The word “God” does not make a religion

early A religion is a set of common beliefs about the “god” or “gods” adhered to in principle by its member and stated as such. This is not the case with 12 step fellowships.

The biggest confusion with 12 step fellowships is the GOD word.

With good reason - and not the fault of the Fellowship

The first 12 step fellowship grew out of a back-to-basics home church Christian Movement in the 1930s. So a lot of the early writings of Alcoholics Anonymous were framed in the thinking and language of around a century ago. It can be argued that in changing the phrase “Almighty God” to “God as we understood him” (to accommodate an early atheist member who was staying sober) was a hugely radical move for that time - and opened the way for personal concepts of what the word meant. In 1965, the writer of those words shared his updated thoughts - that members should have the liberty “to practice any creed or principle or therapy” they choose as their “god”. (1)

Many of the people, who joined AA in those first decades and stayed, were raised in a religious era when most Christian families went Sunday School and Church. In the Christian society of the time, the patriarchal “God” was accepted by many without any serious thought or debate.

”An old bloke with a grey beard floating above the sky,” as depicted by Michelangelo, was most Christians’ conception of God. And also atheists that use that concept to say there is no god.

Of course, in this day and age, such a concept is ridiculous to the rational mind - having seen the images of the universe, having astronauts go to the moon without bumping into that “God”, having biblical scholars, historians, scientists and others challenge the factual nature of religious texts, having watched Stars Wars with a concept of “God” as a force not a human - many influences in the last decades have challenged religions, and especially the Christian one.

All this of course does not eliminate the fact that humans are a species that ask questions, look for “meaning” and use symbols to make sense of what we find. In fact, reading texts with symbolic interruptions often brings to light their inner or “spiritual” meaning. Psychologist Edinger takes a similar approach to the Fairy Tales. (2)

Who are we? How come we are on this rock spinning through space etc? Why do we have to die? What happens after we die?

Religions tried to answer those questions with the concepts available to them at the time.

However where are we today?

One of the newer 12 Step Programs uses the phrase “God as we understood God” (3) and replaces the word “Him” with God leaving the understanding of the word “God” strictly to the person who wishes to use it.

Australia being a more more secular society has developed an array of ways to explain the “God” word.
GOD = Group of Drunks.
GOD = Good Orderly Direction
GOD = Gift Of Desperation
GOD = Great Out Doors

Whatever the actual truth, the reality is that 12 Step fellowship are communities of people who care about each other and themselves and are willing to support each other - without any financial recompense. A community bond by “love” if that is not too old-fashioned a word.

Recent years have seen the emergence of so-called “secular” meetings to highlight those members with non-traditional concepts of the “god” word.

Does this mean a split in AA? Hopefully not. It indicates that AA from its beginning was open to non-religious views of the concept of “god” and that newer members are embracing the “spiritual” nature of the program, without the indoctrination of previous members’ views.

AA is not a temperance society. It is not religious. It is not a formal organisation in the ordinary sense of the word.

Alcoholics Anonymous’ remarkable growth is undeniable and worth serious consideration. Too often it has been judged for what it is not - rather than for what it says it is and actually is - a group of drunks supporting each other to stay away from one drink one day at a time.

If you have issues with abstinence, it’s worth examining why that is so.

Reference

(1) “As A.A. co-founder Bill W. wrote in 1965:

We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture and religion. In A.A. we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a common suffering. Consequently, the full individual liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy whatever should be a first consideration for us all. Let us not, therefore, pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. 

Let us instead accord each other the respect and love that is due to every human being as he tries to make his way toward the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive; let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of A.A., so long as he or she declares.”

The God Word AA Pamphlett - page 6.

(2) Ego and Archetype Edward Edinger Penguin Books

(3) Workaholics Anonymous - Twelve-Step Recovery community.