Wednesday 23 December 2009

A RECOVERY PROGRAM

This is a proposed recovery program for those afflicted by religion.

1. We admitted that we were no longer powerless over religion and that it had made the world unmanageable.

2. Came to recognize that there are many powers greater than us but mystical beings weren't one of them.

3. Made a decision to use our lives and wills in way that fostered rational benefits for ourselves and all inhabitants of the planet.

4. Made a list of all the good reasons to reject religion.

5. Admitted to ourselves and proclaimed to others the exact nature of the wrongs caused by religion.

6.Sought ways to in which we could help to irradiate these evils, recognizing that no contribution is too small.

7.Proudly declared the importance of rationalism.

8.Made a list of the persons and peoples harmed by religion.

9.Made a direct effort to confront these evils, except were doing so would increase the harms.

10.Continued to survey the damage of religion.

11.Sought ways to consciously improve our understanding of rational and compassionate approaches to life.

12. Having freed ourselves from religion, as a result of these steps, tried to carry this message to those afflicted by religion, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

It is worth pointing out the about half the original members of AA, on which these steps are based, were either agnostic or atheist.

3 comments:

  1. Love your 12 steps list, but question your AA history :) Bill W & Dr. Bob (the two main founders) were both unapologetically Christian. They were also former members of the Buchmann Group, a cult which had 6 steps (you'll notice the AA steps make up 6 pairs; Bill W. just split each of Buchmann's into 2.)

    I was married to an alcoholic & joined the cult of Al-Anon for two years (4 times longer than I was married, lol)

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  2. Good post still, quite relevant but Angie is right, AA contains a bunch of god bollocks.

    You should start blogging again, you obviously have some good stuff to say.

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