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Frankly Ago, I appreciate you trying, but what you said just confused me more than anything else. People have been seemingly bending over backward to try to explain how AA can work without a belief in God which I appreciate but it doesn't really connect with me or seem comfortable. I just got back from my first AA meeting and needless to say, I don't think it's for me. It seemed too cult-like to me (no offense), there was too much God talk, including the prayer, the group was too big and I don't want to have to figure out how to adjust the steps with my beliefs, on top of doing the steps, which are hard enough. I'm gonna stick to going to my therapist and going to LifeRing meetings. The group was much smaller, more rational and I felt more comfortable there. I wouldn't have to worry about going back and forth with a sponsor about coordinating the steps without a belief in God. Plus I really don't think my alcohol problem is bad enough to warrant doing the 12 steps, and no I am not in denial.
Thanks again for your help all,
Clay
P.S.: If you're going to attack me for "bad mouthing" AA, please do it in a private message to me. I don't want to start more of that back and forth crap on the forum. And again, I'm not saying AA is bad, I know it works for millions, just not my style.
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Thanks for responding, let me know if you ever want me to explain what I said to you in english
Your path is your own my brother, We don't have a monopoly on recovery we just have something that has worked with us.
Actually after I posted that stuff yesterday I almost went back and just deleted it and said don't worry about it until you get to steps 2 and 3, too much information too fast is never helpful, I apologize.
I would only like to say because you don't understand something it doesn't make it "less rational" it makes it something you don't understand. Please do let me know if you ever want to talk about this stuff in a PM, and I won't preach or try to convert (mainly because I'm strictly speaking an agnostic/gnostic/atheist), I don't have anything to convert you
TO), simply discuss recovery concepts in a relaxed and safe setting where you don't have to worry about people being "touchy" about twelve step stuff, nor worry about people accusing you of AA bashing.
If you ever change your mind about AA, we are still here, and if you don't, we are still here, and we are all trudging the same road to happy destiny and I hope to meet you again and sincerely hope you find what I have, which is freedom from bondage, no matter where you choose to seek.
If your "alcohol problem" isn't bad enough to warrant the twelve steps, that's cool, if it gets bad enough to warrant the twelve steps, that's cool too, no judgment here, the proof is in the pudding, if what you does works, keep doing it, if it doesn't work, do something different, we don't care what you do as long as you do it and find relief from your alcohol problem.
Thing is, I can state with complete assurance I am an atheist, but can also state with utter conviction I have a conscious contact with a "power greater then myself" or a "God as you understand him" if you will.
Keep in touch with us here and let us know how you are doing, we do care, we really do.