American Humanist Association and the phrase "God as we understood Him"--erroneously attributed to Jim Burwell

God as you understood him. Or God as we understood Him!

Did Jim Burwell originate the phrase as Burwell claimed? No. And nobody but Burwell made that claim except as an example a recent article by the American Humanist Association.

Here are the facts:

God as we understood Him! From Jim Burwell, as Burwell claimed - without any support from those who wrote the phrase in 1939? Jim Burwell was not even present when the phrase was adopted in place of God! Those who want the facts need to read Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age to find out how the compromise came about when a "committee of four"--secretary Ruth Hock, Christian John Henry Fitzhugh Mayo, Christian Bill Wilson, and Bill's business partner Hank Parkhurst had a heated argument in which Parkhurst pleaded, threatened, begged, and insisted that God be removed. It so happened that Reverend Samuel M. Shoemaker who had worked with Bill on the language of the steps had many times spoken of God as you understand Him. Twice in Children of the Second Birth in the late 1920's. And the Shoemaker language was "surrender as much of yourself as you understand to as much of God as you understand." Shoemaker, of course, was writing of God, the Creator. Other Oxford Group people phrased it somewhat differently: "Surrender as much of yourself as you know to as much of God as you know." And those who don't read, study, or quote the historical facts and proofs are simply blowing smoke in the direction they want it to land.
www.dickb.com.

Alcoholics Anonymous History - The Rest of the Story. With Dick B.; Books and Papers Video Series

Alcoholics Anonymous History—The Rest of the Story. With Dick B.

©2014 Anonymous. All rights reserved

The Four Videos on the Enormous Dick B. Resource Library Interview and Talks, June 21, 2014

Our new website, the videos on it, and the virtually unknown or ignored approximately 30,000 books, articles, manuscripts, letters, pamphlets, and papers covering the heart of A.A. ideas is now available online, through our website. Free copies are available to our numerous sustaining supporters. Copies can be purchased online by other individuals, groups, libraries, conferences, speakers, and leaders at a very low price.

This is an announcement that the 30,000 books and other resources were gathered by author Dick B., historian of A.A., over a decade of years. They were placed in a temporary library on Maui. Videographer Steve Glagola of Florida came to Maui, viewed the extensive library, interviewed Dick B., and then made videos of Dick speaking about each book or group of books, answering questions about those resources, and—at long last—setting up a tutorial where AAs and recovery people and leaders could see and hear the resources explained and made available.

This series is one of four related video groups on Alcoholics Anonymous History—The Rest of the Story. One contains the introductory classes on A.A. history  that are already in use in various parts of the recovery world. The second is this series of four—presenting the 30,000 item library and collection by Dick B., almost all of which has been donated free to the Wilson House in East Dorset Vermont, the Dr. Bob Core Library at North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury Vermont, the Shoemaker Room at Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron—as well as to Ray G., for many years the archivist at Dr. Bob’s Home in Akron.

The third series will shortly be posted and consists of four videos titled, “Bill W., Dr. Bob, and the Cure of Alcoholism: The Rest of the Story. The fourth will include some  800 photos taken by an A.A. archivist on our investigative research trips to Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Cleveland, and Akron. And the final, we hope, will be a presentation of Dick B.’s one hour talk at the Oldtimers meeting in Minneapolis during the A.A. International Conversion. The topic was the six major roots of A.A.

The treasures in the first two sets are available for your viewing now. They are available on our website. In the ensuing weeks and months, you will find them abundantly discussed on the Dick B. websites, the Dick B. blogs, Dick B. YouTube presentations, Christian Recovery Radio, and articles posted and circulated in Dick’s newsletters and posts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Linked-in, Pinterest, Hub, In the Rooms, Christian Recovery Social, A.A. History with Dick B. on Cyber Recovery Social, Stumble Upon, and others.

We will be discussing the materials briefly on these outlets for the next several months as well. And we encourage groups and individuals to obtain the videos, present them, study them, and discuss them.

