A.A. and God: "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!"

"Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!" Thus spoke Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Dr. Bob. He spoke many times of his Heavenly Father. And the sentence "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!" is on page 181 of the latest edition (4th) of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's the last line--the last sentence--in Dr. Bob's personal story.

Dr. Bob never minced words about God in his work with drunks in Alcoholics Anonymous. Thus, just before a patient left Akron City Hospital after the required hospitalization for each newcomer, Dr. Bob asked each newcomer: "Do you believe in God." See page 144 of A.A.'s own Conference-approved book DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers.

Following suit some 4 years after the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935, A.A. cofounder Bill W. wrote the Big Book. Twelve times he spoke of the Creator. Two of our Maker. Over 400 times of "God." Not "a" god. God! He also referred to Him as Father--just as Bob had done. And he used a descriptive phrase from the Book of James--the early A.A. Favorite--"Father of Lights."

AAs need have no reluctance to speak of God, the Creator, the Maker, their "Heavenly Father" if they have become one of His children through a new birth. Both cofounders did. Frequently!

dickb@dickb.com
www.dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml

Gloria Deo