"Tim Bruening" <tsbrueni@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote in message
news:47A6EE9A.6A863357@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us...
> According to the 12 steps advocated by Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholics
> are supposed to turn to God/A higher power for help in overcoming
> alcoholism. Alcoholics are to believe that a higher power can restore
> them to sanity, turn their wills and lives over to God, admit to God the
> exact nature of their wrongs, ask God to remove their shortcomings, and
> seek through prayer and meditation to improve their conscious contact
> with God.
>
> If an alcoholic happens to be an atheist, how would he apply the 12
> Steps?
>
> If an alcoholic atheist is COURT ORDERED to attend AA meetings, would
> this constitute an infringement on their First Amendment right to
> freedom of religion?

You need to do what all Christians do.

You need to (pretend) that a God exists.

It doesn't matter whether God is or isn't, just (try to believe) that there
is a God, no matter how ridiculous it seems.

If you are cured of alcoholism and God wasn't real then who cares if God is
imaginary?