As Bill Sees It - April 29 2026

On The Broad Highway, p. 119

“I now realize that my former prejudice against clergymen was blind
and wrong. They have kept alive through the centuries a faith which
might have been extinguished entirely. They pointed out the road to
me, but I did not even look up, I was so full of prejudice and
self-concern.

“When I did open my eyes, it was because I had to. And the man who
showed me the truth was a fellow sufferer and a layman. Through him,
I saw at last, and I stepped from the abyss to solid ground, knowing at
once that my feet were on the broad highway if I chose to walk.”

Letter, 1940

Father Leo’s - April 28 2026

PREJUDICE

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”

–Henry David Thoreau

Prejudice divides people and feeds upon anger, resentment and fear.
Today I can see that my prejudices stemmed from my seeing in others
what I disliked in myself. I hated people who appeared “weak” because
I knew that I was weak and vulnerable. I hated people who were
“different” because I knew there were parts of me that were different
from how I appeared. I hated the people who stood up for their
principles and talked about their feelings because, as a drunk, I never
really had any principles and I couldn’t get in touch with my feelings.

Today I try to talk about my prejudices and overcome them. A
knowledge of those people I disliked has proven useful in slowly
overcoming my prejudices.

Teach me to locate myself in my criticism of others.

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“The chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices
picked up in childhood.”

— Rene Descartes



During the past few years I have begun to recognize how many of my

prejudices were planted in childhood. Family, teachers, priests and

“the neighborhood” passed on to me prejudices: ” The Jews are bad

because they killed Jesus.” “Blacks are inferior to white people —

but you should be kind to them.” “Women should obey the man of the

house.” “Gays are child molesters.” “People who do not accept Jesus will not

go to Heaven.” “Sex is for having babies and you should not enjoy

it.”


Today I live with the problem of knowing that these statements are

untrue but a part of me is still affected by them.


Today my spiritual program demands that I expose prejudice for the

“hate-mail” that it is, and try to pass on to the next generation the

joy that comes from love, acceptance and freedom.


Let the children grow in freedom.
Copyright Father Leo. Booth

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec #FrLeo #PREJUDICE

PREJUDICE


“The chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices picked up in childhood.”

— Rene Descartes

During the past few years I have begun to recognize how many of my prejudices were planted in childhood. Family, teachers, priests and “the neighborhood” passed on to me prejudices: ” The Jews are bad because they killed Jesus.” “Blacks are inferior to white people — but you should be kind to them.” “Women should obey the man of the house.” “Gays are child molesters.” “People who do not accept Jesus will not go to Heaven.” “Sex is for having babies and you should not enjoy it.”

Today I live with the problem of knowing that these statements are untrue but a part of me is still affected by them.

Today my spiritual program demands that I expose prejudice for the “hate-mail” that it is, and try to pass on to the next generation the joy that comes from love, acceptance and freedom.

Let the children grow in freedom.

© 2008 Leo Booth

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
–Henry David Thoreau

Prejudice divides people and feeds upon anger, resentment and fear.  Today I can see that my prejudices stemmed from my seeing in others what I disliked in myself. I hated people who appeared “weak” because I knew that I was weak and vulnerable. I hated people who were “different” because I knew there were parts of me that were different from how I appeared. I hated the people who stood up for their principles and talked about their feelings because, as a drunk, I never really had any principles and I couldn’t get in touch with my feelings.

Today I try to talk about my prejudices and overcome them. A knowledge of those people I disliked has proven useful in slowly overcoming my prejudices.

Teach me to locate myself in my criticism of others.

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“The chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices
picked up in childhood.”

— Rene Descartes



During the past few years I have begun to recognize how many of my

prejudices were planted in childhood. Family, teachers, priests and

“the neighborhood” passed on to me prejudices: ” The Jews are bad

because they killed Jesus.” “Blacks are inferior to white people —

but you should be kind to them.” “Women should obey the man of the

house.” “Gays are child molesters.” “People who do not accept Jesus will not

go to Heaven.” “Sex is for having babies and you should not enjoy

it.”


Today I live with the problem of knowing that these statements are

untrue but a part of me is still affected by them.


Today my spiritual program demands that I expose prejudice for the

“hate-mail” that it is, and try to pass on to the next generation the

joy that comes from love, acceptance and freedom.


Let the children grow in freedom.
Copyright Father Leo. Booth

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Or Follow Us On Twitter @EssentialsOfRec

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation

PREJUDICE

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are only rearranging their prejudices.”

–William James

An aspect of prejudice in my life is my refusal to listen. I tend to stay with my own thinking and I “shut off” people or ideas I do not want to hear. The problem with this attitude is that it does not lead to discussion, growth or change.

Spirituality is having the capacity to hear what others are saying, even people you may not like or respect, and also being prepared to live with and alongside confusion and “difference”. Truth is a many-sided diamond, and it cannot be comprehended from one viewpoint. I need to remove my prejudices if I am ever to move towards an understanding of God’s truth.

I need to learn in my heart that there is that “image” of God in every person I meet.

