October 1949

A M a priest of the Episcopal Church. For aver two y e a r s I have attended regularly t h e general meetings on Friday night of Alcoholics Anonymous. On invi- BY tation I have attended group meet- Father Kohert A. Martin ings and several zone meetings. I am not a n alcoholic. Why then t h i s HAVE attended meetings of sointerest? For want of a better word, called r e l i g i o u s groups, re- I would s a y t h e reason i s selfish- treats, conferences, conventions ness. T h i s i s not an accurate term and the like, but in none of t h e s e but used in t h e AA way it becomes have 1 heard men speak s o intia sharing of self for t h e betterment mately of t h e powerof God in their of distressed, unfortunate mankind. l i v e s a s I have heard in AA meetings. Many AA speakers murder I am convinced that t h e Program the King’s English, but there i s a i s divinely inspired a s w a s t h e b a s i c spiritual sinceritjr which Church when our Lord founded it. lifts me, a priest of t h e Church, He meant t h e Church t o b e not an into t h e very presence of God. I organization, but an organic entity, need t h e constant inspiration which o r , t h e projection of H i s Divine comes through AA members from Body in time and space. T h e mem- God himself. bers of t h i s Church or Body were I predict that the AA P r o ~ r s m to b e actual p a r t s of a living, will help in t h e definite solution breathing organism, sharing the of other s o c i a l ills, b e c a u s e AA same daily experiences. h a s shown what God can do when one unquestioningly surrenders h i s Through t h e avarice and selfish- will to the will of God. AA a c c e p t s n e s s of man it became secularized, without question that God h a s reand soon traded i t s human exper- vealed h i s power in t h e l i v e s of ience of the healing power of God men. It cannot help but be s u c c e s s for political power and prestige. ful s o long a s i t s members believe T h e warm, human and living ex- by their actual living (not just acperience with t h e Saviour became cepting intellectually and giving a hollow acceptance of man-inter- lip service) their 24-hour conpreted s y s t e m s of theology. If AA s c i o u s n e s s of God. I repcat, AA ever follows in t h i s trend, i t i s i s doomed if it f a l l s prey to the doomed a s an instrument of God’s temptations which the church h a s power t o lift men from pain and done s i n c e i t s foundation. It must hell. I t will b e empty and h e l p l e s s remain unified in t h e practice of i t s in trying t o bring man’s salvation. tremendous and simple faith in God.