I SHOULD LIKE to write a few words of encouragement to you who are unbelievers, as I am. By unbeliever, I mean you who do not take for granted that there is a transcendent God or an ultimate purpose in human existence. You need not alter your convictions or take it lying down when other members of our Fellowship say these are “old ideas,” which must be got rid of. I can assure you from my own experience that you can take all the Steps without frustration or hindrance while still maintaining these views.
Let me entreat you, however, not to use this as an excuse to belittle another member’s faith. We are not in the business of proving others wrong, or for that matter proving ourselves right. We must at all times keep in mind the maxim “Live and Let Live,” and maintain a charitable, unselfish attitude toward all people in and out of the program. Without such an attitude, we are surely courting disaster.
The genius of the Big Book is that it is not dogmatic. Its contents can be tailored to fit just about anyone who keeps an open mind. The chapter “We Agnostics” helps us past our first milestone–the need to form a fundamental idea of a Power greater than ourselves. This Power need not be anthropomorphic or substantial. It can remain conceptual only. Its necessary ingredient is that it precipitate a spiritual experience, since the purpose of the book and the program is “to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem.”
This chapter leaves us with several very comforting assurances: that our own conception of God is sufficient; that the realm of the spirit is not exclusive; that we need not accept on faith concepts that are difficult to believe; that we need not be antagonized by others’ beliefs. But just what can we use as a Power greater than ourselves?
For myself, I found the answer to this dilemma in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. The Twelve Steps were shown to a Buddhist priest in Thailand. After he read them, he said, “Why, these are fine! Since we as Buddhists don’t understand God just as you do, it might be slightly more acceptable if you inserted the word ‘good’ in your Steps instead of ‘God.’ Nevertheless, you say in these Steps that it is God as you understand Him. That clears up the point for us. Yes, AA’s Twelve Steps will certainly be accepted by the Buddhists around here.” It goes on to say, “Alcoholics may be led to believe in God, but none can be forced.” If anyone tries to intimidate you by saying you will fail if you don’t believe as others do, you might lovingly remind him of this.
So my concept of a higher power is the power of good. The power of good has restored me to sanity; its absence nearly killed me. That part of the Big Book dealing with Step Three emphasizes that I am not to set myself up as a god, deciding what is right and wrong for others. I am to root out selfishness, self-centeredness, and pride. On this basis, I have been able to take a satisfactory inventory and make a verbal admission of my wrongs.
The key words in Step Six are “entirely ready,” implying that under no circumstances do we want to hold on to our defects any longer. We want the power of good to push them out and replace them. We no longer put our defects into practice. The firm assurance that good can overcome evil is abundantly clear. That one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar is self-evident. The power of good will drive out our shortcomings if it is sought. Step Seven has now been satisfied. Resentment, pride, selfishness, dishonesty, all summed up in the word “fear,” have been rooted up and are being disposed of. The power of good is beginning to take over. We become drawn to make our amends joyfully.
I must now repeat this cycle of Steps as summarized in Step Ten each time I falter. They always work if I take them without balking. Consequently, the power of good can remain with me.
Step Eleven might frustrate you, since it mentions prayer. It need not. Notice that the phrase as we understood Him has been reinserted into the Steps at this point, as if to reemphasize the great latitude allowed us regarding our concept of a Power greater than ourselves. I have found that reflection on the power of good and how I might use it in my life is a very satisfactory approach to taking this Step. There can be no end to the possibilities of serving my fellows. They are limitless.
By this time, a true spiritual awakening has already manifested itself. In the words of the Big Book, we have undergone a “personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism,” a “profound alteration” in our reactions to life, and have “tapped an unsuspected inner resource” identified with our own idea of a Power greater than ourselves.
Finally, we have a message to carry to others who have suffered as we have, and we hope to be able to transmit it lovingly to our fellows at every opportunity.
A while ago, someone asked me a question, brilliant in its simplicity yet profound in its philosophy. He asked, “Do you think anybody owes you anything?” I hope that my answer will always be, “Definitely not.” I expect no rewards, now or ever. I am trying to do what I can to love, today. Can anything else be more important?