcome them back, if they want to come back.
Why is that so harsh? If a fellow wants to use a horse and wagon -- leave him alone. Go build a car. Make an airplane. But don't try to force the guy with the horse & the wagon to drive your car or fly in your plane.
The Quakers have avoided cars & planes since they were invented. They hang on to their old ways because that's what works for them. Should we all go invade the Quaker communities and try to convince them to give up what works for them?
What happened to the principle of: "Live and Let Live"?
What's the "changing times" or a "different century" have to do with anything?
A lot of oeople today say men should marry men and women should marry women. I'm not interested in that at all. Nor, am I interested in men marrying sheep. And, women marrying dogs. If they want to do it -- let them go do it. But, don't expect me, or those of us that have different ideas -- to change -- just to make someone else "feel better".
A lot of oeople today want to get rid of the Bible, re-write it, change it to Mother God, and Denise as Her only begotten Daughter -- or rewrite it and say that Jesus was gay, or that he had a bunch of wives.
I say let them go write their own -- different bible -- and leave mine alone.
So, what's wrong with me -- and why am I wrong -- to do and believe and live -- what works for me?
I believe that "Our Rights" come from God and from Nature.
Why should I be forced or coerced to believe that "Our Rights" come from Government? Or from a donkey?
Oh. I see. I'm wrong because God didn't really give me any rights to be me -- to be an individual -- to have my own fingerprints. I'm supposed to change all of me -- to make someone else "feel better."
I'll stick with being wrong, old-fashioned, out of place, politically incorrect and dumb.
My job was to find a "solution" that worked for me. A solution -- where I could get sober, live sober, and be happy while sober. I found it.
I have no monopoly on sobriety any more than AA has a monopoly on sobriety.
Alcoholics have ALWAYS been able to find ways to stay sober WITHOUT AA.
So, let them go find their own friggin way!
"The right thing to do" in my opinion is: for those people to leave AA and go find their own way.
That's my 3 cents on it.
