Originally Posted by
Gottalife 
It would be interesting to hear how others come to terms with religion and AA.
I came to terms with it by recognizing that AA is a religion in its own right, and that spirituality is how it refers to its own theology. Simply not going to church does not make someone an atheist per se, and the 12 steps themselves ascribe certain very specific characteristics to the Higher Power of AA.
"Spiritual, not religious" is not unlike "Lutheran, not Catholic" in meaning.
Spirituality is a distinct theology. This is why we often see commentary on the theology of other religions, as in the slogan from tomsteve about hell. It is an attempt to differentiate, and AA has its own versions of heaven, hell, and purgatory.
AA heaven = The Promises (serenity)
AA hell = Going Back Out (leaving AA to drink)
AA purgatory = The Dry Drunk (just not drinking)