For further information, contact Dick B., PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837; 808 874 4876; dickb@dickb.com

Alcoholics Anonymous and Religion - a Letter to Dick B.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Religion

An Articulate, Perceptive Letter to Historian of A.A. and Author Dick B.

It is always refreshing to get a letter from an AA who has done his or her homework in A.A. Conference-approved literature, examined the “wisdom of the rooms” insofar as it offends those who express their belief in God and their religious choice, and who writes well.

The following letter arrived June 19, 2014 from C.A., and it’s well worth your reading it.

 “In our 12 and 12 in Tradition 5  on page 153, Bill says;  "Finally, he saw that I wasn't attempting to change his religious views, that I wanted him to find the grace in this own religion that would aid his recovery." Alcohol had hindered this man's ability to find GOD. Bill believed that our personal  religious beliefs was a necessary aid for our recovery. At one time we believed .they were a liability because we thought GOD had abandoned us, but it was the other way around. We made ourselves feel better about our dilemma by looking and criticizing the  hypocrites instead of looking at the vast majority of those that practiced and lived their faith successfully by trusting in GOD.

 Page 49 in our Big Book says; "People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We use to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices when we might have observed that many spiritually minded persons  of all races, colors and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness which we should have sought for ourselves." Then we came to AA thinking the same way, not realizing that this is the resentment that  kept us drinking or could lead to our relapse. Bill gave us many examples on how our religion, outside of AA, can help us in AA. Remember, we are not a religion but we live the principles religion espouses. Page 93 says; "We represent no particular faith or denomination. We are dealing only with the general principles common to most denominations."  Those principles for those denominations are biblical. AA's principles are the 12 steps.

On page 28 it reads;  We "are the children of a living creator with whom we may form a relationship upon simple and understandable terms as soon as we are willing and honest enough to try. Those having religious affiliations will find here nothing disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies. There is no friction among us over such matters". Contrary to popular belief, religion was not the hindrance, our thinking was. The next paragraph reads; "Not all of us join religious bodies, but most of us favor such memberships." "Most" is the key word. It means; almost all: the majority of: the greatest amount.

The Times of AAs' infancy and adolescence was a time of community and fellowship. Faith and belief in GOD was a rare argument. They trusted and worshipped HIM. Fast forward to the present. Now GOD is not as strong a fixture in our fellowship because HE is not a dictator. It is free will. If you choose to believe atheist, agnostics and skeptics HE will allow it. Some believe that somewhere along the lines we have to modernize GOD. Not in our book, but in our minds. Our book is written from the experience and suffering of those that paved the way for us. GOD made this possible but arrogance can masquerade as confidence and delude us into thinking we can change who GOD is in our lives. Insanity and self-will is powerful and recuperative in each of us and in this day and age it's easily embraced. If you don't know why, then you haven't noticed our media and what it convinces you to believe.

 God is the creator. Human nature as it exist today is what GOD gave us. That nature is our instincts. We can lessen their effects on our life with GODS help but they cannot be altered. As much as man tries to change them by science, by laws and social practices, the more our society will be thrown into turmoil. You cannot change what GOD has wrought. He is the ultimate geneticist. Our lives can be modernized but not our instincts. They can be bettered because that is the nature of life, good and evil.  They can also be perverted. GOD allows that, but the total destruction and rebuilding of who GOD made us, by man, isn't going to happen.

If you don't learn from those priest, minister or Rabbis, you are in trouble. The suggestion wasn't made lightly. We need to learn who GOD is and how to obey HIS  Will. We use them along with our sponsors. But remember, some sponsors aren't spiritual and a lot of us don't have that faith in GOD, "that moves mountains."  We are fallible because of our self will and self reliance.Human nature as it exist today, is the same as it was when GOD created us. We can modernize our world and society as a whole, but not us. God broke the template. He is the ultimate solution.

