I've read the book a couple times. And MAYBE it's not REALLY religious, but, it is. The only people who say it's not religious are people are are religious or at least not opposed to the religions of their fathers.
Taylor, I think you are confusing religion with spirituality here. No judgement here, but in reading your comments, you seem a bit prejudiced to an idea of religion that may have been forced upon you earlier in life. AA is a SPIRITUAL program. The term God (as we understand Him) is used, but not as any specific idea of God. It is built on SPIRITUAL principles, not specific to any RELIGION. All the program asks is that you open your mind to an IDEA of a power greater than ourselves. AA won’t work for anyone not willing to admit that their own self will and bondage of self has landed them where they are… 
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I think that many people show up at meetings but are deep in the rebellious phase of their disease. They have not completely surrendered yet; They still think they can do it their way, and they sure aren’t gonna follow a ‘program’ - where everyone follows “the herd”. A lot of these people also rebel against the concept of a HP. Oh no - scary! Their parents (source of all problems!) believed in the traditional HP….and made them do to church when they were children (how dare they!). It’s really just mental roadblocks poised by the disease.
I was one of these peoples - Who thought they were smarter than a program that has helped millions of people worldwide. Who Always had an excuse for not joining people in the program who invited me to do some fellowship after a meeting. Who had to be brought to his knees in desperation because life was so unmanageable.
I am fortunate to have always had a healthy traditional concept of HP. I have seen too many miracles in my own life that were unexplainable. I can say that I have heard Many people with 20+ years of recovery share their experiences - and every one of them had a strong and healthy relationship with a traditional HP. Fact.
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If you aren’t working the suggested program of recovery (and this is not a program of suggestions but one entire suggested program) in the first 164 pages then you are correct that you are finding another solution to your alcohol problem…the clear cut instructions to the program ask me in the second step if I’m willing to believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity…if the second step is incomplete you may as well try things your way…I was as desperate as the dying could be and definitely anti-religious…if AA indeed was religious I would have been gone a long time ago…it isn’t religious…and people that say that it is haven’t read the first 164 pages and done everything that the program asks them to do…the program itself doesn’t work…unless you work it…I wish you luck on your journey…you are going to need it…
I have read the first 164 pages, twice in 9 months and my experience in all the meetings I attend (no less that 6 a week) is that it is still a religious-ish program, some meetings more than others. FFS one of the meetings here in Cleveland is called The God Squad.
I'm not gonna argue on Brian's post about this, if you wanna battle, find one of my many posts regarding the subject and we can talk about it there.
Don't question my program.
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I’m sorry you’ve got the religious bent of AA in Cleveland…it would annoy me too
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True, but the identification stories I hear from NA members scare the daylights out of me and I do not relate. If it was allowed in AA meetings, I wouldn’t go.
I am sorry you feel that way.