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%TWELVE STEP PROGRAM PRAYER LOVE COMMUNAL INTEGRITY+020729
%GROUP RESPONSIBILITY POWER HEALTH HEALING CIVILITY+020729
  %ACCEPT CHANGE IMPOSSIBLE BOUNDS BOUNDARIES LINES+020729
%TACIT IMPLICIT TOGETHER COOPERATION CONTENTION SIN+020729
%INDIVIDUAL ISOLATED ALIENATED SALVATION REDEMPTION 020729
                                                          
     The  often  quoted/used prayer of Twelve Step  Groups
asks  A  Higher  Power  for the  discernment  and  ability
to recognize  the difference between what we can  change, 
and  what we cannot change;  to be able to accept what  we
cannot change  and to work cooperatively/creatively within
those bounds.                                             
                                                          
     In  the prayer the often tacit assumption is that the
process is that of an individual person;  but the  context
of  the Twelve Step Groups is clearly that of  a  mutually
supportive community.                                     
                                                          
     The  tacit  implication of the above is  that  it  is
important  for  Twelve  Step Groups to  work  TOGETHER  in
COOPERATIVE WAYS to  recognize the difference between what
we can change,  and what we cannot change;  and to be able
to  ACCEPT   WHAT  WE CANNOT CHANGE  WITHIN  EACH   OTHER;
e.g.,  cultural heritage,   nationality,   racial origin, 
genetic-identify,    etc.      Once there is  such  mutual
acceptance it is possible for the group as a whole to work
cooperatively and creatively within the  existing/accepted
bounds.                                                   
                                                          
     The  above  considerations  are  relevant  to  us  AS
COMMUNITIES dealing with our human tendencies to:         
                                                          
     1.  Try  to  dominate and be in control  of  what  we
         cannot dominate and/or control.                  
                                                          
     2.  Try to prevent others from being dominant and/or 
         in control --- of what they should not try to    
         dominate and/or control                          
                                                          
     3.  Believe  the  myth that there can  be  redemptive
         violence which is worthy of our respect,  honor &
         support.                                         
                                                          
     4.  Believe that we are "better" than others are.    
                                                          
     5.  Defend the assumptions, attitudes, habits and    
         prejudiced/thoughtless traditions of our  parents
         and of our uneducated ancestors.                 
                                                          
     6.  Believe that our particular form of integrity is 
         the only possible/respectable form of integrity, 
         in spite of how many different kinds of well     
         integrated creatures God has created throughout  
         the immensity of the time-space continuum of the 
         whole   cosmos/universe  with  its  billions   of
         galaxies when each galaxy contains billions      
         of stars/suns.                                   
                                                          
     7.  Believe  and  act as if our  own  individualistic
         form of integrity is  far more important than the
         integrity of the  community which brought us into
         being with our individualistic kind of integrity.
                                                          
     8.  Believe  and  act  as if our own gang's  form  of
         integrity  is  superior to and/or more  important
         than the integrity of the community which brought
         our gang into being as we now are.               
                                                          
     9.  Act as if "The Domination System" hypothesis is  
         absurd,  without evidence,  and prone to engender
         bias, prejudice and faulty thinking.             
                                                          
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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