On page 131 in our Book it reads; "alcoholics who have derided religious people will be helped by such contacts. Being possessed of a spiritual experience, the alcoholic will find he has much in common with these people, though he may differ with them on many matters. If he does not argue about religion, he will make new friends and is sure to find new avenues of usefulness and pleasure. He and his family may be a bright spot in such congregations. He may bring new hope and new courage to many a Priest, Minister, or Rabbi, who gives his all to minister to a  troubled world."

We need to study our Book to be knowledgeable about what it takes for the promises to come true. There is no fourth dimension, new design for living or relief from resentments if we are reading the book for sound-bites for our own selfish ends. We have to live and practice it in its entirety.

 I will never be convinced AA is the only way to sobriety because my experiences in life has proved otherwise. But i am convinced it has brought over two and a half-million people to GOD and a "new design for living." I bask in GOD'S love and grace every day. I will be found helping GOD'S children in and out of the rooms as long as I am allowed to breathe. What is love if we don't give it away.”

 

C W (name withheld to preserve anonymity)

06/19/2014

dickb@dickb.com; www.dickb.com/cured.shtml

 

Honored and thankful for the new website A.A. History by Dick B.

A.A. History by Dick B.

http://aahistoryauthor.ubbforum.com

The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed.

Alcoholics Anonymous History

The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide

 

 

 

 The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide

 Third Edition

 (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2010)

 

 (eBook/“digital download” version)

 

 By Dick B. and Ken B.

© Anonymous 2010. All rights reserved

 

 The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., by Dick B. and Ken B. (157 pages, 8 ½” x 11”) is based on Dick B.’s lifetime of Bible study, legal scholarship and training, 26 years of continuous sobriety, active participation in the A.A. Fellowship, experience sponsoring more than 100 sponsees, 22 years of historical research, and 44 published titles.

 

 This edition is the product of one year of conferences, meetings, and personal talks by the authors (Dick B. and Ken B.) with Christian recovery leaders and others from the United States and Canada. It is based on their needs, their suggestions, their responses, and the compelling need for “A New Way Out” for Christians in the recovery arena who are not, and don’t want to be, alone. It can be used as a guide by 12-Step members, sponsors, counselors, facilitators, Christian recovery pastors, Christian recovery groups, clergy, study groups, and those engaged in carrying the story of early A.A.’s  Christian fellowship, simple program, and astonishing successes to fellowships, treatment facilities, prisons, homeless, veterans, military, and hospitals.

 

 (The 3rd edition of The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide was substantially revised and expanded in conjunction with the production of the “Introductory Foundations for Christian Recovery” class by Dick B. and Ken B. on four DVD's in March 2010.)

 

 The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide is intended as a supplementary resource. It does not aim to change the fundamental nature of any existing Christian recovery or approach. Rather, it presents an attractive, appealing, helpful, and effective segment—primarily historical and introductory in nature—that all can use: (1) to bring to their respective audiences accurate historical information about the roles played by God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in the astonishing, documented successes of early A.A.; and (2) to enhance substantially the effectiveness of their Christian recovery efforts by employing the successful, relevant techniques and lessons from the original Akron A.A. “Christian fellowship” program in helping those who still suffer with alcoholism, substance abuse, and other self-destructive behavior and life-controlling problems.

 

 Suggested Additions to Christian Recovery Programs Proposed in This Guide

 

 First, a concise, accurate, historical element containing discussions of:

 

•

Christian treatments that were effective in dealing with alcoholism prior to A.A.'s founding;

 

•

The Christian training of A.A.’s founders as youngsters in Vermont;

 

•

The Christian beginnings of A.A. in Akron and New York, including discussions of how the first three AAs got sober;

 

•

The founding of early A.A., its actual practices, and the "original" Akron “Christian fellowship” program;

 

•

The astonishing 75% overall success rate early A.A. claimed and Cleveland's documented 93% success rate;

 

•

Alterations of the original Akron program that made their way into the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous ("the Big Book") published in April 1939;

 

•

Ways to enable a newcomer to utilize the early Christian A.A. precepts in the present-day 12 Step programs; and

 

•

 Means by which Coalition leaders and workers in the recovery arena can adapt and apply this (new) information to their own approaches and still underline the importance of God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Bible in Christian recovery efforts today.

