AA Question?

Question

Should someone who is an atheist be court ordered to attend AA meetings? If you've ever been to one you know about the higher power and the serinity prayer and can understand what I'm talking about. I know that the higher power might be something different to everyone but I just don't think it is right to make someone go when they don't believe in that kinda thing. how do you feel?

Answer 1

The Second and Seventh District Courts, The New York Court of Appeals, and the Tennessee Supreme Court all agree with you; so do I. They have all ruled that AA is at least "religious in nature" and mandated attendance violates the Establishment Clause. The Supreme Court of the United States has refused to hear an appeal of those cases, and while it doesn't make it the law of the land, they have let those decisions stand. It also violates AA's Tradition of "attraction, rather than promotion".

I'm an atheist; I was never court ordered, but I was coerced into attending in order to receive help for clinical depression. I found the experience not only unhelpful, but damaging.

People in AA claim that the program is "spiritual, not religious", but the Big Book states that "Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God" (pg. 77).

It would be immoral to force someone into a religious program even if it did work, but it doesn't. AA has a 5% success rate, the same as no treatment at all. AND the Brandsma study showed that people exposed to AA were four times as likely to end up binge drinking as people who attempted quitting on their own. Probably the largest and longest study of AA effectiveness was run by George Vaillant, Harvard researcher and a member of AA's Board of Trustees, attempting to prove AA works. In 1983, he published his book "The Natural History of Alcoholism: Causes, Patterns, and Paths to Recovery", where he stated about the study, "Not only had we failed to alter the natural history of alcoholism, but our death rate of three percent a year was appalling."

So why is AA pushed as a recovery method? Politicians love it because it gives the ILLUSION that something is being done without costing a great deal of money. Other methods have proved more effective:
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm

Answer 2

I had a big fight with my friend about that a number of years ago (she's in NA). She was trying to get me to go and I said I had an issue with that part of it. A lot of the people there are atheist or just non believers and apparently a lot of people just say the 'higher power' is just something bigger than themselves. Meaning, it's just something they don't understand. It doesn't literally need to be a controlling power. The people I know go because they want to go. It's more for the support rather than the 'higher power' rule.

I realized I don't care about that anymore and I'm going to AA now. I haven't had a drinking problem in years and my friend is now taking me to meetings because she thinks it will help with my depression. I'll try anything that helps me, who cares if some people there believe in an actual higher power.

Answer 3

I am an anarchist, so I don't believe a court should have the power to send anyone anywhere for anything.

But, that being said; I am also an ex-Christian who became sober and became a Buddhist as a result of AA.

The key to understanding AA is the concept of acceptance--not a belief in a higher power.

If belief in a higher power were requisite to getting sober; then the churches would be curing drunks daily. They aren't. Getting and staying sober requires becoming "comfortable in your own skin", as they say.

So, if you can get someone to go to meetings as one of their necessary short-term crutchs, while they start to accept and re-love themselves--its probably worth having to listen to some AA "true believers".

Best Wishes

Answer 4

I don't believe so. I don't think anyone should be court ordered to AA. I used to attend AA, and stopped because of so much bull in the meetings. But, it does help a lot of people, even though I didn't like it. But, I met an Atheist in AA and he said that a telephone pole was his higher power. He said that the telephone pole he hit while driving drunk was obviously more powerful than he was. As far as the praying goes, as a Christian, I don't like praying with non believers. Because in my faith, Jesus said to not be unequally yoked together with non believers. So, I would just stand in silence whenever the praying started. They claim that they (AA) don't subscribe to any particular religion, then ask you to pray the way Jesus taught. It's hypocrisy, in my opinion. Peace.

Answer 5

Probably not, but since it's a FREE "service" in the communities that have meetings, you would be helping YOURSELF out of a jam & learning how the minds of other people work...or don't work, in many cases! You will learn that after years of drinking, some people should have stayed drunk & been happy, while others just should have stayed home! The entire program is just one big test of a persons inner strength & you can eliminate GOD if you choose to & NO ONE in the group has the right to take your "inventory" & tell you that you must accept GOD. You only must accept LIFE on LIFE'S TERMS. The rest is just a bunch of friggin' control freaks that are mostly con artists from abusive backgrounds. Don't believe the hype. God is used as their money ticket for funding & community relations. Other than that, since we ALL must co-exist in our communites, then look at AA as a way of gaining social skills with people who you will probably NEVER choose as your friends, but as people that you will come into contact with for the rest of your life & in the future, this could help you to avoid situations that could get you into trouble with alcohol, drugs, or people! AA is designed to help people make better choices for themselves. Unfortunately, the people in these groups can be a challenge to deal with. Go to different groups until you feel a sense of acceptance or until you stumble upon one that just has really great coffee! It's NOT all good & in some form or another, you (the goer) must find your own balance by a process of elimination!

Answer 6

I am an atheist. Its a belief, not a problem. You may think so, but thats because your religion has blinded you from the truth. If you were true to your religion, then that would lead you to be positive against others beliefs and not have anything bad to say about them. It's only right to send someone to AA if they truely have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Let them make the choice of accepting "god" or a higher power in their life.

Answer 7

Going to AA, whether voluntarily or by court order, does not mean that one HAS to believe in God.

So, atheists who commit the crime of drunk driving need not feel persecuted.

I've never been a "friend of Bill W." myself, but I used to have a boyfriend who went to AA. I went to several meetings with him.

So, I know that one does not have to say the "serenity prayer" at AA meetings. One does not have to believe in God according to a certain religious denomination. One only has to want to stay sober day by day.

If you're an atheist and you really feel uncomfortable going to AA meetings where people might talk about God, I have an easy method of prevention -- don't drive drunk.

.

.

Answer 8

If the atheist was court-ordered to attend, then the court could be the "higher power".

Answer 9

no longer precisely particular what you're in seek of for right here. Does AA help human beings stop eating? perhaps, however the project often isn't combating. it incredibly is as quickly as you stop, no longer beginning back. maximum individuals that pass to AA won't stay sober from their first assembly. no one disagrees on that. many individuals that attend AA will gain an prolonged era of sobriety ultimately, yet as a count of actuality that maximum alcoholics are going to die of their affliction. Grim yet actual. you're ideal. the sole requirement for club into AA is a choose to stop eating. you would be as plenty a member of AA in case you're at present under the impact of alcohol and have booze on your breath because of the fact the guy with 20 years of non-stop sobriety. the project is that in case you opt for to be a SOBER member of AA with some degree of comfortability on your existence, you will opt for a sponsor. all and sundry tries it first with out sponsor. in case you would be able to desire to do it with out sponsor, maximum might. The God element is as much as the guy. lots of longtime sober contributors that are atheist and agnostic. lots of employer believers in God that get under the impact of alcohol. the situation is are you able to ask for and settle for help with out telling human beings how they ought to provide help to. edit to Ruth: AA truthfully does no longer have an anti-psychiatry stance. manhattan vital workplace is continuously attempting to tell individuals that they are entitled to their opinion, yet they are able to additionally actually kill human beings whilst the 2d wager a doctor. it incredibly is actual that there are AA contributors that are biased against Psychiatry and prescribed drugs. yet they're expressing their very own opinion. for my section they'd desire to maintain their super fat mouths close.

Answer 10

I do not think so. The 'cure' rate for AA is actually no different than non-AA, either.