David, Does your AA group read the 12 Traditions at every meeting, the groups I go to do sometimes.You might suggest that if he is talking about this during meetings it goes against Tradition 6.

After that, there really isn't much you can do, what he does outside of meetings is his deal. It sounds like he still goes to meetings, so he must get something out of them. I lead an Alcoholics For Christ meeting at my church 2 nights a week, but I don't promote it at the AA meetings.I do it because we only have 2 AA meetings available in my town a week and also, it is based on the Oxford side of the AA program.

Remember we can not control others, if he is talking too much about it in meetings you might request a group conscience meeting and see how others feel.This is just my two cents ,hope it helps.

(((Hugs)))

GammyRose

A shameless plug here ...

I'm reading a book by Ernest Kurtz called "AA: The Story". It's a revised edition of an earlier book he wrote called "Not God".

Anyway... despite having read all the AA conference approved literature plus a lot of "unofficial" AA history texts over the years ... I think this book really gives a good explanation and understanding of how the steps, traditions and concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous came about. It definitely did for me at least.

Two thumbs up

 I run into the problem often that people will say that anyone can do anything they want and that my traditional interpretations are only for me. Some people like to give advice and they say that to not give advice is only a 'suggestion'. Some people say that this is a sefish me program and some say it is a we program. Some say this and some say that. A lot of people can say a lot of nice things but act in a way that shows that it is really very superficial.

I think an important part of the meeting is when, at the end, is said "take what you need and leave the rest" (some people say take what you like...  but what I need and what I like are often not the same).

I share your concern about newbies who come in and don't yet understand what the 12 Steps is about being taken in by some nice sounding but erroneous 'teaching'.  I thin k people should be very careful about choosing a sponsor.

The situation you're in is a bit complicated, since you know this person in more than one context. 

What I usually do, and I get argued with, is to state that this is a 12 Step program (whichever one it is) and that we should follow it as it was intended, and not as we would like to re-write it. I've been at meetings where the topic is about how we would like to change the program, but that then we would have to separate from AA, or ACA, or alanon, and call our program something else. AA meetings are for the AA program - period. This is actually good for us,, since we learn more of what the AA program is, and how it differs from other methodologies. And we learn not to mix them at AA meetings. Thus, other programs are other programs and outside the scope of our meetings, which are AA meetings and done the AA way.

There are always going to be people who want to do only 2 Steps (Step 1, my life is out of control, and Step 12, sharing that with others), or add Step 13 (romantic involvements), or to do just Steps 1,2,3, (and stop short of taking the personal responsibility that Step 4 calls for). I have a funny copy of some rewritten 12 Steps. I'll see if I can dig it out and post it on a new topic.

amanda

G'day, all.  (Getting too much influence from Phil's Canadian vernacular.) 

I love individuality for the mere reason that no two blades of grass are like--certainly no two people are alike.  If the Lakota medicine man has found a sure-fire way (for him) to "cure" his alcoholism through six steps I am delighted for him.  I've found a two-step way to stop playing my armpit at social gatherings, but I'm not going to bring it up at an AA meeting (although I've been asked to play "Yes, We Have No Bananas" on certain ceremonious AA occasions). 

I guess my input would be to address this gentleman during a meeting and respectfully request if he feels so strongly about his own program he hold his own meetings independent of your AA group.  Then those who are interested can gather and gander.  Yet it would not be appropriate (although I'm from the "wide latitude" school of AA meeting discussion topics) for this person to endorse his own program during meetings.  Just my two cents.

Now, folks, as far as agreeing with the Twelve Steps program as a means of recovery to live "happy, joyous, and free" and agreeing as to a uniform interpretation of said Twelve Steps, well now, that's a horse of a different color.  For instance, last night, we had a lively discussion of Step Three; 25 people talked about God as they understood him--and there were 25 very different concepts of God as each he or she understood Him.  A door knob was one explanation. . .a keystone to an arch was another. . .well, you get my drift.  Whatever constitutes a Higher Power for each individual to achieve or to begin recovery is the beauty of how the program manifests itself. 

I would like to elaborate more, but I'm off to practice my upcoming Christmas Concert with our local gazoo ensemble.  I play a mean bass gazoo, augmented by awesome headbanging motions.  "Jingle Bells" will never be the same.  Best wishes to you All,

M