FIVE- YEAR ANNIVERSARY
On Darwin Day, February 12, 2013 The Secular Hub opened its doors: “To raise the awareness of the secular movement in Colorado and provide a physical space for the secular community to come together, learn, grow, and thrive.” The Hub hosts science talks, educational events, fundraisers and parties, but its main purposes is to provide meeting and activity space to secular groups like Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), Recovering from Religion (RFR), Colorado Humanists, Freethinkers in AA, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), LifeRing and other secular organizations.
Around my 35th sobriety anniversary that year, a small group from Southeast Aurora Club was discussing the need for a distinctly nonreligious meeting, where people are encouraged to be honest, open-minded and willing to change. So we met with the Secular Hub Board of Directors to discuss starting a meeting here, honoring our 7th Tradition by donating 50% from each meeting as rent.: “Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
We held our first meeting as the Secular AA Group on October 4, 2013, meeting only twice per month because of scheduling limitations. It soon became clear that we needed to work toward a weekly meeting. Also, in requesting local listing with Denver Central Office, the office manager told us they couldn’t list a meeting that wasn’t every week and that we couldn’t name our group after a meeting place. She suggested the name Freethinkers in AA, so we registered with General Service Office with that name, and elected a General Service Representative
Since the Denver Central Office Manager had refused to recognize our group and provide
In the past four and a half years, we made other attempts to get secular meetings listed locally, and a recent nationwide survey revealed that of the 188 online Intergroup websites, Denver is one of only 12 that list no secular, nonreligious, humanist or atheist/agnostic meetings. In spite of this discrimination, we have met all of the posted requirements for listing on the Denver Area Central Committee of Alcoholic Anonymous website, and continue to grow.
The weekly Saturday morning meeting was added on July 7, 2014, and we started weekly Monday evening meetings on September 5, 2015.
In February of this year, we pleaded our case before the Denver Central Office and began to send an unrecognized delegate to the monthly meetings. However, it appears that the Office Manager again blocked our listing. Our new delegate is hopeful that with her attending monthly meetings and with new Central Office leadership, things will change in favor of the alcoholic who still suffers.
This month, secular alcoholics in Denver celebrate five years of providing non-religious, non-prayer meetings to keep the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous open and welcoming to all seeking recovery, regardless of belief or non-belief.
Like every other AA meeting, some return while others move on; some learn to practice the course of action outlined in the 12 Steps. We hope that some are encouraged by what they find here, a kind of open-mindedness and acceptance that I believe cofounder Bill Wilson and others argued for year after year.
When I celebrated 40 years of continuous sobriety in August of this year, I had tremendous gratitude to all who endured and supported my progressive recovery from the seemingly hopeless, seemingly helpless, seemingly powerless ex-drunk who entered the rooms in Helena, Montana. Little did I realize that by adopting a new way of life, away from superstitious and magical thinking, Alcoholics Anonymous would really help me to grow into the man I am today, confident in my abilities as a recovered alcohol and nicotine addict.
In spite of the Denver Central Office still not list ng our meetings in the local directory, suffering or simply unhappy alcoholics do find us through search engines and word of mouth, believing there must be something out there where they can simply be honest about their disbelief, doubts and skepticism about the religious tone in so many meetings.
When we started our meetings, we had one agenda, the Declaration of Responsibility, which we should probably state in the plural: “We are responsible . . . whenever anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, we want the hand of AA always to be there . . . and for that, we are responsible.” That’s truly who we are, here for the alcoholic inside and outside this room.
Finally, one way that established groups help the community in which they live, is to assist in planting new meetings. Therefore, a group of our members is exploring the possibility of starting a secular meeting in Aurora. Although it will eventually organize as a separate group, it may begin as a satellite meeting of Freethinkers.
We continue to learn about ourselves from one another in our meetings, what works and what doesn’t work, about the dis-ease that expresses itself in so many kinds of addictions, underlining the necessity of at least trying to be consistently honest with ourselves and others, using every day the practical tools AA gives us.
