• prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 days ago

    AA chapters will clarify that a “higher power” doesn’t have to be god. Could be fate, causality, or just the universe in and of itself

    This is such a bullshit cop out

    • HoopyFrood@lemmy.zip
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      3 days ago

      To a certain extent you are correct and that is the point. For those leaders not so engrossed in the dogma abstracting away the idea of god acts as a bridge. Someone showing up to AA must believe in something outside of themselves as being more important than themselves otherwise why would you improve yourself? For religious leaders who operate in institutions, the ways of the institutions must be upheld, but it is also obvious that the institutional ways are bullshit and change is slow, so compromise is made to enable those who see through the bullshit to participate without drawing the ire of the “true believers”

      edit: this compromise has been going on for a while and acts as the basis of the Unitarian-Universalist denomination

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 days ago

        Someone showing up to AA must believe in something outside of themselves as being more important than themselves otherwise why would you improve yourself?

        Because I don’t want to be an addict anymore? I have major issues with this. It’s like when people need the threat of eternal damnation in order to not be a complete piece of shit.

        I don’t need to believe in a higher power in order to not want to be an addict anymore.