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4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Overcoming Nonsense gods in recovery programs Nov 20, 2006
By John Albert Hill Jr.
"Bible student in recovery"
Dick B. dealt with this proliferating "goofy gods" recovery problem straight on. More and more therapists, counselors, rehabs, and even AAs are substituting absurd names for "god" in place on the one, true, living God who was the source of power relied on for recovery in A.A. Reverend Sam Shoemaker--dubbed a co-founder of A.A. by Bill W.--rejected such practices when he spoke to AAs at their International Convention. In this book, the author deals with the originating expressions--higher power, power greater than ourselves, and God as we understood Him--and shows how they were weak and compromising expressions that replaced the Heavenly Father, Creator, Maker, Father, God of our fathers, Father of Lights, and Spirit with plainly Biblical origins and meanings. In keeping with a belated deal made by three AAs--Bill W., Hank P., and Fitz M., the stage was set after the Big Book manuscript was readied for publication. Fitz protested that the change would obliterate the Christian and Biblical expressions which were part of the original program. Fitz lost. The Step language was changed. The original materials were simply tossed out and lost. And if all that merely involved a search for original meanings, the problem would be a tiny one. However, AAs, counselors, and those associated with recovery began calling their "higher power" a radiator, a light bulb, a tree, a table, a chair, Santa Claus, Ralph, Gertrude, a door knob, a rock, the goddess, and many many more idolatrous words and phrases. Such usage offends me because it deceives and misleads. It also clearly violates the Ten Commandments, which were revered in early A.A. And it is best answered, perhaps, by the explanation of such nonsense in Psalm 115. I am delighted that Dick looked at the Big Book titles, the Bible names and titles, and then documented all the places where the goofy god names replaced the Creator. I rejoice too in the careful studies by Stewart C., Dick B., and George T. over the years which showed that the word "God" and Biblical synonyms such as Creator, Maker, Father, as well as descriptive pronouns numbered over 400 in the Third Edition of the Big Book. By contrast, "higher power" is used twice--both times in the context of the word "God." I doubt that atheists and rim-runners will find much comfort in reading the facts as to how far the "God business" has gotten out of line; but I am sure that devout believers--Christians, Jews, Protestants, and Roman Catholics alike will welcome a book that tells it like it was instead of encouraging sick alcoholics to "find" and put other gods before Yahweh, the Creator. There's more to be read also in Dick's titles, Cured; When Early AAs Were Cured and Why; The Good Book and The Big Book; and The Good Book-Big Book Guidebook.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
The One true living God of early A.A., and the other stuff Apr 18, 2008
By Daxton Lyon
I like this book because it kind of follows a line Bill Wilson used to take. If Bill didn't like something like the Oxford Group or the Washingtonians, Bill would often say they taught us a little about what to do and a lot more about what not to do. Unfortunately the facts rarely squared with Bill's own life and actions and beliefs, but they served to mollify the critics. In this book, Dick B. has done a terrific job about contrasting the one, true, living God, Yahweh the Creator, with the "other" deities that we hear of more and more in A.A. Yes, absurd names for God, half-baked prayers, and self-made religion have crept into A.A. and into recovery chatter. That's dangerous. That's confusing. That's unfortunate because there are many like myself who are Christians, believers in God, and Bible students; and we are not keen about listening to people talk about their "higher power" who is a rock, a light bulb, the A.A. group, the Big Dipper, Ralph, Something, Somebody, or not-god.
I heard a number of people ask Dick B. to write about the nature and origin and roots of the "higher power" and "Power Greater than ourselves," and "God as we understand Him" stuff. And that is exactly what he does in this book; and he puts it in terms of his own admiration for, and experience in, A.A. It kind of reminds me of the old song: "Trusting in the saviour, I shall not be moved." Dick is not to be moved toward the silly gods or silly names. And he is not to be moved away from the Creator and His son Jesus Christ. From what I see in this book, neither was Dr. Bob. Especially when he wrote: "Your Heavenly Father will never let you down" (Big Book, p. 181). Here's one that helped me answer the "rock," "Somebody," "Great Pumpkin," and not-god stuff with A.A.'s own history and how revisionists have corrupted it. This book is for the sturdy who don't want to be moved from reliance on Almighty God no matter what some therapist, treatment center, or A.A. speaker may invent as a "higher power" to whom you can supposedly pray and from whom you can supposedly expect to receive healing. I think Psalm 115 said it all centuries and centuries ago.
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