Religion and recovery. Is anyone else struggling with the fact that religion has absolutely nothing to do with recovery??? I respect everyone’s religious beliefs as long as they respect mine…
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Yes, that's one of the main reasons I'm avoiding AA. It's a bit lonely being an atheist that's abstaining.
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Yeah the whole religion and god thing in aa can be a little much at times but everyone is pretty understanding. Your higher power can be anything you want they will tell you but it all comes back to the Bible. All their stuff is basically straight out of the Bible, just worded differently. The fellowship of aa and just being around other alcoholics is a good thing and I practice a lot of what I heard and learned in aa in my sobriety but in the end, when I was finally done-done and quit I hadn’t been to an aa meeting in years. They will tell you that if you just quit without doing all the steps and so on that you will be just a “dry” drunk and you may be sober but you will be miserable and never happy! Well that’s horse manure. I’m extremely happy. You just have to be ready and get whatever support you can from wherever you can that works for YOU! But I do think that early on in trying to keep from picking up that aa is a tremendous help. But with our believing in god you will never complete all the steps. Which wasn’t necessary for me! Reach out anytime if you want insight on things I did to help me! One day at a time is universal! Best wishes! 
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Rather than go back and forth about the 12 step programs and the old spiritual vs religious debate, how about trying Secular AA, or one of the other recovery programs? Google AA secular. It’s basically the same program with a few word changes to help those that are having trouble with the religious undertones. They have meetings and work the 12 steps.
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You can use whatever you want as a higher power...nature, your support group it's not religious at all in fact there is a whole chapter in the big book dedicated to just that subject alone. We just have to be honest open and willing to get sober.
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What if your high power is yourself… other than that I don’t believe in one.
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Well all I know is that I can't fix my messed up thinking with my own messed up thinking. You can choose a doorknob if it works for you. Are you a scientist? Believe in nature? Even your support group could be considered it.
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It'd be a longer conversation than this of course. I just want you to have peace and succeed. You could try Rational Recovery or SMART recovery. Those work for many people as well. 
Being our own higher power is what got is drunk to begin with.
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The way I choose to interpret things is that my HP is connected to my conscious and/or in my gut. I know right from wrong. I know it in my gut when I’m doing something wrong. My problem, or disease lives in my subconscious, my ego. For me, my self will, my needs, my wants and desires are where the problem lies. I want what I want when I want it. My self will is no match for my addiction. If I don’t find a way to tap into the power of my consciousness, I’m a goner. My disease is cunning, baffling and powerful! It effects my thinking! It will bypass my consciousness with lies, deceptions, and delusions. It’ll tell me that I can have that drink, even though I know darn well the destruction and pain that comes with it. I need a daily program of recovery to keep me mindful that I have a power greater in me to quiet my self will. I do this with prayer and meditation, meetings, reading recovery oriented literature, talking and helping other alcoholics/addicts etc. My disease wants to keep my consciousness/HP quiet. What better way can it do this than by numbing it with alcohol and substances!! Maybe you can tie in your HP with your conscious. I look at as though I was born with a part of my HPin me.
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Dan atheist here! No AA for me. I agree Chelsea. I’m having a hard time finding something else that doesn’t involve religion.
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That struggle is real for many. Secular aa is good. I've been to one meeting and it was different. It might be a good fit for you. Good luck on your journy
Chelsea I think I believe this too. That ultimately it’s up to me to get through this. I can even surrender all day long but in the end the choices I make are going to get me through. I know I have to do certain things like go to a therapist, read books, be super active, exercise, go to that pickleball clinic, go to that yoga session, buy a ton of seltzer. No higher power is doing any of the real stuff for me. And I don’t think that I am powerless. I think finding that I am actually powerful is what is going to get me through that I can do this.
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Have you checked out “Smart Recovery”?
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Recovery encourages spirituality and a higher power that could be whomever or whatever you recognize as a power greater than yourself. It could be your sober support group whatever you derive inspiration, and motivation and strength from.
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I don’t follow a religion and I’m not saying other people shouldn’t but I think whatever works for you is good enough don’t let people try to change your way in recovering everyone is different
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Read or listen to Russell Brand “Recovery” you might get more out of it and his ideas.
Oh and refuge recovery for a different point of view to work too
It can be hard sometimes to acknowledge that we are not the ultimate pinnacle of strength. If we were we wouldn't be addicts. Total transparency I am a conservative evangelical Christian but I get why some might have issue. We are told so many things that contradict each other that is can completely destroy any idea of faith. That said it is important to find something greater than we are. The reason is if there is nothing greater than what help is there for us? What hope? Our own power got us in this mess and if it could get us out then we wouldn't be here. I've seen a lot of people who have Group Of Drunks as their higher power. They acknowledge the wisdom of the group is more than they have.
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For anyone who reads my post, I probably sound like a broken record. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS A DISIRE TO STOP everything else is up to you. Don’t let the higher power part of AA keep you from the fellowship.
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