Tradition 2 · February 8

Another's Conception

Daily Traditions · February 8

The threat today

The words "a loving God" in Tradition Two give no member the right to tell the group what God wants, and they ask no member what he believes. The Long Form (Big Book, p. 563): "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience." Where does that authority show up? In the group conscience: the members deciding together. Not in one person's prayer or one person's certainty. The Big Book had already refused to make anyone's faith the measure (p. 46): "Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God." A conception is an idea of something. A believer, a doubter and someone who believes nothing can sit at the same business meeting, and each one's vote counts the same. The rumour turns this upside down. It says Tradition Two is about your private faith, or that whoever sounds most spiritual should settle the room's business. Today it shows up as a chair who ends a debate by announcing what God wants, or a program that dresses its rules in spiritual words so nobody argues. Test it tonight: ask whether anyone in your room has ever closed a vote by claiming to know God's will.

Sit with

Tradition Two puts the authority in the group's decision, not in any one person's idea of God. Has anyone in my room used God's name to end a vote?

Grounded in: Long form, Tradition 2 (Big Book, p. 563); Big Book p. 46 (We Agnostics).

Tradition 2

"For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern."

Read the Long Form (pp. 563–566). The short form on pp. 561–562 is the one everybody quotes — but the Long Form is where the Traditions actually say what they mean. Tradition 3's "no other affiliation" clause, for instance, exists only in the Long Form. That single clause is why no treatment centre can own an A.A. group. Most of what circulates online skips it.

And a distinction worth keeping straight: the Traditions are governance, not theology. They bind A.A. groups and the Fellowship — not individuals, and not outside businesses. They were adopted in 1950 to keep A.A. from being owned or co-opted. They are not a rulebook for your personal life.

What the Traditions actually say → The Long Form, p. 563 → Search the Big Book → Every day this month →

Ask Recovery Einstein about Tradition 2 → Get the app →

← February 7Eighteen in Akron Tradition 2All of February February 9 →A Brand-New Committee

Daily Traditions is an independent educational resource from Recovery Starts — not official A.A. literature, not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, and not medical advice. The Twelve Traditions are the property of A.A. Page references are to Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book), 4th Edition: short form 561–562, long form 563–566. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).