I had some initial reluctance about AA because parts of it reminded me of my religious upbringing. But I began to see how AA could help me in my life. And I also realized that every religion, and indeed every church within that religion, is different. Even a new pastor or priest at the same church can preach and teach a different type of religion than the one preceding him or her. And my interpretation of a verse in my Bible may be very different from my pastor's interpretation of the same verse.
To me, my religious beliefs are about my relationship with my God. Not about acceptance from any people at church, or following some rules that someone tells me to follow. It's about trusting and believing in my God and living my life in a way that reflects those beliefs and trying to help others along the way. I don't feel that my religious beliefs are oppressive or confining at all. Quite the opposite; they have liberated me from the confines and oppressive beliefs of the world and the people that inhabit it.