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Accepting You Where You Are – The God Concept in AA AA strives to meet people where they are and only make loving suggestions.
Whatever your current personal position is on God – AA takes you where you are.
Akron AA – An anonymous offshoot of the Oxford Group which was a non-denominational Christian based fellowship practicing a form of first century Christianity. This concept is faith based and its wellspring is the New Testament Gospel – most notably the Sermon on the Mount; 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, and the Book of James. Acceptable literature includes Robert Speer, Sam Shoemaker, Emmet Fox, Glenn Clark, Cecil Rose, Leslie Weatherhead, Oswald Chambers and a long list of others. The central question, initiated by Dr. Bob Smith, is “Do you believe in God?” If the answer is yes, then through seeking a personal relationship with God, recovery subsequently results from God’s help. Abstinence, prayer, meditation, and the voluntary actions of love and service bring about a personal change which is the new life of a recovered alcoholic.
Cleveland AA – Based on the Oxford Group and the Akron Genesis, this concept is Jesus Christ evangelical based and it is centrist in its biblical fundamentalism. The concept is Christianity based and it derives all its principles from the question – “Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” Important to note is the fact, firmly established over many decades, that this is the most effective form of long term recovery in terms of successful recovery rates. Recovering alcoholics who accept this way of life and inner belief are more apt to recover and stay in recovery than any other.
New York Higher Power – A third concept which was derived from the previous two as well as the Oxford Group took a longer time to evolve but contains the largest portion of recovered Alcoholics around the world. It is one of a Spiritual Divine Power which may be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native-American or any other. The personal God concept may derive from any religious system or none at all. The “Great Reality” is simply this – that God’s Divinity or God Consciousness – is commonly shared by every human. By stressing a stark portrayal of the disease of alcoholism and its inevitable progression, the guiding Higher Power leads us to recovery by spiritual experience or gradual spiritual awakening. Many times this spiritual awakening starts with the mutual help fellowship being a Higher Power. This approach urges each person to come into a spiritual relationship with a loving God of his or her understanding through prayer and meditation.
Institutional 12 Step Treatment – A rock, a tree, a light bulb, a chair, or even a Hanukkah Bunny are acceptable god concepts. This idea is generated by institutional clinicians in a short term treatment window. The primary concept is that each individual come to grips with the fact that he is not God. Treatment centers tend to minimize the mutual help and God help approaches of the AA fellowship. Conversely it encourages scientific psychological explanation and interpretation along with cognitive behavior modification. Institutional 12 Step treatment is limited; usually 3 or 4 steps with the 4th step being a life history rather than a search of defects which block God out of our life. This approach emphasizes abstinence, supports self knowledge, and provides professional guidance.
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What Matters is that each of us makes a beginning of belief. As spiritually blind men and women we choose to begin the journey of recovery on the broad highway of spiritual love, growth, and altruism. The point is that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines; that we reach out our withered arms of spirituality and come unto Him.
In Dr. Bob Smith’s words: “If you think you are an atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, or have any other form of intellectual pride which keeps you from accepting what is in this book, I feel sorry for you. If you still think you are strong enough to beat the game alone, that is your affair. But if you really and truly want to quit drinking liquor for good and all, and sincerely feel that you must have some help, we know that we have an answer for you. It never fails, if you go about it with one half the zeal you have been in the habit of showing when you were getting another drink. Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!”
No matter where you might be, God will help you.
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