AB said:
To summarize my many messages.
I would recommend to go to meetings for the human benefits of fellowship.
I would reccommend that you filter out mentally any AA message (I am not talking about HP) that is directly prejudice and demeaning to Atheists. Later in your sobriety you can simply skip some meetings.
Understand that unlike most organizations these issues in AA will never be changed. Some of the teachings of AA are substandard in regards to Atheists, but the good will of individual people will always insure that there are some benefits for all people in AA.
Morning AB!
There's not a great deal that I disagree with in this, but I have a completely different take on it. Here's my version.
The human benefits of meetings confirm that alcoholism is a condition of isolation, and staying close to others who have similar experience is a big part of the solution to that isolation
Learn to filter out any messages, or the shares of any individuals, which cause you consternation. In the future you never know when they might be useful or pertinent. But just now let's train ourselves not to get resentments about other people just because they don't think the way we think they should. That was part of our problem in the first place.
Understand that the primary purpose of AA is to keep drunks sober, and to help drunks achieve sobriety. Understand that they think that escaping the hell of alcoholism is more important than anything else. Understand that life and the fellowship isn't perfect, and that the most important skills we learn in life are to do with tolerance, compassion, willingness to be of use to others and openmindedness. Understand that in practice and training we learn how to benefit ourselves as we benefit others, and support them even when we don't agree with them. When we do this, we find genuine fellowship, in spite of our differences.
Have a good 'un!