On Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:37:20 -0800, Tim Bruening
<tsbrueni@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:

>
>
>JoeRaisin wrote:
>
>> Tim Bruening wrote:
>> > 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?
>>
>> If you are still discussing your friend's wife, you hadn't mentioned
>> before that she was attending court ordered AA. I suggest that she find
>> a sponsor who is also an atheist or at least agnostic.
>
>She is not an atheist. I was merely asking how atheists would handle the AA
>admonition to "turn to a higher power", since they don't believe in higher
>powers!
>

A higher power or a greater power doesn't have to be a *god*.

>She was indeed court ordered to go to at least 2 AA meetings a week after
>biting her husband's hand. However, she has begun going to AA meetings daily.