Conference Pamphlet on Spirituality

The 61st Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous will address one of the most critical issues of our organization, ­­ the question of spirituality and the AA premise regarding its nature as it impacts on sobriety. Last year the 60th Conference approved a motion to: “develop literature which focuses on spirituality that includes stories from atheists and agnostics who are successfully sober in Alcoholics Anonymous.” The phrase “who are successfully sober in Alcoholics Anonymous” has created a fury which has resulted in a request to rescind this motion (Agenda G of the Literature Committee.)

AA was founded and is maintained by a set of principles for the individual and the organization that are spiritual in nature. This spirituality requires that each person determine the nature of this spiritual power, greater than herself or himself, through his or her own direct knowledge of that power. This direct experience can be described in a myriad of terms including the power, wisdom, miracles and/or love in the rooms of AA (see The Best of Bill, p. 2). Many of us move from the spirits in the bottles to the spirits in the rooms. One’s perception of this power is never questioned, only one’s surrender to IT. The alcoholic must come to the end of oneself. Spirituality is a result of “working the 12 steps.

This 60th conference motion implies several premises that are in violation of our fundamental beliefs. It implies that agnostics and atheists can, without spirituality or the steps, be successfully sober. And it implies that the trustees’ Literature Committee can define this new premise and its success with alcoholism by the selection of certain success stories. It also references a religion, atheism. Yet the U.S courts have ruled on several occasions that atheism is a religion. Our documents make clear that we are not a religion. The Conference has already decided that we will have no literature on religion so this motion is in violation of a previous conference decision.

The trustees’ Literature Committee brilliantly sidestepped this dilemma by planning the development of a pamphlet that would have a general introduction and stories from alcoholics sober in AA reflecting a wide range of spiritual experiences. The subcommittee agreed that the target audience for the pamphlet would be the alcoholic newcomer who struggles with the spiritual aspect of the program…and it could be used as a resource for professionals who have questions about the subject. (See February 3, 2011 Agenda Item B, Background Doc. 1, trustees’ Literature Committee.) They then issued:

Call for Stories Focused on Spirituality

In response to the 2010 General Service Conference recommendation the ‘the trustees’ Committee on Literature develop literature which focuses on spirituality that includes stories from atheists and agnostics who are successfully sober in Alcoholics Anonymous…’ the trustee’s Literature Committee is seeking stories from AA members.

The trustees are looking for stories that reflect a wide range of spiritual experiences from AA members who, with any belief or non­belief, have found a solution to the concept of spirituality and sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Manuscripts should be 500­800 words, double­spaced. Please attach your name and address on a separate piece of paper. The anonymity of all authors will be observed, whether or not their story is selected for publication. Please send sharing, by February 15, 2011 to: Literature Coordinator, General Service Office, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163, or e­mail: l​ iterature@aa.org​ .”

Although they temporarily sidestepped this dilemma, this did not satisfy those who requested that the motion be rescinded. Thus it will be taken up within the trustees’ Literature Committee and possibly the floor.

From the beginnings of AA atheists and agnostics insisted on adding the phrase, God “as we understand Him.” Our literature has continued to address a broad spectrum of stories related to spirituality, including agnostics and atheists. Are we reading and passing on these resources to the newcomer? The most important question to answer is: “Do we need a pamphlet on spirituality?”

1. The AA Grapevine has several relevant publications, Spiritual Awakenings (2003), Spiritual Awakenings II (2010) and Came to Believe (1973). These documents include an abundance of stories from agnostics and atheists as well as many eastern and other religions and philosophies. The April 2009 issue of the Grapevine is devoted to “Agnostics in Recovery: Coming to Grips with a Higher Power.” Additionally the AA Grapevine produced the CD, “Pathways to Spirituality” (2002) and cassette “Pathways to Spirituality” (1987). They also published Dilemma of No Faith and The Best of Bill by Bill W. Yet these stories are not reflected in a pamphlet.

2. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. has published several relevant books and pamphlets. The 4th edition of the Alcoholics Anonymous has several stories written by agnostics and atheists and other are in the Experience, Strength, and Hope publication (2003). These stories include all the ones omitted from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Big Book editions. One pamphlet, “Do You Think You Are Different?” is similar to the new proposed pamphlet, but could be broader in scope. It does include one story from an atheist and one story from an agnostic (pp. 15, 31) but does not address a broad array of other spiritual paths. This pamphlet could be combined with the new proposed pamphlet and re­titled? Several other pamphlets briefly address agnostics and atheists: Frequently Asked Questions about AA, This is AA: An Introduction to the AA Recovery Program, and A Newcomer Asks…. Another pamphlet, “The AA Group: Where It All Begins” could include a question in the Group Inventory on p. 29­30 words in #3 such as: “Are we careful to honor all spiritual paths or do our meetings utilize practices or prayers which favor one religion?” “Are we emphasizing that all spiritual paths are welcome here?”

While we have been focusing on the agnostic and atheist issue we have overlooked a much bigger issue, ­­­a need for a communication of the broader spectrum of spiritual experiences

and transformation. Our membership needs literature, sponsors, meetings and 12­step work that describes and honors the incredibly diverse spiritual paths that we utilize to get and stay sober! And a pamphlet would make this much more accessible than our books.