As some of you may be aware I am currently awaiting my OWI hearing. I am alos in the military. I have recently talked with my Plt. Sgt who gave me the heads up that AA will most likely be aprt of my military punishment under the UCMJ.

My question is this. Where I live, AA is geared towards religion and the 12 steps being about God helping us stay sober, blah blah blah. I am Agnostic and do not want to participate in something like this if it will be of religious intent.

Is there an alternative to AA? I want to present an alternative to my Plt.Sgt and see if that will be accepted.

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Originally Posted by ITstudent2006

As some of you may be aware I am currently awaiting my OWI hearing. I am alos in the military. I have recently talked with my Plt. Sgt who gave me the heads up that AA will most likely be aprt of my military punishment under the UCMJ.

My question is this. Where I live, AA is geared towards religion and the 12 steps being about God helping us stay sober, blah blah blah. I am Agnostic and do not want to participate in something like this if it will be of religious intent.

Is there an alternative to AA? I want to present an alternative to my Plt.Sgt and see if that will be accepted.

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Yes, all AA chapters are "God/religion" driven. I've seen people in my local Courts being given two options - AA or jail.

I am not aware of any Court-recognized alternatives.

AA isn't just about God - it's also about family, morals and responsibility.

If blah, blah, blah is not your style, call AA and ask them for any alternatives. Maybe one-on-one counselling would be acceptable to both the Military and the Court.

I have known people that have gone to AA. It's really not an "in-your-face" approach as far as religion goes. I really can't imagine going there would affect you negatively.

I appreciate both of your responses. I really do!

AA isn't really about God, but about believing in a higher power. Whether that higher power to you is the Flying Spaghetti Monster, God, or that oak tree in your back yard, it doesn't matter to them.

Hello Rick:

The only thing religious about it is the serenity prayer. I'm an atheist, but I LOVE that payer...

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference..

Beyond that, it's about drinking - NOT religion... However, each meeting might have a different slant.. If you don't like one, there's another one around the corner...

In my view, the 12 step program of AA is one of the BEST ways to control one's addiction - EVEN if you don't buy all the schtick..

excon

My bil has been in AA for years and considers himself his Higher Power.

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Originally Posted by J_9

AA isn't really about God, but about believing in a higher power. Whether that higher power to you is the Flying Spaghetti Monster, God, or that oak tree in your back yard, it doesn't matter to them.

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Not sure if the steps vary by location but these are it for my local AA branch.
I see a lot of God in there...

THE TWELVE STEPS
1. We admitted we were
Powerless over alcohol – that
Our lives had become
Unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power
Greater than ourselves could
Restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our
Will and our lives over to the
Care of God as we understood
Him.

4. Made a searching and
Fearless moral inventory of
Ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to
Ourselves, and to another
Human being the exact nature
Of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have
God remove all these defects of
Character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove
Our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we
Had harmed, and became
Willing to make amends to them
All.

9. Made direct amends to such
People wherever possible,
Except when to do so would
Injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal
Inventory and when we were
Wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and
Meditation to improve our
Conscious contact with God as
We understood Him, praying
Only for the knowledge of His
Will for us and the power to
Carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual
Awakening as the result of
These steps, we tried to carry
This message to alcoholics, and
To practice these

I understand where you are coming from, but the use of the word "God" is universal. Many people do indeed believe in God, yet many do not. It's a term that many people can relate to.

Just because you are agnostic shouldn't preclude you from attending. I know of several Jewish people who attend, as well as atheists.

Hello again, Rick:

Let me say again. I'm an atheist... If it was about God, I WOULDN'T be promoting it.

excon

Thanks for the insight. I have noticed that there are a ton of meetings each week and it looks like some are geared toward religion others toward coffee and chit chat. So maybe this won't be a bad thing. Even if I do not believe I am an acoholic (I know, I know) I think this will be good for me in more ways than just an alcohol standpoint.

Go to an open meeting to check it out.

No meetings are geared toward religion.

Most are geared toward coffee and chit chat... and smokes!

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Originally Posted by J_9

I understand where you are coming from, but the use of the word "God" is universal. Many people do indeed believe in God, yet many do not. It's a term that many people can relate to.

Just because you are agnostic shouldn't preclude you from attending. I know of several Jewish people who attend, as well as atheists.

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Jews believe in God -

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Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

Jews believe in God -

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Yes, they do. I was just trying to make a point that AA is for everyone no matter their beliefs.

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Originally Posted by J_9

...and smokes!

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Have not smoked in 9 days :D. After the OWI, I got serious about changing a few things in my life. One of which was my habit of smoking. I decided, I wanted to change and so I did. For how long? We shall see. But I feel good right now...

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Originally Posted by ITstudent2006

Thanks for the insight. I have noticed that there are a ton of meetings each week and it looks like some are geared toward religion others toward coffee and chit chat. So maybe this won't be a bad thing. Even if I do not believe I am an acoholic (I know, I know) I think this will be good for me in more ways than just an alcohol standpoint.

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Here is a program that should be acceptable to a government body as it is sanctioned by all of the requisite government agencies:

This group emphasizes that it is non-12-Step, and is recognized by American Academy of Family Physicians, as well as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)* and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)*. (agencies of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

SMART Recovery.

No other program has the accessibility of AA. As you note, meetings everywhere. If your only reluctance is the religious character that is probably a non-starter.

AA also has a wide variety of meeting types, discussion, step meetings, mixed male and female, big book meetings, lecture and on down the line. If you don't like the social mix at one you can find one more to your liking in another area.

The accessibility and flexibility is very important to someone mandated to attendance.

At any rate there is another alternative to AA that should meet your requirements.

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Originally Posted by DrBill100

Here is a program that should be acceptable to a government body as it is sanctioned by all of the requisite government agencies:

This group emphasizes that it is non-12-Step, and is recognized by American Academy of Family Physicians, as well as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)* and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)*. (agencies of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

SMART Recovery.

No other program has the accessibility of AA. As you note, meetings everywhere. If your only reluctance is the religious character that is probably a non-starter.

AA also has a wide variety of meeting types, discussion, step meetings, mixed male and female, big book meetings, lecture and on down the line. If you don't like the social mix at one you can find one more to your liking in another area.

The accessibility and flexibility is very important to someone mandated to attendance.

At any rate there is another alternative to AA that should meet your requirements.

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Thank You. I have decided that with the wide array of meetings in my area and the different environments/topics etc... I can find one I want to attend.

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Originally Posted by ITstudent2006

Thank You. I have decided that with the wide array of meetings in my area and the different environments/topics etc... I can find one I want to attend.

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It seems to me - and we all know where I come from on this topic - that AA (or something similiar) based on one arrest is harsh. Maybe it's just me - but I'm surprised that the Marines are thinking in this direction.

The Court cuts people slack!

I did ask today and in my area the Court (not the Marines, of course) will agree to personal counselling three times -

Yea. I guess my Company is going to crack down on me and set an example. I am the firs to break our new 1-1-3 rule that our Battallion signed a few months ago.

I have no problem with any punishment I get. I deserve it. I just didn't want to be forced into religion. By reading yours and others responses, I think I jumped the gun on AA a little and am more than willing to give it a shot.

From what I've read, AA can be useful in more areas than just alcohol. I'm never too high N mighty to take a second look at my life. It should be interesting.