Came to Believe. Anonymous
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To the Fourth Step
FOREWORD
Five years of preparation and earnest thought have gone into this booklet, since an A.A. member first pointed out the need for it. The description of Alcoholics Anonymous as “a spiritual program” has been confusing to some newcomers, many of whom tend to translate “spiritual” as “religious.” But, as our co- founder Doctor Bob said (in an A.A. Grapevine article), “We are not bound by theological doctrine. . . . We are many minds in our organization.”
“Came to Believe . . .” is designed as an outlet for the rich diversity of convictions implied in “God as we understood Him.” Most of the material was written expressly for the booklet, in response to an appeal issued by the General Service Office. The places of origin shown for each story or brief comment indicate how widespread this response was. And the Fellowship can be grateful to all those who took the trouble to set down their spiritual journeys in writing, whether or not their contributions appear in this booklet. Without such a broad view of membership thinking, it would not have been possible to make a truly representative selection.
Originally, our co-founder Bill W. planned to write a foreword. In lieu of this, the introductions to each section reflect Bill’s outlook, already on record in the book “As Bill Sees It.”
| “SPIRITUAL”? | 1 |
| Do not let any prejudice you may have against spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they might mean to you. | |
| Bill W. | |
| “Alcoholics Anonymous,” page 47 | |
THE OPENING TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
A.A. is a spiritual program and a spiritual way of life. Even the first half of the First Step, “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol,” is a spiritual experience. An A.A. member needs more than physical capabilities; he needs the use of his full faculties as a human being to hear the message, to think about it, to review the effects of the past, to realize, to admit, and to accept. These processes are activities of the mind, which is part of the spirit.
Yes, I began with blind faith, but the proof of truth is that it works. I believed those who said they had suffered from alcoholism, but, through A.A.,