The topic for this week's live stream is taken from the May 10th reading from "Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step LIfe." Tradition Five states that "each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." What does this mean to you? Is it sometimes confused with a single purpose? ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UlCP_Bxunw

When I first heard the story of the Toronto Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous removing the agnostic groups from the Greater Toronto Area meeting directory and preventing them from having a voice at intergroup meetings, I couldn't help but ask myself how I would feel if I were faced with those circumstances. I would feel, in a word "rejected," and it would be one of the more painful rejections that I could imagine. I credit my local AA Central Office with saving my life. Every interaction that I've had with them has been warm and friendly and compassionate. If these same people who I admire and respect were to one day tell me that my group is no longer welcome to participate and no longer to be listed in the meeting directory with other groups, it would simply be heartbreaking. Heartbreaking! Roger C. from AA Agnostica describes the pain and shock of the Toronto delisting in the following passage from his book A History of Agnostic Groups in AA: Fallout On Thursday, I went to the evening meeting of my home group Beyond Belief, one of the two groups booted out of the Greater Toronto Area Intergroup (GTAI). There were, as usual, some thirty people present. They were, to put it mildly, broken hearted. There was a fear in the room that the group and the meeting were as good as dead. If it did not die immediately, it would wither away over time. After all, we were not now on any lists. “Where will I go?” “But I love this meeting!” “They hate us.” “What am I going to do now?” That was the mood as I entered the room. Some were crying. One of them was a wonderfully talented Canadian actress. I had sat beside her and chatted with her at her first Beyond Belief meeting, some six months earlier. After that first meeting, she had given me a big hug and told me, “Roger I have a new home!” Now her head was on the table, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Joe C, the author of Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life and one of the co-founders Beyond Belief, described the expulsion of his group this way: "I was crushed by Toronto Intergroup’s decision. I grew up in AA. I have been sober since I was a teenager. I have always been outrageous. I have always pushed the envelope. I have always been tolerated and loved. When I was told that I was no longer welcome here, it was an innocence lost that I cannot properly express. It was like having my family tell me to leave and never come back. For weeks, I was flabbergasted. I was angry, and I was hurt." Larry K, one of the founders of We Agnostics, the other group booted out, put it this way: The decision prompted tears and shock among the three dozen or so people who had embraced the secular groups. “It was painful. It’s shunning,” said Knight. “It was unbelievable that an o ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgiR6GInEvA

Jamie Salsburg is the host of "The After Gambling Podcast." He is a former problem gambler who hasn’t gambled since July 15th, 2010, and he created the website and podcast "After Gambling" to help people who are struggling with compulsive gambling. He also provides peer support for recovering gamblers, as well as their friends and family. You can learn more about Jamie and his podcast at aftergambling.com. * * What we discussed ** * Jamie's Personal Story * Being confronted with one's addiction * Denial * The unique nature of compulsive/addictive gambling * How the addict's behaviors affect the family * Dealing with shame and stigma * Jamie's approach to recovery * The value of therapy * Being open about his recovery * Why he started the podcast * His experience with podcasting about recovery * Jamie's approach to coaching ** Links ** * https://aftergambling.com ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRak7VH3hA

Our topic this week is taken from the book, "The Alternative 12 Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery." We will read portions of the chapter "A Program for LIving" to use as a basis of our discussion, focusing on the sections, "What Can the Program Do for Us?" and "The Journey is Our Own." We will open the phones to take your calls and we welcome your participation in the live chat on YouTube and Facebook. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7PnNzpiml8