Even with my newfound theism, I do want to say that since coming into AA I have developed and nourished a strong and passionate empathy for those who do not share a belief in a God, however defined.
My empathy for atheists is usually expressed by me when I talk with an professed atheist, usually after an AA meeting where one or more AA member's have shared much details about their Higher Power, including their Higher Power's name (i.e., Jesus, God, etc.) and what they believe to be the important characteristics of their Higher Power (e.g, He is male, He has a plan, He wills specific things to happen (including that some people get sober and some people do not, or when people die...). Sometimes these shares are phrased in such a way that the speaker, probably unintentionally, talks for the group rather than just for themselves. Sometimes, they state their beliefs as though all or most of us in the room share their beliefs. When that happens, I am always on the lookout for any wincing or pained looks --- or for people walking out the door (or seeming to be looking in that direction). I try to either say something a group level that gives a counterbalanced view (delicately avoiding the proscription against crosstalk...) that these sorts of issues are very personal and no one speaks for anyone but themselves on this issue.
And when I actually get to talk one on one with a professed atheist, I eventually like to ask them, "So tell me, describe for me the "God" you don't believe in? What is it that you don't believe in. What's behind the label "God" for you?" Inevitably, the God that they don't believe in is a God that I don't believe in either. If so, I smile and say then, that well, maybe I'm an atheist also because I don't believe in that God either! I don't go on to prove or argue for the God that I might happen to believe in that day (it changes frequently!). That's really none of their business and I don't need to share it with them unless they are curious or interested in talking about it.
Ultimately, in the context of recovery, I basically advocate the philosophy of an apatheist: I really don't care what another person believes and don't feel any one view or theological position is required for AA membership or sobriety. The atheist has a wide range of options for developing a sense of a higher power in their lives that does not entail a personal God: "Truth" can be a very effective Higher Power for a recovering alcoholic! The agnostic can be comfortable with a lifetime of investigation and waffling if they are so inclined and they can take pride in the fact that the Big Book named a chapter after them (We Agnostics) and that there is no chapter called "We Theists" or one called "We Atheists" or one called "We Apatheists".
To each their own. "Above all else, to thine own self be true." (Shakespeare)
Take care!
Mike L.
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2 comments:
It's interesting, Mike.
I heard someone relate this to me: "People say that there's this Higher Power, not of my understanding, essentially that we imperfect human beings are incapable of understanding divinity and perfection, and thus when we speak about it, we're either lying, or the inspiration we get is somehow distorted. Nevertheless, I have found a Higher Power that I'm comfortable with today, and I'm absolutely convinced that despite what others say about thinking and intelligence, we absolutely need to have some kind intellectual understanding of this Higher Power."
This struck me -- because people are always telling me I'm intellectualizing too much, and also that there's somehow this unbridgeable gap -- an implicit and flawed premise in the reasoning -- between this "imperfect powerless man" and this "perfect omnipotent God."
My intellectual understanding of how to interpret (and challenge) those who claim "The poet lies" is to respond that when God uses us to do his will or carry his message, he perfects us as necessary to do it, so we can channel perfection (or some concept of perfection that works) into this world. That's a very comfortable understanding for me. Perhaps this is why religion ultimately had to develop a Jesus figure.
But as I've understood it discussed, "HP" usually operates to motivate action, reaction/resistance, or letting go/accepting. It is usually described in one of these forms:
1.) an individual or group of individuals
2.) some unseen complex environmental factor or factors, usually of a physical or paraphysical nature.
3.) mind -- an unsuspected inner resource.
I attended over 13 years of Catholic schooling, went to become a Trappist monk (1952)would have had Merton as my spiritual director if I had not left.
Anyhow. After sobriety I went looking all over for the God of my understanding, from God if there is a God to universalist through congregationalist back and forth through Catholic and Episcopal and ended up being an Eclectic. I went from having all(right)the answers to looking for the answers to finally arriving at peace and serenity not needing any answers. It took me all that process to let the Self in and my answer-needing ego go.
Look forward to your posts.
JF
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