Rev. Sam Shoemaker --- History of AA ~ Charlotte, NC ~ 1962

...
Rev. Sam Shoemaker --- History of AA ~ Charlotte, NC ~ 1962
Bill Wilson obtained lots of A.A. ideas directly from Sam Shoemaker. Some he got indirectly. But there was one message which came to Bill loud and clear and which he repeated in one way or another in every edition of the Big Book.
"One argument in religion is about as good as another, but an experience beats any argument."
In the BigBook, Bill speaks of the visit to him by his old friend, Ebby Thacher. Ebby had said to Bill, "I've got religion." Bill was musing about his own beliefs and about the futility of the religions of mankind.
Then he commented, "But my friend [Ebby Thacher] sat before me, and he made the point blank declaration that God had done for him what he could not do for himself."
A few sentences later, Bill said, "That floored me. It began looking as though religious people were right after all."
Shortly thereafter, Bill went to the Calvary Church Rescue Mission. Then he staggered into Towns Hospital drunk. And the rest is history,
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* Alcoholics Anonymous, “Big Book” pdf
www.aa.org/the-big-book
* Alcoholics Anonymous, “Big Book” audio
www.aa.org/resources/media?te...
STEP 1
We admitted we were
powerless over alcohol - that
our lives had become
unmanageable.
STEP 2
Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could
restore us to sanity
STEP 3
Made a decision to turn our
will and our lives over to the
care of God as we understood
Him.
STEP 4
Made a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves.
STEP 5
Admitted to God, to ourselves,
and to another human being
the exact nature of our wrongs.
STEP 6
Were entirely ready to have
God remove all these defects
of character.
STEP 7
Humbly asked Him to remove
our shortcomings.
STEP 8
Made a list of all persons we
had harmed, and became
willing to make amends to
them all.
STEP 9
Made direct amends to such
people wherever possible,
except when to do so would
injure them or others.
STEP 10
Continued to take personal
inventory and when we were
wrong promptly admitted it.
STEP 11
Sought through prayer and
meditation to improve our
conscious contact with God as
we understood Him, praying
only for knowledge of
His will for us and the power
to carry that out.
STEP 12
Having had a spiritual
awakening as the result of
these steps, we tried to
carry this message to
alcoholics, and to practice
these principles in all
our affairs.
SURRENDER
SHARING
AMENDS
GUIDANCE
HONESTY
PURITY
UNSELFISHNESS
LOVE
TRUST GOD
CLEAN HOUSE
HELP OTHERS
Alcoholics Anonymous,
Chapter 5,
How it works,
AA,
Dr Bob,
Bill W,
Big Book,
12 Steps,
RECOVERED,
Powerless,
1st Step Experience,
Craving,
Desire,
Real Alcoholic,
Easy Does It,
4 Absolutes,
Honesty,
Purity,
Unselfishness,
Love,
Keep Coming Back,
Clarence Snyder,
AA Cleveland,
Akron Ohio,
Founders',
Serenity,
Amazing Grace,
The Doctor's Opinion,
Dr Silkworth,
drunk,
sober,
How it works,
Big Book,
12 Steps,
1st Step Experience,
Alcoholic,
Easy Does it,
Absolutes,
aa meetings,
sobriety,
aa speaker,
oxford group,
miracle,
peace,
serenity,
fellowship,
.

[@azimuthclark462]

Some drunk back in the 30s drops a nickel in a pay phone , and I'm sober 10 years today. God and AA gave me a life beyond my wildest dreams.
Thank you to all of those that paved the way for a drunk like me.
I love AA today! May you find God now!

[@edbrown4254]

Timeless. The problems never seem to change. Neither does the solution ❤️

[@Createanextraordinarylife]

amazing wisdom

[@Createanextraordinarylife]

I think this is so much filled with wisdom its easily missed

[@danhiggs1163]

love this man and thank God or we wouldnt have aa as we do now