From the books ... Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book) and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (12 & 12)
1.
... compel another
to do anything; nobody can ...
12&12 p.129,
Tradition One
2.
... compel anyone
to pay anything, believe anything, ...
12&12 p.141,
Tradition Three
Why did we dare to say, contrary to the experience of society
and government everywhere, that we would neither punish nor deprive any A.A. of membership, that we must never compel anyone to pay anything, believe anything, or conform to anything?
3.
... compel the
payment of any dues, no ...
12&12 p.132,
Tradition Two
When told that our Society
has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, no
board of directors who
can cast an erring member into outer darkness, when indeed no A.A. can give another a directive and enforce obedience, our friends gasp and exclaim, "This simply can't be. There must be
an angle somewhere."
Passages from the Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous
and the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
are reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The A.A. Preamble, copyright ©
The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., is reprinted with permission.
Permission to reprint does not in any way imply affiliation with or
endorsement by either Alcoholics Anonymous or The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
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