"WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THERE IS NO GOD?" Those words, in capital letters, can be found on page 69 of the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous. What ever happened to that idea? "What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God," said page 38. Whatever happened to that idea? "The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous," said page 36. Whatever happened to that idea? "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," said pages 20-21. Whatever happened to that idea? "As to two of you men, whose stories I have heard, there is no doubt in my mind that you were 100% hopeless, apart from Divine help," said page 55. Whatever happened to that idea? "We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator?," said page 81. Whatever happened to that idea?
Virtually nothing has happened to any of these ideas. They are not lost, but they seem to be slipping away. Most of the phrases are still present in A.A.'s basic text today. They are part of the program of recovery. It's just that people are scared to death to talk about them in many of today's meetings and discussions - - to talk about God, the Creator, Divine help, the hand of God, and the way in which pioneers placed total reliance upon these.
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