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conviction that if ever they go nearA.A. they will be
pressured to conform to some particular brand of faith or
theology.
They just don't realize that faith is never an imperative for
A.A. memberships; that sobriety can be achieved with an
easily acceptable minimum of it, and that our concepts of a
Higher Power and God -- as we understand Him -- afford
everyone a nearly unlimited choice of spiritual belief and
action.
In talking to a prospect, stress the spiritual feature freely. If
the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he
does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can
choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to
him.
The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power
greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles.
The Hour of Decision
"Not all large decisions can be well made by simply listing
the pros and cons of a given situation, helpful and necessary
as this process is. We cannot always depend on what seems
to us to be logical. When there is doubt about our logic, we
wait upon God and listen for the voice of intuition. If, in
meditation, that voice is persistent enough, we may well gain
sufficient confidence to act upon that, rather than upon logic.
"If after an exercise of these two disciplines, we are still
uncertain, then we should ask for further guidance and, when
possible, defer important decisions for a time. By then, with
more knowledge of our situation, logic and intuition maywell
agree upon a right course.
"But if the decision must be now, let us not evade it through
fear. Right or wrong, we can always profit from the
experience."
True Tolerance
Gradually we began to be able to accept the other fellow's
sins as well as his virtues. We coined the potent and
meaningful expression "Let us always love the best in others
-- and never fear their worst."
Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves,
are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently
wrong. When this happens, we approach true tolerance and
we see what real love for our fellows actually means.
The Building of Character
Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural
desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed
their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we
willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions
or pleasures than are possible or due to us, that is the point
at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God
wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our
character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.
If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in
no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that
way without our cooperation. That is something we are
supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks
only that we try as best we know how to make progress in
the building of character.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 65
Virtue and Self-Deception
I used to take comfort from an exaggerated belief in my own
honesty. My New England kinfolk had taught me the sanctity
of all business commitments and contracts, saying, "A man's
word is his bond." After this rigorous conditioning, business
honesty always came easy; I never flim-flammed anyone.
However, this small fragment of readily won virtue did
produce some interesting liabilities. I never failed to whip up
a fine contempt for those of my fellow Wall Streeters who
were prone to shortchange their customers. This was
arrogant enough, but the ensuing self-deception proved even
worse.
My prized business honesty was presently converted into a
comfortable cloak under which I could hide the many serious
flaws that beset other departments of my life. Being certain
of this one virtue, it was easy to conclude that I had them all.
For years on end, this prevented me from taking a good look
at myself.
GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961
Praying for Others
While prayingsincerely, we still may fall into temptation. We
form ideas as to what we think God's will is for other people.
We say to ourselves, "This one ought to be cured of his fatal
malady" or "That one ought to be relieved of his emotional
pain," and we pray for these specific things.
Such prayers, of course, are fundamentally good acts, but
often they are based upon a supposition that we know God's
will for the person for whom we pray. This means that side
by side with an earnest prayer there can be a certain amount
of presumption and conceit in us.
It is A.A.'s experience that particularly in these cases we
ought to pray that God's will, whatever it is, be done for
others as well as for ourselves.
TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 104
The Fellowship's Future
"It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet
anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any
dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or
efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and
vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up
where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough
spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon
God."

conviction that if ever they go nearA.A. they will be

pressured to conform to some particular brand of faith or

theology.

They just don't realize that faith is never an imperative for

A.A. memberships; that sobriety can be achieved with an

easily acceptable minimum of it, and that our concepts of a

Higher Power and God -- as we understand Him -- afford

everyone a nearly unlimited choice of spiritual belief and

action.

In talking to a prospect, stress the spiritual feature freely. If

the man be agnostic or atheist, make it emphatic that he

does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can

choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to

him.

The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power

greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles.

The Hour of Decision

"Not all large decisions can be well made by simply listing

the pros and cons of a given situation, helpful and necessary

as this process is. We cannot always depend on what seems

to us to be logical. When there is doubt about our logic, we

wait upon God and listen for the voice of intuition. If, in

meditation, that voice is persistent enough, we may well gain

sufficient confidence to act upon that, rather than upon logic.

"If after an exercise of these two disciplines, we are still

uncertain, then we should ask for further guidance and, when

possible, defer important decisions for a time. By then, with

more knowledge of our situation, logic and intuition maywell

agree upon a right course.

"But if the decision must be now, let us not evade it through

fear. Right or wrong, we can always profit from the

experience."

True Tolerance

Gradually we began to be able to accept the other fellow's

sins as well as his virtues. We coined the potent and

meaningful expression "Let us always love the best in others

-- and never fear their worst."

Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves,

are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently

wrong. When this happens, we approach true tolerance and

we see what real love for our fellows actually means.

The Building of Character

Since most of us are born with an abundance of natural

desires, it isn't strange that we often let these far exceed

their intended purpose. When they drive us blindly, or we

willfully demand that they supply us with more satisfactions

or pleasures than are possible or due to us, that is the point

at which we depart from the degree of perfection that God

wishes for us here on earth. That is the measure of our

character defects, or, if you wish, of our sins.

If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in

no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that

way without our cooperation. That is something we are

supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks

only that we try as best we know how to make progress in

the building of character.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 65

Virtue and Self-Deception

I used to take comfort from an exaggerated belief in my own

honesty. My New England kinfolk had taught me the sanctity

of all business commitments and contracts, saying, "A man's

word is his bond." After this rigorous conditioning, business

honesty always came easy; I never flim-flammed anyone.

However, this small fragment of readily won virtue did

produce some interesting liabilities. I never failed to whip up

a fine contempt for those of my fellow Wall Streeters who

were prone to shortchange their customers. This was

arrogant enough, but the ensuing self-deception proved even

worse.

My prized business honesty was presently converted into a

comfortable cloak under which I could hide the many serious

flaws that beset other departments of my life. Being certain

of this one virtue, it was easy to conclude that I had them all.

For years on end, this prevented me from taking a good look

at myself.

GRAPEVINE, AUGUST 1961

Praying for Others

While prayingsincerely, we still may fall into temptation. We

form ideas as to what we think God's will is for other people.

We say to ourselves, "This one ought to be cured of his fatal

malady" or "That one ought to be relieved of his emotional

pain," and we pray for these specific things.

Such prayers, of course, are fundamentally good acts, but

often they are based upon a supposition that we know God's

will for the person for whom we pray. This means that side

by side with an earnest prayer there can be a certain amount

of presumption and conceit in us.

It is A.A.'s experience that particularly in these cases we

ought to pray that God's will, whatever it is, be done for

others as well as for ourselves.

TWELVE AND TWELVE, P. 104

The Fellowship's Future

"It seems proved that A.A. can stand on its own feet

anywhere and under any conditions. It has outgrown any

dependence it might once have had upon the personalities or

efforts of a few of the older members like me. New, able, and

vigorous people keep coming to the surface, turning up

where they are needed. Besides, A.A. has reached enough

spiritual maturity to know that its final dependence is upon

God."