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AA seems mysterious to some people. There is a lot of curiosity and an equal amount of myth. Some believe it is a cult, some think it is an organized religion, some believe it doesn’t work at all, and none of these things are true. Andbas such, AA has recently received a wave of criticisms which, in different ways, target what have been perceived to be its religious components. There are people that have argued that AA lacks scientific credibility and offers a treatment for alcoholism that is thoroughly “irrational.” The above claim is that evidence-based research has proven that AA “doesn’t work,” or at least, isn’t as effective as other treatments. There are also those within the AA community who have grown fed up with what they view as its residual protestant Christian undertones. Recently there have been a number of court cases in Canada have been brought against AA charging the organization with discrimination on the basis of excluding secular or atheist groups in a variety of ways.
It has been suggested that “spirituality” is generally used to describe a liberal religiosity, which stresses individual autonomy and choice, while “religion” is often used to describe a more conservative religiosity, which stresses conformity to a collective norm. And so, if one is a liberal, “religion” has a negative connotation, while conservatives claim it with pride.
The truth is, YES, the word “God” is used in the 12 steps and in AA approved literature. YES, people make reference to God when they speak and share in meetings. And, YES, some members of Alcoholics Anonymous are church-going, God-believing people. However, there is no requirement to be Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, or anything else.
The label of “God” has an understood implication of a higher being. The same way that a friend may ask for a “Kleenex” when it may actually be Puffs. Or they way a friend will ask for “Chapstick” when it could be Blistex, Carmex, or Burt’s Bees. Everyone says “Chapstick”, and everyone knows what is implied.
It has been suggested that “spirituality” is generally used to describe a liberal religiosity, which stresses individual autonomy and choice, while “religion” is often used to describe a more conservative religiosity, which stresses conformity to a collective norm. And so, if one is a liberal, “religion” has a negative connotation, while conservatives claim it with pride.
The truth is, YES, the word “God” is used in the 12 steps and in AA approved literature. YES, people make reference to God when they speak and share in meetings. And, YES, some members of Alcoholics Anonymous are church-going, God-believing people. However, there is no requirement to be Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, or anything else.
The label of “God” has an understood implication of a higher being. The same way that a friend may ask for a “Kleenex” when it may actually be Puffs. Or they way a friend will ask for “Chapstick” when it could be Blistex, Carmex, or Burt’s Bees. Everyone says “Chapstick”, and everyone knows what is implied.
It has been suggested that “spirituality” is generally used to describe a liberal religiosity, which stresses individual autonomy and choice, while “religion” is often used to describe a more conservative religiosity, which stresses conformity to a collective norm. And so, if one is a liberal, “religion” has a negative connotation, while conservatives claim it with pride.
The truth is, YES, the word “God” is used in the 12 steps and in AA approved literature. YES, people make reference to God when they speak and share in meetings. And, YES, some members of Alcoholics Anonymous are church-going, God-believing people. However, there is no requirement to be Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, or anything else.
The label of “God” has an understood implication of a higher being. The same way that a friend may ask for a “Kleenex” when it may actually be Puffs. Or they way a friend will ask for “Chapstick” when it could be Blistex, Carmex, or Burt’s Bees. Everyone says “Chapstick”, and everyone knows what is implied.
Alcoholics Anonymous does not have a rigid, published “Theology” as such. Much of the talk you will hear in AA circles is based upon the co-founder Bill Wilson’s (known as “Bill W.”) spiritual journey. The beginning of Bill W.’s experiences can be found in pages 9-15 of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (The “Big Book”) The 12 steps are adamant about God “As we understand Him”. AA does not attempt to force their concept of God upon anyone else. The newcomer to AA will hear about how Bill W. found God, and how the other members came to believe, and hopefully, they will find a way to connect with God, themselves.
AA is not a religion It is a spiritual program. In a religion you do certain things or act certain ways to gain God’s favor. But AA is a growing relationship between you and God (See the twelve steps. You will not hear in AA that you have to act a certain way. Though people will make suggestions that work for themselves.
There are people from all faiths in AA. Most that I’ve met are Christians. But I’m sure in other parts of the world, the ratios are markedly different. Just like in other walks of life, some are more active and zealous than others. There are also many who have made AA their God. One guy I know has remained atheist. As far as I know, he’s been sober over five years.
AA believes “come as you are” Even a rough concept of God (God as you understand Him) will be sufficient starting place. AA does not ask you to believe in God in the same way that they do. But most would agree that the program is based upon Biblical principles.
You’ll usually not hear the name of Jesus much in AA, but He is there in many members’ minds. The idea of the nameless “Higher power” is to draw people who have pre-conceived notions about God into the fellowship without scaring them off. A lot of people had bad experiences in sanctimonious churches and think the experiences are from God. Sad, but a fact of life.
AA is not intended to save your soul. I’ve heard it said many times, “Jesus saved my soul, but AA saved my skin”. And it is true. If going to church by itself could keep a person sober, AA would never have had to form. Because most people went to church in the 1930s and before. And low-bottom alcoholics had virtually no hope of staying sober before AA.
AA’s spiritual principles are almost without exception, straight out of the Bible — focused on the areas that the alcoholic tends to lack. You can hear the spiritual principles here and there if you go to church often enough, but never cohesively enough to stick well enough to form a program in a person’s mind. Especially a mind pickled by alcohol.
The organization AA was the first program focused specifically on treating addiction, and complete abstinence from alcohol was the cornerstone of the approach. And so as such, abstinence has a long history of being an entrenched concept required for recovery.
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