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Re: jehovah's witnesses (fwd)
Maria Swora (mswo_ltd@UHURA.CC.ROCHESTER.EDU)
Mon, 6 Nov 1995 17:37:22 -0500
Forwarded message:
> From cattledj@wfu.edu Mon Nov 6 09:15 EST 1995
> Date: Mon, 6 Nov 1995 09:14:58 -0500 (EST)
> From: "Dorothy J. Cattle"
Dorothy rightly chides me:
> Maria,
> You asked Joel a lot of potentially interesting questions and then
> clammed up when it came to describing the group YOU are studying for your
> dissertation. Why not share a bit more, especially since you asked Joel
> to provide considerable detail? What "spiritual" group? Is it a known
> denomination or a local, unique congregation centered around a founding
> member or what...
>
Woops, sorry. This is called begging the question, I guess. In my defense,
let me recount the (com)plaintive remark I heard out in the hallway just as
I was posting my questions to Joel:"Maria, how long will be be on the
phone?"
I am writing my dissertation on rhetoric and remembering in Alcoholics
Anonymous. I am approaching AA as if it were a religious group, but it is
not a religious group. AA is concerned with the here and now, and AA talk
is liberally sprinkled with the profane and the pratical. AA is not
concerned with "big questions." I take AA at it's word: it is a "spiritual
fellowship." I know, I'm begging another question. What's the difference?
What religion would allow membership to atheists? Leave the Unitarians
out of this.
AA's core practice is the personal narrative, akin to salvation stories and
testamonies found in many, many Christian traditions. That's why I am very
excited to see Joel's post.
Maria
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