higher power?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 192
higher power?
I'm not sure but I was under the impression that accepting a higher power in AA is something they generally do in America, I've not heard of that in the U.K, but then I've never been to AA.
I am an atheist myself so I can't be doing with all that God talk.
I am an atheist myself so I can't be doing with all that God talk.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,313
I believe you'll find it in UK AA too - it's a fundamental cornerstone of the 12 steps.
I know many atheists in AA.
We've had a lot of threads on this lately.
Rather than relying on other peoples opinion and vague impressions of your own, why don't you go to a meeting and make up your own mind, HS?
D
I know many atheists in AA.
We've had a lot of threads on this lately.
Rather than relying on other peoples opinion and vague impressions of your own, why don't you go to a meeting and make up your own mind, HS?
D
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,597
The spiritual experience is a central tenant of AA regardless of where you are. 'God' can refer to an 'untapped inner resource' - check out Appendix 2 in the Big Book. It's a term used to reference a spiritual experience, not a religion.
I was so desperate to get sober, I was more than willing to pray to a 'God of my own understanding' as encouraged by other AA members. No one told me what 'God' was or expected me to have a Christian or religious understanding.
The Big Book also refers to 'God' as a 'spirit of the universe' among other things.
Don't let the god thing stand in the way of getting sober. You'll work it out to your own satisfaction in due course.
I have heard that some meetings in the US close with the Lord's Prayer and I have to admit that might have turned me off, as I am not a Christian.
Every meeting I have been to closes with the Serenity Prayer addressed to a 'God of your own understanding'.
I was so desperate to get sober, I was more than willing to pray to a 'God of my own understanding' as encouraged by other AA members. No one told me what 'God' was or expected me to have a Christian or religious understanding.
The Big Book also refers to 'God' as a 'spirit of the universe' among other things.
Don't let the god thing stand in the way of getting sober. You'll work it out to your own satisfaction in due course.
I have heard that some meetings in the US close with the Lord's Prayer and I have to admit that might have turned me off, as I am not a Christian.
Every meeting I have been to closes with the Serenity Prayer addressed to a 'God of your own understanding'.
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 192
Well actually ,I'm probably not atheist as I do have a tendency to believe that our souls become one when we die in a dimension that is infinite and there is no such thing as time there.
But I'm not religious, I mean I think life is God not God as a seperate entity that created us...
Ok that's enough...this is a bit deep.
But I'm not religious, I mean I think life is God not God as a seperate entity that created us...
Ok that's enough...this is a bit deep.
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Cascadia
Posts: 665
hendrixstrat, nothing you have said is in conflict with he AA program. If you are interested in how others have been able to find a non-theist path to sobriety with the help of the 12 steps, check out the Secular 12 Step forum here on SR.
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Join Date: Oct 2008
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Originally Posted by hendrixstrat 
I do... believe that our souls become one when we die in a dimension that is infinite...
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: des moines ia
Posts: 362
I finally came to the conclusion that own conscience is my higher power. If there is a God, I can get my head around him/her/it speaks to me through my conscience. It makes me cringe when I do something wrong and gives me peace of mind when I do something right.
Keeping it as simple as possible is a great help to me. I've found that what I might be analyzing becomes secondary to my obsession too analyze
A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself is also a great help.
Ron
Keeping it as simple as possible is a great help to me. I've found that what I might be analyzing becomes secondary to my obsession too analyze
A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself is also a great help.
Ron
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 411
Yeah, I find a lot of people use not being religious as an excuse to avoid AA. I am an atheist, there are plenty of agnostic/atheist-themed meetings, and your higher power can be whatever helps you. Some people use the collective power of their AA fellows as their higher power. Personally, my HP is a concept of connectedness with the world and the people around me that I have found a way to visualize (like a big net, with me inthe middle, all the people who support me holding up the edges).
Your beliefs about religion/god won't be a barrier to you using AA to get sober, unless you want them to be.
GG
Your beliefs about religion/god won't be a barrier to you using AA to get sober, unless you want them to be.
GG
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