“In January of this year the discrimination against agnostic groups by Intergroup in the Toronto area ended as a result of a settlement mediated by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. In the very next Intergroup Newsletter, called Better Times, this candid history of one of the previously excluded groups was published. Imagine that (Original aaagnostica.com article).”
Though Recovery Farmhouse writers do not advocate any certain Higher Power we do advocate sharing what works for you and us to stay sober. Clearly Bill W. and the Big Book make clear no certain Higher Power is required by AA. Where? “The only requirement for membership is a desire to stay sober.” Granted in the BB Bill writes that the purpose of this book is
for you to find a power greater than yourself in “We Agnostics” ” Well, that’s exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem.” WE AGNOSTICS
So how does finding a higher power line up with the agnostics way of keeping the god thing away from their recovery? Well, I was told by a friend in AA that often people use the group as their High Power. And surely a group of alcoholics are not “god”. So if you’re having trouble accepting other people are different in their beliefs or are having trouble with the “god” thing you could start there. And be sure to find an open minded sponsor who knows how to incorporate atheism and agnostic belief systems into 12 step programs to give yourself a fair and honest chance of staying sober.
To hell with religious status quos and other people’s expectations of our own truth. It is no one’s business to make carbon copies of themselves in A.A. By the same token if we neglect Step eleven… well put it this way Step eleven creates open minds, enlightenment, and fulfillment. Without it it’s not the 12 steps of AA. Just replace “god” with “higher power”. I really don’t think labels are an issue with any higher power. But rather if we seek with our heart we will find spiritual answers and receive revelation of soul and spirit. On topic articles: A higher power experience & Step eleven https://www.recoveryfarmhouse.net/choose-higher-power/
Even though most people in early recovery do well to shut down their pre-conceived notions and prior useless principles due to where their misguided truths have gotten them we at RFH still believe strongly in the principle of redefining and expression of one’s own truths in recovery. Sharing those truths is part of emotional growth. We reject negative and colossally untrue AA dogma(common beliefs that contradict the Big Book).
We at RFH respect AA agnostics organization for what they have accomplished by their own right. They have broken free of the status quos in AA that so rampantly make sheep and followers of so many. We are not a cult by god! Apostle Paul said “where there are three or more witnesses a thing is established as truth (2nd Cor.13) .” He was right. But he may have said this as well “by three or more witnesses a lie is believed as truth” and it would have been no less correct.
Common sense tells us most bullshit gets repeated by many witnesses and even witnesses of high status and power. The worst discriminations and lies in AA are usually passed by people who merely parrot what they have heard in meetings that sounded good and especially that make the sayer look good. Some AAers believe having years of sobriety is synonymous with being honest and knowing the Big Book. AA jargon is by no means true until you line it up with the Big Book. And even then…not everything that came out of the psyche of Bill Wilson and the crew of alcoholics was gospel….was it?
This post is for you http://aaagnostica.org/2017/03/09/beyond-belief-agnostics-and-freethinkers/ and lets see who is behind the creation of this free thinking website.
Best way to get info on any website is by going to, WHOISICANN.ORG.
Looks like aaagnostica.com is using a proxy server so we can’t identify who is in charge of the website by this info.
So let’s see what their “about us” page says http://aaagnostica.org/about-us/
Oh well typical AA strictly anonymous. The only way to really find out who runs things is to sift through the articles. There is a guy named Roger C who writes many of them. I also found an article about psychodelics titled “Psychedelics in Addiction Treatment” with subtitle “note from the editor Chris G which could be the website’s founder, not sure. The following article is very informative: http://aaagnostica.org/a-history-of-agnostic-groups-in-aa/ . Here’s a little more info: https://www.pgdf.org/finding-treatment/mutual-help-groups/aa-agnostica/