 

 

 Second, a "package" of proposed approaches tailored to the needs, ideas, and programs of Christian leaders and workers in the recovery arena, as well as Christians in recovery.

 

 Third, a discussion of present-day approaches that downplay reliance on the power and love of the one true God in favor of (over) emphasizing the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions alone, “higher power” language, pseudo “spirituality,” self-made religion, and actual unbelief; and often criticizing church, religion, reliance on God, and even the mention of Jesus Christ or the Bible by those in today's recovery fellowships.

 

 The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide also introduces the International Christian Recovery Coalition (www.ChristianRecoveryCoalition.com) as a means, through common effort, of expanding your Christian efforts in the recovery arena.

 

 Table of Contents

 

 The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed.,

 by Dick B. and Ken B.

 (April 2010)

 

 Introduction (by Dick B.)

 

 Miraculous Healings Are Recorded in the Bible and Are Still Occurring Today

 

 Effective Christian Work with Alcoholics Before A.A. 

 

 The Background Factors from Dr. Bob’s Youth in St. Johnsbury (1879-1898)

 

 The Background Factors from Bill Wilson’s Youth (1895 to 1913) and Later 

 

 The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous

 

 

 The New York Origins

 

 The Crucible at the Smith Home in Akron During the Summer of 1935 

 

 The Highly-Successful, Original Akron A.A. Program, as Summarized by Frank Amos and Quoted in DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers 

 

 14 Specific Practices Associated with the Original Akron A.A. “Christian Fellowship” Program Bill W. and Dr. Bob Developed 

 

 The Verification of Early A.A.'s Astonishing Success Rates

 

 

 Documenting the Successes of the First 40 Pioneers

 

 

 Helping the Newcomer with a Full Kit of Spiritual Tools 

 

 Some Suggested Tools with Which to Arm the Nestling about to Be Flung out of the Nest 

 

 Helping a Christian to Begin Recovery Today 

 

 

 

 "A New Way Out" 

 

 An Emerging Picture of Proposals and Potential Service from the California Meetings with Dick B. and Ken B. July 12-21, 2009 

 

 Address by Dick B. at the Association of Christian Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ACADC) Conference in Palm Springs, August 29, 2009 

 

 Conclusion

 

 Obtain The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., eBook/ “digital download” edition

 

 right now!

  $14.95

Awakening to Alcoholics Anonymous Spiritual Treasures - by author Dick B.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Awakening to Its Spiritual Treasures

A Series of Discoveries

Dick B.

© 2014 Anonymous. All rights reserved

Outline

·        First Century Christianity

·        America’s Awakening in 1850’s to the Down and Out Derelicts and Drunks

·        Christian Progenitors Who Cared and Served

·        The Great Awakening of 1875 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont

·        The Christian Upbringing of Robert Holbrook Smith

·        The Christian Upbringing of William Griffith Wilson

·        Drifting Away in the Dark, Drinking Years

·        The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous

·        The Silkworth-Ebby Thacher-Calvary Mission Great Physician Solution

·        Recovery Discovery by Bill W.

·        Recovery Discovery by Dr. Bob

·        Recovery Discovery by Bill D. – AA Number Three

·        The Akron Christian Fellowship Program Developed in 1935

·        God Had Shown Them How by 1937

·        Wilson’s So-Called Varied “Six” Steps or Word-of-Mouth Ideas

·        The New Version of the Program The Twelve Steps

·        The Last-Minute Compromise and Alteration of the Program Before Printing

·        The “higher power” beginnings

·        Retention of “God” in A.A. General Services Conference-approved literature

·        “You can believe in anything or in nothing at all”

·        Emergence of the New Christian Recovery Movement

A Twelfth-Step Experience with a "wet" alcoholic and addict Today; and the Wellness It Can Produce

The names and places will, of course, remain anonymous. But we have been working with a fine man for several weeks to help him solve his problem of chronic relapses, disasterous consequences, and the jaywalker's seemingly insane repeat behavior putting him down the drain again one more time.

