Hope vs DOOM!

Page: 44

Step we are on: Step Two

"...asked me if I thought myself alcoholic and if I were
really licked this time. I had to concede both propositions."

Chapter: "We Agnostics"

Subject: Belief, Willingness, 
Worship, Hope, Doom

We are still on the top of page 44. We left off with this idea:

• If you cannot quit entirely and have little control over the amount you drink, what are you?

you are probably alcoholic.

Probably? Is “probably” going to be enough to convince someone he has no hope of fixing himself?

“Alcoholism is probably my problem and God may be the answer” is not going to be enough conviction going forward! We are not able to use this idea to qualify protégées for this work, but we can qualify them in Step One! There must be no such questionable attitudes.

• What is the only known solution for such an illness?

If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.

May be suffering? That is twice now that we are detecting some uncertainty in this stage of the deal.

"..there must be no reservation of any kind, nor any
lurking notion that someday we will be immune to alcohol."

That is because we are in the Step Two section of the Book and qualifying is not the purpose of Step Two. Qualification takes place back in Step ONE - in the first 43 pages of this Book. We should already have made the determination as to whether or not we are a “one of us” – a real alcoholic prior to beginning Step Two. 

That is why they had hoped to pass on to us the ability to make the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. We are going to be either one or the other. There should be no uncertainty going forward.

There is no 'test' for alcoholism on this page.

There can be no “maybe’s or “probably”s about this!  If we are only probably alcoholic and maybe in need of a spiritual awakening to solve our problem. . . . .we will NEVER go through with it! There can be no uncertainty.

If a prospect is still uncertain at this early stage of the steps then he has NOT completed one. He must go back and learn to concede that he is alcoholic and hopeless save for divine help.

Comment:  Does this appear to be Step Two?

". . something like half us thought
we were atheists or agnostics."

If the only Solution for alcoholism is a spiritual experience, why do members of our Fellowship tell the newcomer to, “Don’t drink and go to meetings?”

If a spiritual experience is the only known Solution then how many meetings do we have to attend to recover?”

• Will this present problems to an atheist or an agnostic?

To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible,

• What will happen if they do not accept our Solution?

but to continue as he is means disaster,

• Especially if they are what type of alcoholic?

especially if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety. 

• If you are powerless over alcohol and cannot manage a decision to not take the first drink, what is your destiny?

To be doomed to an alcoholic death

Comment:  Is this the destiny for those who stop at Step One?

"...the very same person who seemed doomed, who
had so many problems he despaired of ever solving them,
suddenly finds himself easily able to control his desire for alcohol"

• What is the alternative?

or to live on spiritual basis

Comment:  Is “to live on a spiritual basis” the essence of Step Two?

• Are these alternatives easy for real alcoholics?

are not always easy alternatives to face.

• When we can see the truth, is it really so difficult to hope that there just might be a Higher Power?

But it isn't so difficult.

So! There is something that is not so difficult about this spirituality stuff after all. 

Death or Life? 

Peace and  Love,

Danny S – RLRA

Real Live Recovered Alcoholic

http://recoveredalcoholic.blogspot.com