Andy F

Thank you! Apology accepted. I am also passionate about the AA program from a secular perspective. Have a great 24! ????????????

I have been through the steps many times as an agnostic. They guided me towards a non-God centered spiritual awakening. Are you saying that the program won't work for millions of Buddhists who do not believe in God? You gave your self the somewhat arrogant permission to call me sophomoric. Are you sure that it's not you who is sophomoric, or at the very least bigoted?

A spiritual awakening is by no means dependant on a God awakening. Jim Burwell was AA's first atheist. He convinced Bill to add the clauses "as we understand him" in steps 3 and 11. He was decades sober in AA before he passed away. He founded AA on the west coast in San Diego. Carl Jung places the emphasis on the "vital spiritual experience" Never once did he tell Roland H that he had to believe in God. His message to Roland was the vital spiritual experience. You are entitled to believe what you believe just like tradition 3 tells us that any alcoholic is a member of AA if he so declares. This is irrespective of what he believes. AA is open to all so let's remember AA's well used slogan "Live and let live"

Well "likerdup1", we have to agree to disagree. I was a homeless street drunk whose life was devastated by alcohol. I had very negative experiences with religion and religious people when I was young. The idea of a monotheistic religious God was impossible for me to grasp. Initially, The Gift Of Desperation, Group of Drunks and Good Orderly Direction were all useful acronyms for powers greater then myself. What was life changing when my ego collapsed and I surrendered. For the first time in my life, I became teachable. My recovery has involved a gradual reduction of the maladapted alcoholic ego This has resulted in a gradual non-God centered spiritual awakening. The two principle of "Love and Tolerance" offered by the Big Book of AA have become my higher powers. I am guided by Dr. Bob's farewell message to AA. "Let's not louse it up with Freudian complexes. Let's us remember the simplicity of the program. Our program is based on two simple concepts: "Love and service" https://www.aa.org/dr-bobs-farewell-talk If there is a God, then I'm pretty sure that this is how he would like me to behave to my fellow travellers. These beautiful qualities are undoubtedly powers greater then me. In fact most religious texts proclaim the God IS Love ????

My experience to date has been beyond my wildest dreams. I have used AA (Group Of Drunks) itself and the suggestions of a sponsor (Good Orderly Direction) as my higher powers ???????????? These acronyms for GOD have done for me what I could not do for myself. I am an agnostic and satisfied customer of Alcoholics Anonymous

Dear friends As an agnostic alcoholic, I was in AA for 25 years before I found a concept of a higher power that worked for me. It was a game changer in my recovery. I hope you like the blog I wrote about this dramatic event in my sober AA journey. https://aaforagnostics.com/blog/getting-to-grips-with-a-higher-power/ Have a great 24! Andy F ????????????

It was first published by AA in 2018. Up until that time, AA was very conservative in its attitude to the spirituality of the program. The general position was that recovery was from alcoholism was only truly accesible to those that believe in a monotheistic God. Thankfully, since 2018 with the publication of 'The "God" word pamphlet, AA is changing and becoming more "agnostic friendly"

If you are interested, "The twelve steps for agnostics" is all about finding a non-God centered spiritual awakening. https://aaforagnostics.com/

For the record, I dont have any more wisdom about AA then anyone else.. Im just an agnostic alcoholic who had to find a way of working the steps without being concderned about the "God" word With regard to there being enough literature in AA for atheists, agnostics and freethinkers, this is just not the case. How many alcoholics have left AA or have never come to AA in the first place because they see AA as somekind of religious cult. The first bit of conference approved literature was only recently published in AA, Its an AA pamphlet called 'The "God" word. Here it is: https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/literature/assets/p-86_theGodWord.pdf

Dear friends, My name is Andy and I am an expat living in Thailand. I am also an alcoholic in recovery. I am sober today only with the ongoing love, help and support of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the AA program it is regarded as vital that if alcoholics are to be successful in their recovery, they should turn their will and lives over to the guidance of a higher power. This is usually referred to as the care of God ‘as we understood him’. I am however an agnostic. In AA this has sometimes been an enormous challenge. For this reason, I have published a book entitled “The Twelve Steps for Agnostics”. The book is available on Amazon worldwide The purpose of my website is to tell you about the book and my successful journey towards recovery as an agnostic in AA. https://aaforagnostics.com/