On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 19:08:11 -0500, "Moonraker" <notnow@noway.nev>
wrote:

>"Blue Moon" <mfoco@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:2f8fde0538448ebaeda14ec6e488394d@news.terane ws.com...
>> >Apparently, it's a lot easier for athiests to address alcoholism.
>>
>> As an agnostic I demonstrably found it much more straightforward than
>> most religious newcomers I encounter.
>>
>
>Really?
>
>I'd be interested in you expanding on this, please.
>
>Living in the Bible belt, I see the opposite. Demographics, I guess?

One of the first times I realised that perhaps religion had little to
do with alcoholic recovery was when I encountered someone in an AA
meeting who had been struggling for some time. He referred to
attending church. Seemed to be in the mindset almost of "God will do
for me what I won't do for myself". Last I heard of him was when the
police helicopters were out hunting him to return him to the local
mental institution.

I once sponsored a guy who was an active member of the Church of
Scotland. He also was unwilling to do what was suggested. He
approached me because he was struggling to work Step 4. He then
decided to do Step 4 his own way, perhaps with some kind of Hazelden
guide. He was also mentally locked into some treatment centre, so was
pretty much hooked up on Step 1. I just let go - I can't show anyone
what I've not done. The last I saw him, he said he'd done "half" of
Step 5. I guess he just left out those bits that need to not be left
out. "Half measures availed us nothing".

In my observations generally, it seems that those who are agnostically
inclined seem more able to be open-minded about the Higher Power
concept. "Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the
result was nil until we let go absolutely" could apply just as much
with old notions about "God" as anything else. Others struggle and
seem to get stuck at Step 2 because they THINK they've not developed
enough belief in "God" to recover, so are unwilling to take the
necessary actions.

Seems to me there's a bit missing from the book, which would read "God
will not do for us what we can do for ourselves". I think in AA's
pioneering days that was a given - there was far more emphasis on the
actions, thus a far higher success rate.

--
Blue Moon