History of Alcoholics Anonymous: Commentary on ehow aa history rendition

Congratulations on your brief presentation of the history of Alcoholics Anonymous. The full picture would also include: (1) The roots of A.A. in the 1850's due to the successful work of the Great Evangelists, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Rescue Missions, the Salvation Army, and Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. (2) These, plus the extensive Christian upbringing of co-founders Bill W. and Dr. Bob, impacted on the lives of these young men in Vermont due to their Congregational Church upbringing, attendance at Congregational academies--Burr and Burton and St. Johnsbury--and the other Congregationalists and YMCA figures in their lives. (3) The first three AAs all had studied the Bible, believed in God, and were born again Christians; and all three got sober by abstaining, turning t o God, and helping others before there were any Steps, Traditions, Big Books, drunkalogs, or meetings as we know them today. (4) Bill Wilson had two unique experiences that impacted on A.A.'s original Christian Fellowship--he went to the altar at Calvary Rescue Mission and accepted Christ, and he then decided to call on the Great Physician Jesus Christ for help and went to Towns Hospital where, in despair, he cried out to God for help, sensed His presence in a blazing extraordinary white light experience, remarked "So this is the God of the Scriptures," and was instantly cured of alcoholism and never drank again. The key reference books are Dick B. and Ken B., Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous (www.dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml) and The Conversion of Bill W. (www.dickb.com/conversion.shtml), as well as Real Twelve Step Fellowship History (www.dickb.com/realhistory.shtml), and The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible (www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml). The suggested link to the Oxford Group has more to do with  how the men got started than with how they were cured. See Bill Wilson's statement in Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., page 131, and the personal stories in the First Edition of the Big Book - "Stick with the Winners"