I'm going to respond to your questions and responses
1. What religion does AA practice?
Taz - None, I have NEVER heard one person in AA state that if you are not of a certain faith you can not get sober.
Me - I've also never heard this. All this implies is that AA does not endorse an outside religion. It does not mean that 12-step is not a religion of its own
2. What religion allows aethiest to openly participate?
Taz - AA not being a religous orginization at all could care less if you are an athiest
Me - Atheists and agnostics (myself included) are openly welcome in the Unitarian Universalist church. There are quite a few of us at my church.
3. What religion does not care if you believe in Buddah, Krishna, Christ....?
Taz - None that I am aware of. (I could be wrong on this) I do know for a fact that AA as a whole could care less what an individuals HP is or is not, in reality the entire program if one reads the BB is strictly SUGGESTED, nothing is mandantory.
Me - again, UU. All this question proves is that one can call they're HP whatever they choose. Now as to what this HP "is," I think its pretty clear that those who practice 12-step have HPs that possess very similar qualities and that the difference between "deities" within is often very nominal. That is, they seem to "do" much the same thing.
4. What religion is practiced that in one place they may say no prayer at all, in another place the may say a Christian prayer, in another place an Islamic prayer, etc. ?
Taz - No religion that I know of allows prayers of another faith in thier services, if one is a Christian, no matter where the Christian church is located Christian prayers will be said there.
Me - I've heard the serenity prayer at every meeting I've been to. Again the UU religion encourages the practices of other faiths and I've seen many in our church. I've also only ever heard Christian prayers at AA and NA meetings. I've also walked into meetings and unexpectedly found that they were Bible meetings. I've never heard of a Koran or Torah meetings. Perhaps they exist but they don't to my knowledge.
5. What religion does not promote worship of some type of Diety?
Taz - None that I know of, I do know that AA does not push worsip of any type, they do suggest one maintain a conscience contact with thier HP of thier choosing & understanding
Me - In addition to UU, Buddhists do not worship a deity. Both of these religions do not require or even suggest a "conscious contact" with a HP
6. What religion beleives that one should find a Higher Power of thier own choosing and understanding?
Taz - 6. None that I know of, each religion I know of preachs that the followers should worship the HP of thier particular faith. AA instead encourages each member to find a HP of thier choosing and understanding
Me - UU asks even less of its adherents. They ask for each member to engage in a "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning." Beyond UU, particular religions may worship particular deities, but again, what's in a name? I've often heard of religions promoting "personal relationships with God." This seems to imply that the God of one person's understanding could be quite different from that of another's within a given denomination.
7. If a person of the Jewish faith had written the BB would one not expect them call thier HP Yhwh when writing of thier HP?
8. If a person of the Islamic faith had written the BB would one not expect them call thier HP Allah when writing of thier HP?
9. If a person of the Buddist faith had written the BB would one not expect them call thier HP Buddah when writing of thier HP?
Taz - I would.
Me - I wouldn't expect such a thing if that person(s) were writing a book which didn't promote a particular religious orientation.
10. Would not simple logic lead one to beleive that the primary reason the word God is used in the BB is probably due to the fact that the writers of the BB were Christians?
Taz - It is spelled out in the BB that is the very reason that the word God was used in the BB.
Me - I'm not sure I follow your argument, especially if you wish to prove that AA is not religious
11. Is there any religion that has no rituals they practice?
Taz - None that I am aware of.
Me - I'm not aware of any either. Ritual seems to be part and parcel of religion. However...preamble, collection plate, serenity prayer, the lord's prayer (both while holding hands in a circle btw) the steps themselves, sounds like rituals to me.
12. What Church, Mosque, Temple, etc. do AAs practice this religion in?
Taz - None, because AA as a whole does not pratice ANY religion at all.
Me - Well first of all, the lion's share of AA and NA meetings that I've attended (save for ones inside of reahab and correctional facilities) have taken place inside Christian churches. Despite the message this sends, this doesn't make the 12-steps a religion, Christian or otherwise. When the local mosque burned down, they were given space in a local synagogue to worship. This didn't mean that these Muslims suddenly became Jews. It does mean that a religion does not require a house of worship to be a religion. If AA is a religion, which your questions and answers haven't proven, they can practice it wherever they want.
I'm not POed as you claim. As far as I'm concerned, it matters little to my own situation if AA/NA is a religion or just a spiritual program. I'm not forced to attend meetings and many people that are involved with the program haven't given me any grief for walking my own path. It simply doesn't work for me and I'm happy for those it has worked for.
On the other hand, what does anger me is when people are court-ordered to 12 step treatment facilities and meetings. Despite all the examples that bugsworth cited, it still happens quite often. If its not a court order, many folks are faced with losing they're jobs if they refuse to attend 12 step rehabs. So many insurance policies won't cover alternative facilities so they're left with virtually no choice.
I'm of the opinion that the 12 steps are a religion in themselves. They certainly seem to fit more criteria for a religion than even confirmed religions like UU do. If you choose to practice that religion, I think that is great quite honestly. Many people, addicts and those who have never touched a substance alike, float through life without any sense of direction and morality. For a lot of people, this can be found through religious practice. I wish more people that do believe in God would practice their faith.
At the same time, I think it would be far better if AA/NA would just be up front with people about its nature and help those that aren't a "good fit" for their program to find some other form of help. Yes I know AA makes no claims on monopoly and all that but we all know that that isn't quite how it is always presented.