alky2010

I have recently been going back to AA meetings. I have decided that i will take the parts of the program that work for me. I get a kick out of responding to the repetitive question of, "how much time do you have?" I simply say a few months and just leave it at that. It is hard working the steps if one is agnostic (like myself) but i met someone who has done it. I guess i am lucky to live where i do because we have over 2,000 AA meetings in the chicago land area a week. It is interesting how many different groups of AA we have. We do have the same purpose though. Alcohol and narcotics kicked my #@$ bad and i now know what it is like to truely surrender. I believe that it is going to take years, not months to for me to get some sanity. Facing reality in sobriety is a hard thing to do. I guess I'm doing it though.

Time2Surrender

Recovery is a life long journey,but a good one.And the rewards are endless.I know plenty of agnostics in AA.Anyway,like they say "Take what you need and leave the rest".

2dayzmuse

Good for you. I'm happy for you. You are lucky to have so many meetings to choose from. When I first started going to AA one year ago, there wasn't much to choose from in my area. I had to travel 120 miles round trip to get a meeting in. I did what I had to do and it has lead me up to today. I'm happy to be sober and I'm a member of a homegroup in my local area. I'm very grateful for that privilege.

Justme57

Hi Alki

I am pleased to meet you ! Congrats on getting back to AA.

I heard a great solution to the agnostic point of view regarding the steps the other night , and would you believe it came from our new American member lol. He was saying that when he first got sober ( 14 years ago) he had trouble with the God thing too, so his Sponser advised him to call HP a power OTHER than himself , and this has worked well for him over the years . Just thought I would pass that on

HUGX
Lee

Andy F

Hi Alky2010

I had my last drink in 1982 and was/am an AA member. After a few years of lifes hardships sober I tried living according to God's will. Some years later I went back to agnostism. At first as an agnostic I altered the program so that I made an acceptable agnostic version, years later I realised I need not even do that. As far as I am concerned you can write your own program and be a legitimate member of AA. There is some truth in all this religious (personal interpretation) mumbo jumbo. There is a commonality between mythology, religion, spirituality, science. Much agree upon the same principles. Sometimes my AA friends and I are in complete agreement over something, except they call it spiritual and I call it emotional.

There have been agnostics in and argueing in AA from the time the big book was written. Without agnostics the program would be less inclusive. They argued for 'God' to be 'God as you understand him' and without agnostics step 7 would read 'humbly asked him on our knees to remove our shortcomings. Agnostics play an important part in tempering AA and Bill W. said words to this effect.

The difficulty in being an agnostic in AA is that some people will not accept or respect your view. The view itself is fine.

I would add one thing if you want to hold a minority position in AA it is best done sober as people will use any drinking you do to negate your view. And rightly so.

All the best to you whatever you belief.

Music

Main Entry: 1ag·nos·tic
Pronunciation: ag-'näs-tik, &g-
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek agnOstos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnOstos known, from gignOskein to know -- more at KNOW
: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

I have no problem with anyone who choose to not believe in God or a god. What I do have a problem with is someone who chooses to believe that "man" is the last word. That's why "Higher Power" and a "Power greater than yourself" is refered to in the Big Book. When Bill W. wrote the steps he was writing as he believed. Andy is right! The reason the words were changed was to accomodate people who couldn't or wouldn't accept the idea of a "Christian" belief in God. I was agnostic in the beginning and still might be in some people's opinion, but I've come to believe that there just has to be something out there somewhere in a higher authority/position that the human being. I chose the name "God" in referring to that power. Hell, I don't know for sure, I just believe. If I take the attitude that I created my own desire to get sober and stay sober, I may at some point, start to believe that I'm not powerless over alcohol and at that point, I'm doomed. That's just me, so don't anyone get their knickers in a knot.

CarolD

is the goal....however you do it.


I have been sober a long tome...and never had a formal sponsor...Zounds!!!

minnie

*peeks in the window*

Do you mind if I chip in here?

I'm an Al-anon member and a non-believer in a "religious" God. I too had a problem with the references to God in the programme when I first joined last September. Over time, my understanding of my Higher Power has developed into a sense of "collective wisdom". i.e. the answers to my problems and questions are out there, I just haven't found them yet. The answers may come through reading or talking or thinking, whether programme related or not. Other people may feel that their God led them to read that piece of literature, or talk to that person, but at the moment, I am not aware of that sense of fate.

Now that I think this way, it has opened up the Steps to me in a way that I never thought possible.

Hope this helps.

Good luck with sobriety.

Love

Minnie
xxx

progress

Alky, I am so happy to see that you are doing what works for you! There's a lot to be said for taking what you can use and leaving the rest.

Chy

I'm happy for you alky! Chicago is full of great meetings! If ya see Mark B give him a hug, he's my brother.