Teach me to listen so that I may hear, so that I may grow. 

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE


“The chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices picked up in childhood.”

— Rene Descartes

During the past few years I have begun to recognize how many of my prejudices were planted in childhood. Family, teachers, priests and “the neighborhood” passed on to me prejudices: ” The Jews are bad because they killed Jesus.” “Blacks are inferior to white people — but you should be kind to them.” “Women should obey the man of the house.” “Gays are child molesters.” “People who do not accept Jesus will not go to Heaven.” “Sex is for having babies and you should not enjoy it.”

Today I live with the problem of knowing that these statements are untrue but a part of me is still affected by them.

Today my spiritual program demands that I expose prejudice for the “hate-mail” that it is, and try to pass on to the next generation the joy that comes from love, acceptance and freedom.

Let the children grow in freedom.

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

FR.LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“Everyone is a prisoner of his or her own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices— just recognize them.”
~ Edward R. Murrow 

In recovery, I am accepting that I am not perfect. Some prejudices are part of my life—what it is to be human. On a daily basis, I am trying to deal with prejudice, and talking about it helps. Judgment does not go away just because I talk about it, but I do get a better perspective and grow in an understanding of myself through the recognition of my prejudices.

Alcoholism made me a fake: I appeared to be what I was not, and my prejudices were part of the camouflage. My prejudices revealed my fears and my need to people- please. Slowly, in my daily spiritual program, I am discovering the courage to stand alone.

Teach me to love truth more than popularity. 

© 2008 Leo Booth

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Daily Tao / 225 – Prejudice #essentialsofrecovery

No mother thinks her child ugly.
No one is indifferent to themselves.


We are all familiar with prejudice. It comes in many forms : nationalism, chauvinism, provincialism, racism. Many of us undoubtedly cry out against these injustices. As long as there is prejudice, we declare, we are never able to fairly know one another.

And yet, it is exactly a type of prejudice that also keeps us from knowing ourselves. If we think about it, we ourselves are the ones we most favor. We cater to all our bodily needs, our sensual indulgences, our intellectual curiosities, and our lustful ambitions. When we are sick or disadvantaged, no one feels our pain more or wails more loudly. When we are satisfied, no one rejoices with greater satisfaction. When we are on the verge of death, no one clings with such vehemence.

As long as we are slaves to our appetites, then we cannot have the attention for spirituality. As long as we value comfort over effort, then we shall never have the fortitude for a spiritual quest. As long as we adhere to intellectual ideas over experience, then we can never have a genuine perception of Tao. As long as we insist that we are separate, individual entities apart from the rest of the universe, then we shall never realize oneness.


No mother thinks her child ugly, because that child is her own creation. In the same way, we are inevitably partial to ourselves : We create ourselves. If we are to reach any sort of spiritual realization, we must confront and resolve this prejudice.

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE


“There is no more evil thing in the world than race prejudice . . . it justifies and holds together more baseness, cruelty and abomination than any other sort of error in the world.”

– H. G. Wells

Something about me fears racism because I know that I am at risk. If a group of people can be persecuted or ridiculed for being “different” from others, then why shouldn’t it eventually happen to me? With racism the whole world is at risk.

Also racism is the opposite of spirituality. Spirituality always seeks to include, bring together and unite. The world that God has made is ONE. All people and races are “a family” that must learn to co-exist together if we are to be productive and creative. In the variety is the strength. With the unusual and peculiar comes divinity. God is to be found in the confusions of life.

Teacher, let me have the courage to expose the inadequacies in my life.

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are only rearranging their prejudices.”

–William James

An aspect of prejudice in my life is my refusal to listen. I tend to stay with my own thinking and I “shut off” people or ideas I do not want to hear. The problem with this attitude is that it does not lead to discussion, growth or change.

Spirituality is having the capacity to hear what others are saying, even people you may not like or respect, and also being prepared to live with and alongside confusion and “difference”. Truth is a many-sided diamond, and it cannot be comprehended from one viewpoint. I need to remove my prejudices if I am ever to move towards an understanding of God’s truth.

I need to learn in my heart that there is that “image” of God in every person I meet.

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AS BILL SEES IT #essentialsofrecovery

~ Page 300 ~

People of Faith

We who have traveled a path through agnosticism or atheism beg you to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion. We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of faith have a rational idea of what life is all about.

Actually, we used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices, when we might have seen that many spiritually-minded persons of all races, colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness that we should have sought ourselves.

~ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 49 ~

© 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc 

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FR. LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrecovery

PREJUDICE

“Everyone is a prisoner of his or her own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices— just recognize them.”

~ Edward R. Murrow 

In recovery, I am accepting that I am not perfect. Some prejudices are part of my life—what it is to be human. On a daily basis, I am trying to deal with prejudice, and talking about it helps. Judgment does not go away just because I talk about it, but I do get a better perspective and grow in an understanding of myself through the recognition of my prejudices.

Alcoholism made me a fake: I appeared to be what I was not, and my prejudices were part of the camouflage. My prejudices revealed my fears and my need to people- please. Slowly, in my daily spiritual program, I am discovering the courage to stand alone.

