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Originally Posted by 2B/-2B
Hello yagr.
Interesting post.
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Hi 2B/-2B; interesting nick.
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Originally Posted by 2B/-2B
I found that many atheists do use the Group Of Drunks acronym in Step 3, when they are willing to follow the suggested things by AA as a whole.
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Sincerely, far be it for me to argue with success. If it works, don't fix it. For me, I found it difficult to say, 'turn my will and life over to a group of drunks'. I tried. Once when the basket went around, I put all my bills in that I had no way to pay, and had been told to 'ask God'. That was my way of asking G.O.D. Didn't work.
Frankly, there are many suggestions to which the acronym didn't work for me. I asked the group for Their protection and care with complete abandon, but as you probably guessed, I was directed back to a Higher Power than the group.
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Originally Posted by 2B/-2B
This is usually done through the aid of all those AA approved literature, a healthy Home Group with older sober members, and sponsorship. I can see that you have reached a good length of sobriety - congratulations for trusting (faith) in the AA program and anything else that helped you to stay sober.
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Thank you.
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Originally Posted by 2B/-2B
Also, some recovering alcoholics understand God to be Truth. Honesty fits into the Truth category extremely well. It worked for me for over 27 years. To me, Truth, a far deeper truth than what we see on the surface, is the only reality. It has to be, because whatever is not true is a deception of sorts. AA has eluded to this in the big book when they wrote about Step 4. In their list (p.65), in the far right column, they bracketed (fear) with every resentment. Fear is an example of a deeper truth.
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I came to AA for salvation from alcoholism, but not to be converted from my religion. This was why I explained that some mental gymnastics were needed. In my case, I had to go from an anthropomorphic god to things like truth. In the beginning, I was incapable of making the leap - in fact, as I just shared above, I was incapable of controlling my bodily functions. I just kept coming back.
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Originally Posted by 2B/-2B
It is these truths (levels of self-honesty) that has led me to discover other truths such a unconditional love - the expression of truth. Truth is reliable, eternal, sets us free, doubtless, available, gentle (truth does not hurt, what hurts is our ego squirming), and other characteristics of truth and love. Truth and love are actually the same thing, one is the greater reality, the other expresses it. In my honest opinion.
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I think that our respective journeys have brought us to a place that is not so very far apart.