Just the other day I was reading in "As Bill See's it"... a brief blurb from Bill about the 3rd step and Atheists...and how in AA's beginnings the bar was set rather low.. for anyone with a drinking problem and I couldn't agree more... It sought of communicated to me a visual smile because I think those who do in fact come in with reservations about God, mentioned particularly in our steps and literature...those who are in fact serious about sobriety generally change their ideas... How it works opens up "Rarely have we seen a person who has thoroughly followed our path.
I know in my own experience..if anyone asked me if I was an Atheist...I would have probably said Who me an Atheist?.my reply would have been of course not, I was brought up a Catholic...The sad part of Alcoholism as I look back on my active illness that's precisely what I was, in fact, a full blown Atheist a product of Self Will Run Riot...I FORGOT about God..God had nothing to do in my life..It was an intellectual concept given little regard as a sick alcoholic. What's the difference if I SAY i'm an atheist..or not SAY i'm an Atheist but act as an Atheist? really no different.
That was what my SPIRITUAL AWAKENING was all about..I was told.."just keep on coming back"
Yesterday when I read that post about that young lady Atheist recovering Alcoholic... who wrote a book I had really 2 reactions..The first is that it can't hurt, her book might help those who would stay away come in the doors...and give them the opportunity for the program to work it's magic....Bill and the early founders understtod that and so do I.... There needs to be a spiritual awakening...I thought that young lady irrespective of her 12 years is still in the phase ...Keep on coming and "Fake it till you make it".
AA was very much my higher power..The meetings and the people opened up my heart...and That's where God is.."If there is no GOD...There is no LOVE..and there is no connection with others... one is really just EXISTING...and that's what I did for 15 years in the program..AA meetings kept me spiritually alive. I even tried going to church "every day"..It was rediculous...I knew more about God and spirituality than the priest..but it never reached my heart..I stopped going
The historical mythology I learned as a kid with a catacism through even my college years in theology was silly.."How could Jesus assend into Heaven...If he travelled the spped of light..he would not even be out of the galexy in 2000 years...and virgin birth...silly...The only gospel that it appeared was in Luke because he was Greek...This was quite the common them in Greek mythology..No the clergy were full of the fantastic..I was well beyond that stuff
Religion started 30,000 years ago when man was grateful to the animal master for providing food. Animals gave their life so man could live...and later in planting societies...mother earth gave her abundance..the seed died so the wheat and corn bloom so man could live...god was now a goddess.later the hunting societies..conquered the planting societies..and God became a he again
The old testerment has only been around,for 6000 years...written in the Levant...The Bible is rediculous..Moses supposedly was given ten commandments to live by...the 5th said though shall not kill...So what did they do...Those who presumerably so devout to these principles turned around and killed the Caananites..The old Testament in my opinion did more harm to people than good..."I could go on more and more about this but you I hope get the point. Then in a time of political turmoil...what evolved, known as Christianity was the new Testament...4 volumes written by 4 individuals who had no first hand knowledge of an individual called Jesus..did you know that there was this guy named Herod who in one weekend crucified 800 people..for his own amusement....abusing people and indiscriminant killing was common place..
Did Jesus exist?.. There was this guy named Paul, a Greek who had a more EDUCATED understanding of things in the abstract..He talked about the preachings of this guy...What made sense to me...is that this guy said "The moral code is written on man's hearts...To me that meant we are all connected...That the journey is not outside it is within.
Then you have the great NON -EVENT...Jesus said to his apostles the world coming to an end before this generation ends...Of course it never did..both Judaism and Christianity weak interpretation"The generation of man"..lot of balony.
NO...The Gospel of Thomas explains it...Jesus said the Kingdom of God is here..yet men do not see it..."It's right here and now there won't be a cataclism with a second coming..tended to as what hte Jewish faith believes of the second coming introduced by 144,000 Jews rediculous..
The Kingdom of God is right here and now...One needs only to turn inward...God is there..Young lady atheist. The Dalai Lama has a pretty good handle on it..He said the essence of spirituality is just being a nice guy..or I guess extended to a nice gal...there is a lot of substance to that simple statement..The mind and spirit are slow to learn this meditation but keep on practicing..
They say there are no atheists in foxholes..They are right...When I hear some person profess they are atheist...I sought of check them out...Did they experience in life anything more than a bad hair day...or did they have the experience like me of coming to terms..several times..."I'm going to die but I think I did the best that I could with what I had to work with.. that coming from the heart...THAT'S WHEN GOD SHOWS HIMSELF>>>THAT"S when the hand of god reaches out and touches you...Simply stated..that's my experience...I know God exists because I felt his touch....More than once. I've been sober now over 40 years..and I hope this might help particularly the fence sitters. Oh I'm not old at 72 just wise...did you know that 80% of the US population cannot do one pull up or chin up on a bar...I can do 8 just in the course of my physical work outs.God I feel wants me to keep my body in shape like my mind and spirit and pass on on these lessons.. I'm happy and peaceful and trust God (most of the time).Young lady Atheist..Keep on coming back...God Loves You.
I wrote this not to preach to the choir, what you do or believe is your business, or certainly not to convert souls, that's not my business or profession, but merely to pass on my experience, my respective evolution to a belief in God. There is no controversy, that's my job, to impart my beliefs, to save my own butt.. What i related is my experience and my reaction to someone who has a lot to learn about God.
I liked what The Dalai Lami said... "Just be a nice guy"...that's enough for me... I think that this Pope Francis...He seems like a nice guy too.
My Sobriety is contingent on my Spiritual Well Being just for Today
Nice post Amigo. I have ended up with similar experience though I lack your religious knowledge.
A lot might hang on what is meant by the word God. AA stresses it is your own conception, anything is ok as long as it makes sense to you. I have ended up using the word god quite a lot, but I have managed to seperate the word from the narrow Christian definition that many object to, and use it as a convenient way to describe what I mean as a power greater than me. I just cant think of a better word at the moment. I guess I began with conscience, (not that reliable at the start) added the group and a sponsor, then as I worked through the steps I began having my own personal experiences which I now identify with the God of my understanding.
Prejudice and ignorance were prominent parts of my make up when I came in, so I am very grateful I was able to keep enough of an open mind to allow the AA experience to happen for me. In my case, I really believe belligerent denial would have been fatal.
Mahalo Amigo that share is right out of my own experiences which both as a young catholic male and a long time member of AA. Theologist and more in service to that religion. Today I have the same understanding as you have and my understanding of God has taken on the realities of my Hawaiian culture. I am not atheist and I am not Christian. Our disease is over 6000 years old and my belief is therefore we have become altered from birth. I understand my alcoholism from birth and my family of origin. I understand by mother arguing with my grandmother attempting to get her to not give her grandchildren the cultural wine. I got turned on that day and the program helped turn me off. Mahalo Akua...Thank you God.
