"We were still arguing about
the Twelve Steps. All this time I had refused to budge on these steps. I would
not change a word of the original draft, in which I had consistently used
the word 'God,' and in one place the expression 'on our knees' was used. Praying
to God on one's knees was still a big affront to Henry. He was positive we
would scare off alcoholics by the thousands when they read those Twelve
Steps. Though at first I would have none of it, we finally began to talk
about the possibility of compromise. Who first suggested the actual compromise
words I do not know, but they are words well known throughout the length and
breadth of A.A. today: In Step Two we decided to describe God as a 'Power
greater than ourselves.' In Steps Three and Eleven we inserted the words 'God
as we understood Him.' From Step Seven we deleted the expression 'on our
knees.' And, as a lead-in sentence to all the steps we wrote these words: 'Here
are the steps we took which are suggested as a Program of Recovery.' A.A.'s
Twelve Steps were to be suggestions only."
2001 AAWS, Inc.
Alcoholics
Anonymous Comes of Age, pgs. 166-167