I have worked with this man for many years as he helped me with my research and writing, traveled and helped me on the road, and was able to articulate much of the A.A. history and Bible roots that characterized early A.A. success. And pass them on to others. I've seen him do it in many places in the United States.

What happened? He broke up with two different girl friends. Temptation, misplaced friends, and crazy recollections of the bad instead of the good were foremost in his mind. He still had the typical yearning for prescription drugs, street drugs, and alcohol, and he literally neither stopped nor avoided serious sickness and immobility. Nor the habitat he had again established far from family, honest labor, A.A. connections, and fellowship with believers.

Doing what I've done in twelfth-stepping for twenty five years, I encouraged him to quit for good and cooperate with our giving him help. Typically, he said he felt better when he was using and drinking, and worse when he stopped. Yet he was moving toward the basket-case category. And, as before, he more easily motivated toward recovery than many.

He stayed at my home the first night. We read the Bible to him and prayed with him. But he slipped away in the morning giving a lame excuse about going to the grocery store many blocks away. When we connected, he confessed that he had been drinking again.

As I often do, I took him to my doctor, who has helped other sponsees. Medical detox and evaluation was my objective. The doctor listened to the details, saw the man's condition, told him he would never quit until he quit for good; and he suggested the Emergency Room. A place we've been before with hurting users and drinkers. There, two different doctors and several nurses saw him, took several blood tests, and apprised him of a medical detox in our county. To my surprise, when urged, he agreed to go to the detox even though his previous self-detoxing had been a horrendous experience and left him weak, depressed, questioning, fearful, and despondent. His family dumped him as far as help went.

And we took him to the detox and treatment facility. And he became very weak as they detoxed him for about seven days. Then they moved him to "residential." Today he phoned and, with a strong voice, reported that his mother was coming to our county to help  him set up residence here and get out of the slippery places and slippery people he had been chumming with and buying from. Previously, her conditional "solution" for him had been: "You've got to go to a meeting every day."
But the "meeting makers make it" wisdom of the rooms is far from adequate as a standard for those who still have dreamy ties with trouble and trouble-makers.

He knew and I knew that. He had also learned, as I had, that, the Akron pioneers had no Big Books,  had no 12 steps, had no traditions, had no war stories, and had no meetings like those we know today. Like me, he has not fallen for the nonsense mumbo-jumbo "higher power" stuff. He believes in God, the Creator. He has a Bible. He knows how to pray. He is acquainted with our county, its AA meetings, some of its AAs, and many of its healthy alternatives including tennis (in which he was a high achiever years back), golf (which he took up and enjoyed about four years ago), helping others--which has been one of his acquired long-suits, and working for a number of us in the A.A. fellowship. He has been taught that isolation and loneliness are open doors to temptation.

Will he make it? Will he fall and fail again? Will he stay determined to be abstinent, to do whatever it takes, to fellowship with his Heavenly Father every day, to call on God and His Son and study the Bible every day, to phone or meet with one or more of us when he starts to isolate, feels abandoned, senses deep fear, recognizes and considers temptation. Or, will he and turn his thoughts to the fellowship, to other believers, and to someone he can help (just as the first three AAs did), and keep his eyes and his doings on an upward, honest, loving, kindly, and ambitious plane? I don't know. But I do know what it means to me to be on tap even at age 89 and with 28 years of sobriety; remember the tools; and urge that he place abstinence, God's help, Christian fellowship, and service to God and others paramount in his thinking, and hone his knowledge of A.A.'s Big Book and Twelve Steps into a welcome part of the recovery path.

We Twelfth-steppers don't "make" people get sober or get cured. We don't "make" them stay away from trouble. We don't make up some goofy god for them to worship. And we didn't make the path. We just learned that path, followed it, and shared it with others.