Originally Posted by
awuh1 
TomSteve quotes the book which says "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" The part I wish to emphasize in bold. If you are not willing to believe then I would argue that you have a prejudice (just like I did). Its an example of what's called 'confirmaton bias'.
I think I was a bit like this. I had no belief in God, no experience, and a lot of negative opinion on the subject which was only based in prejudice and ignorance. I was, however, willing to believe if I saw some evidence, so I could make a start.
As I made progress through the steps, immdiately after step five as it happens, I had my first experience with what I would now call the God of my understanding. This wasn't blind faith but actual experience of the Power, of being connected, something I felt deep inside.
I would not have had that had I not hade enough willingness to get me through step two.
I think of step one as identifying the problem and step two as selecting the solution. Somone unwilling to believe might be wise to reject the AA program and try one of the many self reliance based alternatives.
August raised a good point about our third tradition, perhaps inadvertently highlighting another truth when she said "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking, you don't even have to have quit yet"
What that says is that you can have membership in AA and not be sober or recovering. The idea of that tradition is that no alcoholic be excluded that wants to get well. But it is not the only requirement for sobriety. AA has never claimed you can get sober merely by joining the fellowship.