| GRAPEVINE April 1947, Vol. 3, No. 1 |
| NEW GROUPS REPORTED AT CENTRAL OFFICE |
| February 1 through 28, 1947 INDIANA - Richmond; Evansville (Lamasco Group) |
| Modern Miracle From Daytona Beach, Florida |
| I think we must remember that we are offering something intangible. We are offering a psychological and spiritual program. We are not offering a medical program. If a man needs medical treatment, we call in a doctor. If a man needs sedatives or B vitamins, we let the doctor give them to him. If a man needs hospital treatment we let the hospital take care of him. Our vital A.A. work starts when a man is physically able to receive it. We are offering a psychological program. A man must be mentally able to receive it. He must have made up his mind that he wants to quit drinking and he must be willing to do something about it. Then we must get his confidence by showing him that we are his friends and really desire to help him. When we have his confidence he will listen to us. Then follows the group therapy, the fellowship of other alcoholics who understand his problem because they have been through it themselves. We are offering a spiritual program. The fundamental basis of A.A. is a belief in some power greater than ourselves. This takes a man off the center of the universe and allows him to transfer his problems to some power outside of himself. He turns to this power for the strength he needs to keep sober. Psychologists are turning to religion because just knowing about ourselves is not enough. A man needs the added dynamic of faith in a power outside of himself on which he can rely. As I see it, books on psychology and psychiatric treatments are not enough without the strength that comes from faith in God. Ministers and priests are turning to psychology because faith is an act of the mind and religion must be explained in psychological terms to satisfy the modern man. Faith must be built on our own psychological experience. We are offering an intangible, thing - a psychological and a spiritual program. The newcomer must turn to a Higher Power, with faith that this power can give him the strength he needs. Then he must re-educate his mind by learning to think along new lines. The man who achieves sobriety through faith and mental education is a modern miracle. The function of A.A. is to produce modern miracles. ---- R.W. |