We Agnostics

[bballdad]

a friend shared his experience with me,and I`m passing it along to those who may benefit from it

Willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves is
all this is required for us to make our beginning. Faith is shown to be
practical, logical and effective. Clear-cut directions are given showing
how to begin to awaken spiritually.

This chapter points out very clear the attitudes that hinder our
spiritual progress. I am going to list them:

Anti-religious,
Rejection of inadequate childhood conception and abandonment of God,
The thought that faith was somewhat weak, even cowardly,
Warring individuals, warring theological systems, inexplicable calamity,
Judgment of individuals claiming to be godly,
How could a supreme being have anything to do with it al all?
Incomprehensibility of God,
Distraction by other's conception of God,
Prejudice against spiritual terms,
Assumption that we must accept many things on faith,
Obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice,
Antagonism towards reference to spiritual things,
Our perverse streak,
The vain idea that our intelligence is the beginning and end of all,
Cynically dissecting spiritual beliefs and practices,
Using peoples shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation,
We talked of intolerance when we were intolerant ourselves,
We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing,
We are biased and unreasonable about the realm of the spirit,
We stick to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems,
We lean too heavily on reason for our support,
We had been abjectly faithful to the God of Reason,
We worship people, sentiment, things, money and ourselves,
Obscured by calamity, pomp, by worship of other things,
Rebellion at religious education,
Idea that God has never done anything for us.

Quiet a list. On page 44 we read that 'Lack of power, that was our
dilemma.' And further on we read: 'Well, that's exactly what this book
is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power grater than
yourself which will solve your problem.' Further on I find 4
requirements to begin spiritual growth: 1. lay aside prejudice; 2.
express a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves; 3.
earnestly seek; 4. do not let any prejudice you may have against
spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean
to you.



taken from the 1st edition Big Book

[lizw]

Originally Posted by bballdad

2.
express a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves;

I think one of the confusions people can suffer from in AA, especially newcomers is they think they have to 'get god'. I think the above quote shows that it isn't actually about 'getting' it is about being willing to maybe believe, that maybe, just maybe there is a power greater than ourselves.

We don't have to say "okay I know there is" we just say 'okay maybe there is..."

This is how we make a beginning.

[nandm]

Originally Posted by lizw

I think one of the confusions people can suffer from in AA, especially newcomers is they think they have to 'get god'. I think the above quote shows that it isn't actually about 'getting' it is about being willing to maybe believe, that maybe, just maybe there is a power greater than ourselves.

We don't have to say "okay I know there is" we just say 'okay maybe there is..."

This is how we make a beginning.

Very well put, thanks Liz.

There is a difference between "believe" and "willingness to believe". Today, I know there is a Power greater than myself but when I started AA I was only able to be "willing" to believe that there might be a Power greater than myself. Big difference in how I see the world.