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The God Word In Alcoholics Anonymous





There is no more controversial word in AA than God. It can scare people away. The “G” word invariably sparks a debate whether Alcoholics Anonymous is religious or not. In their first meeting, a newcomer could very well believe they have entered a religious program. This is not a surprise. Many meetings begin with the Serenity Prayer and close with the Lord’s Prayer. The word God is mentioned multiple times in group literature and the term Higher Power is often mentioned in sharing. It can be confusing and I wish more meetings discussed this, especially for people in early in sobriety. I am writing this to help those who have questions about God and AA. We are not a secret cult, we have no required beliefs, ecclesial structure or dogmatic systems. The only membership requirement is a desire to quit drinking.

I’ve seen too many people run away from AA because spirituality is confused with religion. I sobered up in the Bible Belt where it was not uncommon to hear scripture cited or Jesus’ name invoked in meetings. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but meetings with an evangelical tinge are not my cup of tea. My spiritual preferences are more free thinking and philosophical in nature and I am sure that there are many who do not share my beliefs. Remember we are sharing from personal experience, not spiritual requirements. The purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is sobriety not salvation.

At its core, Alcoholics Anonymous’ view of God is simple, it’s a belief in power greater than ourselves. Define God as you will. The beliefs in the room range from religious fundamentalism to militant atheism and all flavors in between. People might use nature as their Higher Power or claim their home group for this purpose; others use Good Orderly Direction. No matter how you define God, the ideal is to acknowledge within ourselves a deep hidden strength and we learn to tap into this strength by virtue of the 12 Steps.

 Meetings have their own personality, if you don’t like one, try another. Don’t judge the whole of AA by the words of someone with whom you don’t agree and don’t mistake someone else’s beliefs as a requirement for your sobriety. There are usually hundreds of meeting a week in a given area. Find one that works for you. Make it your own.

                There are many paths to the same destination. We are all unique and have a purpose to match our uniqueness. My beliefs do not remain static, they grow and evolve as I continue along the path of recovery. My spiritual journey has had many twists and turns in my quest to find God. It was during a period of quiet isolation that I retreated to the altar of my soul I came to believe. My understanding of God is that it’s an underlying intelligence permeating throughout the Universe. Whether by design or by chance, we all have the essence of this primordial intelligence within us. Though dedicated spiritual practice (The Steps) I have learned how to cultivate humility and shrink my ego. The deeper I tap into it, the more I have been able to draw meaning and purpose from my life as I move forward to the state of pure love.

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