Teach me to love truth more than popularity. 

© 2008 Leo Booth

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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

 PREJUDICE

“I am the inferior of any man whose rights I trample underfoot.”

– Horace Greeley

Now I can see my feelings of inferiority in the assumed arrogance of my past behavior. Now I see that behind the pride was the need to prove myself. The manipulation was a cover for my insecurity.

At some point years ago I accepted the idea that I was not good enough and needed to pretend to be something different. The use of alcohol was part of this disease process. Money, friends, fast cars and debts were all drawn into the delusion.

Today I am learning to accept me. I am not a millionaire, I will probably never be a millionaire and so I do not need to adopt the lifestyle of a millionaire! I work in an office. I drive a Ford. But today I am happy. Today I can pay my bills. Today I have friends who are involved in my life. Today I do not have to put people down to feel important. Today I have discovered that the people I treated with disdain are just like me.

I pray that I may receive healing and forgiveness from those I considered inferior.

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Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrecovery

NEIGHBORS

“The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

As a drunk I said cruel things about other people. My prejudices hid my fears and insecurities. I condemned in others what I saw in myself.  I deflected attention from me by the name-calling others: sick manipulations. “Neighbor” was only a word that I could spell and interpret, useful for religious homilies or pretentious innuendoes but not something I really experienced.

Today I am able to be the “good neighbor” to many people, known and unknown. My recovery has brought people into my life. Relationships mean something; friends are important; the world is one. Black, Asian, Hispanic — all add a variety to my life that enable me to get in touch with buried feelings of my “difference”. In the stranger I discover something of myself; the foreigner has become both friend and neighbor.

God, I never cease to be amazed at the mystery and variety that is “me”. 

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Daily Tao / 225 – Prejudice #essentialsofrec

No mother thinks her child ugly.
No one is indifferent to themselves.

We are all familiar with prejudice. It comes in many forms : nationalism, chauvinism, provincialism, racism. Many of us undoubtedly cry out against these injustices. As long as there is prejudice, we declare, we are never able to fairly know one another.

And yet, it is exactly a type of prejudice that also keeps us from knowing ourselves. If we think about it, we ourselves are the ones we most favor. We cater to all our bodily needs, our sensual indulgences, our intellectual curiosities, and our lustful ambitions. When we are sick or disadvantaged, no one feels our pain more or wails more loudly. When we are satisfied, no one rejoices with greater satisfaction. When we are on the verge of death, no one clings with such vehemence.

As long as we are slaves to our appetites, then we cannot have the attention for spirituality. As long as we value comfort over effort, then we shall never have the fortitude for a spiritual quest. As long as we adhere to intellectual ideas over experience, then we can never have a genuine perception of Tao. As long as we insist that we are separate, individual entities apart from the rest of the universe, then we shall never realize oneness.


No mother thinks her child ugly, because that child is her own creation. In the same way, we are inevitably partial to ourselves : We create ourselves. If we are to reach any sort of spiritual realization, we must confront and resolve this prejudice.

Why not sign up to get emails with all daily posts included?
Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrec

Father Leo’s Daily Meditation #essentialsofrec

PREJUDICE

“There is no more evil thing in the world than race prejudice . . . it justifies and holds together more baseness, cruelty and abomination than any other sort of error in the world.”

– H. G. Wells

Something about me fears racism because I know that I am at risk. If a group of people can be persecuted or ridiculed for being “different” from others, then why shouldn’t it eventually happen to me? With racism the whole world is at risk.

Also racism is the opposite of spirituality. Spirituality always seeks to include, bring together and unite. The world that God has made is ONE. All people and races are “a family” that must learn to co-exist together if we are to be productive and creative. In the variety is the strength. With the unusual and peculiar comes divinity. God is to be found in the confusions of life.

Teacher, let me have the courage to expose the inadequacies in my life. 

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FR.LEO'S DAILY MEDITATION #essentialsofrec #Prejudice

 4

December

PREJUDICE

“Everyone is a prisoner of his or her own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices— just recognize them.”
~ Edward R. Murrow 

In recovery, I am accepting that I am not perfect. Some prejudices are part of my life—what it is to be human. On a daily basis, I am trying to deal with prejudice, and talking about it helps. Judgment does not go away just because I talk about it, but I do get a better perspective and grow in an understanding of myself through the recognition of my prejudices.

Alcoholism made me a fake: I appeared to be what I was not, and my prejudices were part of the camouflage. My prejudices revealed my fears and my need to people- please. Slowly, in my daily spiritual program, I am discovering the courage to stand alone.

Teach me to love truth more than popularity. 

© 2008 Leo Booth

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THE EYE OPENER #essentialsofrec #Prejudice

  1
December

There will always be a difference of opinion as long as people have different interests, different prejudices and different mental capacities.

To expect people to disagree with you is only sensible and reasonable. If everybody agreed with you, everybody would be as smart as you and you wouldn’t like that for a minute. The chances are you are both wrong anyhow, or you would not be required to defend your opinions. The right can defend itself without your help.

Copyright Hazelden Foundation

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