How do you get past the 6th and 7th steps (Were entirely ready to have our higher power remove all these defects of character & Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.) if your higher power is a door knob?
2007-01-13 13:59:00 · 9 answers · asked by Militant Agnostic 6 in Health ➔ Mental Health
I'm not currently in AA - I just am asking a hypothetical question. They always say in AA meetings that you can use anything as your higher power, even a door knob. Just curious if that works.
2007-01-13 14:15:08 · update #1
AA tells people to choose a "higher power" such as a door knob, knowing that it doesn't make sense. It's a starter God to get the person into the habit of prayer.
When things start changing in the person's life after quitting drinking, they are then supposed to believe that the prayer did it and discover that their Higher Power is God (same as everyone else in the rooms). This practice is touched on in the Big Book and explained more fully in the 12 & 12.
This is one of the many "bait & switch" methods used by AA.
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-bait-switch.html
AA is basically spiritual healing and did not work for me. The first step of admitting powerlessness over alcohol (along with the genetic and disease theories) gave me an excuse to continue drinking. It wasn't until I took responsibility for my addiction and my recovery that I was able to stay sober. (5 & 1/2 years now)
2007-01-14 04:15:04 · answer #1 · answered by raysny 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The concept behind using a door knob as your higher power is really a figure of speech. The idea is to get the newly recovering alcoholic to believe in something greater than himself. This is only a beginning. By the time someone sticks around AA and on a spiritual path of recovery long enough to get to the 6th and 7th step, then chances are he is on his way to a spiritual awakening and no longer believes in using a doorknob.
2007-01-13 16:06:04 · answer #2 · answered by spiritualjourneyseeker 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am sorry but I do not believe your higher power can be a door knob. I know people in the meeting tell you your higher power can be whatever you want it to be but it can not be something that is more powerless than you. If your higher power is a door knob and I come along and rip the door knob off does that make me your higher power since I overpowered it??? Try to find something that is more powerful than you to be your higher power.
2007-01-13 14:14:22 · answer #3 · answered by TXButterfly 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am a recovering alcoholic. I went to two "AA" meetings but I do not accept a higher power so I quit and did it myself. I have not had a drink since 1979. Nobody needs AA. I think AA is just a club for drunks to feel good about their miserable lives. Good luck to you.
2007-01-13 14:06:17 · answer #4 · answered by rickyshyd608 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Its me...your Higher Power...Welcome
2007-01-13 15:11:54 · answer #5 · answered by Luke 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a recoverying alcoholic myself of 8 yrs., and I used the 12-Steps to help me become sober, and to do Gods will instead of my own.'
The one answer that was true in my case was, " your HP needs to have more power than yourself." It only makes sense, with the power I had, I became an alcoholic. So it was going to have to be something more powerful than myself that was going to give me the strength, understanding, and courage to get sober.
Some people actually are able to get sober without AA, and I take my hats off to them! My husband got clean without NA, and I am glad he could. But I for one, needed a support group to help me understand myself! And then to do Gods will instead of my own. My HP was God, as in my study of the scriptures, he is a loving God, and would only want the best for me. Me doing my will only lead to my own destructive behavior. I already had a healthy understanding of God and how he could help. The scriptiures in Proverbs 23:29-34 describes alcoholism, and later on the scriptures tells us "God never gives us more than we can bear," and then he tells us "he will never leave us without a way out." I found this promise in the scriptures to be true in AA.. Also in my way of thinking, God isn't going to remove any thing from me in the way of shortcomings, but he is going to give me the education and strength to change my own behavior.
2007-01-13 15:45:57 · answer #6 · answered by Ikeg 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just believe in the higher power within yourself and trust that to be real as you know it is.
2007-01-13 14:08:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sigh
If you truly believe that the doorknob can fix your problems go for it--not logical but sigh to each their own
My personal opinion is that if you are seriously in true recovery you would have asked your sponsor who should be helping you work through these issues and to question your true intention of being seriously in recovery--not us who will give you all kinds of crazy answers or was that the intentions...
2007-01-13 14:10:09 · answer #8 · answered by Cherish B 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
AA is bullshit
don't do it
there is absolutely no evidence that 12-step programs where you must relinquish any power and responsibility actually work
there are just damaging, stupid methods
2007-01-13 14:11:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