What is the deal with the mention of god in the steps?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,355
Welcome Kantaki
We're not an exclusive AA site so I'll leave it to the AA members here to reply to you.
There are many recovery methods that do not use the 12 steps...like SMART, LifeRing etc.
Perhaps our Secular Connections forum will interest you
Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
D
We're not an exclusive AA site so I'll leave it to the AA members here to reply to you.
There are many recovery methods that do not use the 12 steps...like SMART, LifeRing etc.
Perhaps our Secular Connections forum will interest you
Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
D
Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 645
Kantaki,
Alcoholics Anonymous is not a "religion" or a "religious program". It is a spiritual program. There is a difference. You do not need to convert to any religion. AA is for people of all faiths and beliefs and for people who are agnostic and athiest too.
The steps of AA invite the individual to choose his/her own conception of a Higher Power --some substitute the word "Good" for "God", some use the acronym "Good Orderly Direction", some use the AA group itself as their Higher Power, some use a more traditional concept, some use "Life Force or Energy" ... there are many other concepts.
There are many folks on the SR board who do not use AA in their recovery. SMART, Life Ring, AVRT, CBT, an addictions counselor, life coach, etc. are all options. AA certainly does not have a monopoly on recovery. You are free to find your own path as you wish.
Susan
Alcoholics Anonymous is not a "religion" or a "religious program". It is a spiritual program. There is a difference. You do not need to convert to any religion. AA is for people of all faiths and beliefs and for people who are agnostic and athiest too.
The steps of AA invite the individual to choose his/her own conception of a Higher Power --some substitute the word "Good" for "God", some use the acronym "Good Orderly Direction", some use the AA group itself as their Higher Power, some use a more traditional concept, some use "Life Force or Energy" ... there are many other concepts.
There are many folks on the SR board who do not use AA in their recovery. SMART, Life Ring, AVRT, CBT, an addictions counselor, life coach, etc. are all options. AA certainly does not have a monopoly on recovery. You are free to find your own path as you wish.
Susan
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,460
Well, I think it varies from person to person, but for me, I needed to know that there was a reason for me to be here on earth, at this time. I had to know that there was a purpose. I think of spirituality in terms of the Universe. I believe that the Universe has a plan for all of us. When we find our purpose, we can find peace and enjoyment in our lives, even though things may be far from perfect.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 645
Wikipedia: "Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or immaterial reality;[1] an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.”[2] Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3] Spirituality is often experienced as a source of inspiration or orientation in life.[4] It can encompass belief in immaterial realities or experiences of the immanent or transcendent nature of the world."
Wikipedia: "Religion" is a cultural system that creates powerful and long-lasting meaning by establishing symbols that relate humanity to beliefs and values.[1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature.
The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system, but religion differs from private belief in that it has a public aspect. Most religions have organized behaviors, including clerical hierarchies, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity, regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer, holy places (either natural or architectural), and/or scriptures. The practice of a religion may also include sermons, commemoration of the activities of a god or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture.
Wikipedia: "Religion" is a cultural system that creates powerful and long-lasting meaning by establishing symbols that relate humanity to beliefs and values.[1] Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature.
The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system, but religion differs from private belief in that it has a public aspect. Most religions have organized behaviors, including clerical hierarchies, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity, regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer, holy places (either natural or architectural), and/or scriptures. The practice of a religion may also include sermons, commemoration of the activities of a god or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,355
Here's some links to some of the major recovery players -
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html
there's also some links in the Secular Connections forum I linked to before - look at the top of the forum.
I'm sure all these organisations operate in Germany.
If spirituality is an alien concept to you, make it simple...
stop drinking - see your doctor to make sure you do that safely - then look for the kind of support that will help you stay stopped
D
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html
there's also some links in the Secular Connections forum I linked to before - look at the top of the forum.
I'm sure all these organisations operate in Germany.
If spirituality is an alien concept to you, make it simple...
stop drinking - see your doctor to make sure you do that safely - then look for the kind of support that will help you stay stopped
D
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