On 12-15-95 TUTU M. wrote to JANE KELLEY... 
 
 TM> of the word, and higher power doesn't mean a god to me but I am 
 TM> confused with 
 TM> this, especialy reading the posts that refer to God. There.... that is 
 
Tutu, welcome. No, the program doesn't require that your Higher/ 
Deeper Power be God or any other deity. You will hear a lot of Godtalk 
in AA, and a few people may even try to bully or guilt you on the 
subject...but there are also plenty of longtime, happily sober AA 
atheists and agnostics, and don't let anyone tell you different. 
 
And no, you don't have to tackle any step before you feel ready--but 
if you're comfortable doing so, I'd think listening to how other 
people work #3 might be useful even now, as long as you don't let the 
occasional fanatic pressure you about what you do and don't believe. 
 
The program has no scriptures, no laws and no bosses, despite 
some people's desire to turn the Big Book, the usual procedures 
or their sponsors into those things. Certainly I encourage you to 
listen to how the program's winners--people with some length of 
sobriety and some visible serenity in their lives--got and are keeping 
their sobriety/serenity; I promise you, you can learn a lot from them. 
But one of the best things about the program is that you aren't 
required to work it in ways that are dishonest or impossible for you. 
 
Hang in there! 
 
 
 
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 * OFFLINE 1.58 * CULT (n.) - The church up the street from yours. 
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