One day at a time, this fellowship and program of action continues to give me far more than I ever expected or hoped for, living proof that WE CAN DO TOGETHER WHAT WE CANNOT DO ALONE!
“The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!
Jeb B., Founding Member
Freethinkers in AA
4 October 2018
______________________________________________________________________
FOUR- YEAR ANNIVERSARY
This month, October 2017, Freethinkers in AA celebrates its 4-year anniversary of providing non-religious, non-prayer meetings to keep the welcoming doors of Alcoholics Anonymous open to all seeking recovery, regardless of belief or non-belief.
Like every other AA meeting, some return while others move on, but we hope that some are encouraged by what they found here, the kind of open-mindedness and accepting atmosphere that I believe Bill Wilson and others argued for year after year.
As I celebrate 39 years of continuous sobriety in August of this year, I have tremendous gratitude to all who endured and supported my progressive recovery from the seemingly hopeless ex-drunk who entered the rooms in Helena, Montana. Little did I realize that by adopting a new way of life, away from superstitious and magical thinking, Alcoholics Anonymous would really help me to grow into the man I am today, confident in my abilities as a recovered alcohol and nicotine addict.
In spite of the Denver Central Office manager still refusing to list our meetings in the local meeting directory, suffering or simply unhappy alcoholics manage to find us through search engines and word of mouth, believing there must be something out there where they can simply be honest about their disbelief, doubts and skepticism about the religious tone in so many meetings. When we started our weekly meetings, we had one agenda, the Declaration of Responsibility, which we should probably state in the plural: “We are responsible, whenever anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, we want the hand of AA always to be there. . and for that, we are responsible.” That’s truly what we are about, our Primary Purpose as an AA Group.
I continue to learn about myself from others in these meetings, about the dis-ease that expresses itself in addictions of so many kinds, underlining the necessity of at least trying to be consistently honest with myself and others, and using every day the practical tools AA has given me.
One day at a time, this program of action continues to give even more than I ever hoped for so many years ago, living proof that WE CAN DO TOGETHER WHAT WE CAN’T DO ALONE!
“The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!
Jeb B., Group Chairperson
Freethinkers in AA
______________________________________________________________________
THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
This month, October 2016, Freethinkers in AA celebrates its three-year anniversary, and what a great experience it has been for many who have entered the doors of AA through a non-prayer, secular meeting! Like every other AA meeting, some return while others move on, but hopefully encouraged by what they found here, the kind of open-mindedness and accepting atmosphere that I believe Bill Wilson and others argued for year after year, keeping the doors open to ALL. Celebrating 38 years of continuous sobriety in August, I have tremendous gratitude to all who endured and supported my progressive recovery from the seemingly hopeless ex-drunk who entered the rooms in Helena, Montana. Little did I realize that by adopting a new way of life, away from superstitious and magical thinking, Alcoholics Anonymous would really help me to grow up into the man I am today, confident in my abilities as a recovered alcohol and nicotine addict.
In spite of the Denver Central Office manager refusing to list our meetings in the local meeting directory, suffering or simply unhappy alcoholics manage to find us through search engines and word of mouth, believing there must be something out there where they can simply be honest about the disbelief, doubts and skepticism about the religious tone on so many meetings. When we started our weekly meetings, we had one agenda, the Declaration of Responsibility, which we should probably state in the plural: “We are responsible, whenever anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, we want the hand of AA always to be there. . and for that, we are responsible.”
In spite of my many 24 hours, I continue to learn about myself from others in these meetings, about the dis-ease that expresses itself in addictions of so many kinds, underlining the necessity of at least trying to be consistently honest with myself and others, and using every day the practical tools AA has given me.
One day at a time, this program of action continues to give even more than I hoped for so many years ago, living proof that “WE CAN DO TOGETHER WHAT WE CAN’T DO ALONE!”
Jeb B., Group Chairperson
Freethinkers in AA