\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "Walk a Mile in Their Shoes – Bill W, NY, May 1938\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "PART TWO\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "\n"; echo "In the second written chapter, 'There Is a Solution', Bill W states unequivocally that the offered solution to alcoholism is primarily and necessarily spiritually-based, as was his own recovery.\n"; echo "\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "Bill W writes “Of necessity there will have to be discussion of matters medical, psychiatric, social, and religious.” But in 'There Is a Solution', after a general introduction to alcoholism, Bill W moves straight to the spiritual solution: “The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.”\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "This chapter can be interpreted as something to placate (or at least, not further alienate) the Akron contingent. There is no mention of the Oxford Group, but the concept of God presented in 'There Is a Solution' is that which Bill W shares with the Oxford Group: God is providential, loving, benevolent, “Him”, the Creator, the power that both aligns the stars and intervenes to save human beings. Religion and spirituality are synonymous in this chapter.\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "In a further nod to the Oxford Group in Akron, Bill W hints at some of the actions which are required in addition to faith: “Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confession of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it.” Note that, at this point, the Twelve Steps (where the actions associated with spiritual development will be made explicit) will not be written for another six months.\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "'There Is a Solution is point-blank about Bill's belief in the necessity of faith and its works. Bill W does quote William James’ “Varieties of Religious Experience” on the multiple possible paths to God, and non-denominationalism is made explicit - but there is no discussion here on the acceptance of atheism or varying concepts of God. \n"; echo "No olive branches are offered in this chapter to points of view other than his own. Bill W writes “We are aware that these matters are from their very nature, controversial.” But there is nothing in this introductory chapter to make a place for the convictions of the existing sober atheists, agnostics, deists, and free-thinkers in the movement. There will be discussion of this in later chapters, but not here.\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "That the Big Book made it to press is a miracle. The purpose here is limited to dramatizing the choice of a particularly important path by Bill W - and Bill W alone - at a pivotal point in AA history.\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "These first two chapters were written in May/June 1938, and were included by Bill W and Hank P in a dossier of fund-raising materials. Hank P will soon propose an outline of the book that remained largely intact, and Bill W will return to writing in September 1938.\n"; echo "

\n"; echo "End of PART TWO (2 of 2)\n"; echo "

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