"A group of laymen whose combined religious training and experience had been small indeed had produced a volume which described release from alcoholism by spiritual means. What would our Catholic friends think? We had not the slightest inkling.
"Then the good news came. By messenger we had sent the book Alcoholics Anonymous to the Catholic Committee on Publications in the New York Archdiocese. Our messenger was Morgan R., released only a few weeks before from Greystone asylum and himself the first Catholic to put in an appearance in New York [A.A.]. Not long after he returned with wonderful things to tell us.
"The Committee, he said, had
nothing but the best to say of our efforts. From their point of view the book
was perfectly all right "
2001
AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs.
168-69
Let Go Absolutely
After failure on my part to dry up any drunks, Dr. Silkworth
reminded me of Professor William James's observation that truly transforming
spiritual experiences are nearly always rounded on calamity and collapse. "Stop
preaching at them," Dr. Silkworth said, "and give them the hard medical facts
first. This may soften them up at depth so that they will be willing to do
anything to get well. Then they may accept those spiritual ideas of yours, and
even a Higher Power."
<<< >>>
We beg of you to
be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on
to our old ideas, and the result was nil -- until we let go absolutely.
1. A.A. COMES OF AGE, p. 13
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.
58