One Purpose

"We have denied ourselves personal government, professionalism, and the right to say who our members shall be. We have abandoned do-goodism, reform, and paternalism. We refuse charitable money and prefer to pay our own way. We will cooperate with practically everybody, yet we decline to marry our Society to anyone. We abstain from public controversy and will not quarrel among ourselves about those things that so rip society asunder -- religion, politics, and reform. We have but one purpose: to carry the AA message to the sick alcoholic who wants it.

Bill W., January 1955
c. 1988 The AA Grapevine, Inc., The Language Of The Heart, p. 211