Primary Purpose Big Book Review: Personal Consequences be Damned

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Personal Consequences be Damned

Step We Are On: Nine

Page: 78

Chapter: 6 “Into Action”

Subject: Amends, Criminal Offenses

Good morning. Welcome back. We are still on page 78. The co-authors are now addressing some of the other forms that reparations take.

Have some of us skipped payments on alimony or child support?

Maybe we are divorced, and have remarried but haven't kept up the alimony to number one.

If so, may this have put us in trouble with the law? Two sentences

She is indignant about it, and has a warrant out for our arrest. That's a common form of trouble too.

Although these amends take on many forms, what will we be given?

Although these reparations take innumerable forms, there are some general principles which we find guiding.

Reparation – the act of repairing a mistake,a wrong, an injury , or the like. Pertaining to the act of repairing, restoring or making amends; atonementindemnitycompensation

~ The Winston Simplified Dictionary Encyclopedic Edition (1938)

What must we remember?

Reminding ourselves that we have decided to go to any lengths to find a spiritual experience,

Comment: The following is sometimes referred to as the first “Ninth Step Prayer.”

What do we pray to God for?

we ask that we be given strength and direction to do the right thing,

This is why atheists cannot get this far into the 12 steps. Unless they can ask God for strength and direction, they cannot complete this recovery practice. There may be other recovery methods which they will find more amenable to their thinking, but they cannot complete this one. The 12 steps is a God proposition.