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Hello. I attended a local Al Anon meeting today. My brother called last week and mentioned he had started in Al-Anon and he felt it was helpful. I know growing up with two alchoholic parents made for a crazy life and lots of problems. I'm very open to the help that Al Anon offers.
However, I didn't know it was a religious thing. People kept talking about God this and God that and in the end we all joined hands and they recited "Our Father." This made me quite uncomfortable because I have no sympathy for organized religion, especially Christianity. I didn't want to offend anyone but I'm not really sure I can manage all the mental gymnastics that would be involved if I kept coming back and couldn't really open up with believers.
Some of my issues have been tied very directly to religion and the kind of authoritarian control used in religion.
Hi there... interesting day on here, as we had a different post citing that Al-Anon was not "Christian enough" for their needs, and now one that it is "too Christian"....
The good news is, it is a non-denominational meeting, where religious affiliations are to be checked at the door.... The program is much more spiritual based, than anything else, and so it is very much "inclusive", and anyone can get better using the tools - any religion, athiests, agnostics, etc.... People may have been making reference to their HP or their "God of their understanding", but most meetings refrain from any specifics around which religion, etc....
That being said, some meetings do close with the Lord's Prayer.... others close with the Serenity Prayer..... to each their own.
I hope you keep going, and find help at meetings... the pain caused by alcoholism certainly doesn't descriminate across religious or other lines, and nor should recovery.
Tom
__________________
"He is either gonna drink, or he won't.... what are YOU gonna do?"
"What you think of me is none of my business"
"If you knew the answer to what you are worrying about, would it REALLY change anything?"
Thanks for responding. I understand the importance of the spiritual aspect of the program. I just didn't realize it would be so biased toward a Christian flavor. I intend to continue attending meetings and will try a few others that hopefully won't be so in your face religious. If they all turn out to be this way, I'll have to do some work with the "God of my understanding" approach and just be tolerant of the christianity. Although I think it would be helpful to non-religious and non-Christian attendees that the groups be more sensitive about framing the higher power concept in Christian terms as a matter course.
Just wanna mention that the "lord" prayer doesn't mention Christ at all...it speaks to the Father the Creator of life. I do know the connection of the Christian Community however I also know that it speaks directly to the Higher Power. I've had the experience of having a Blackfoot Indian close a meeting with his communication to his Father Creator. For me that was spiritually life changing because I felt that his Higher Power was in the Circle and Room. God or Higher Power is beyond thought or concept on a mental level especially when I consider how sick I got on that level because of the disease of alcoholism. I ended up not knowing how to think at all and relied upon the thoughts and experiences and beliefs of the fellowship to turn on lights for me. I'm grateful. Today I can think for myself and I do that for myself and I can listen and compare thoughts, feelings, perceptions and actions with others which is what I did with a man who is my hearing aid teck and who only have spoken to twice...the first time not even about spirituality. When I came in for my appointment he just opened up and told me that for some reason he felt compelled and free to express his spiritual condition which was marvelous and also gave me added insight to some of my own spiritual awarenesses. Isn't that amazing? and I can even hear better cause he does great work with these aids. He would just love to live as a spiritual being totally and I mentioned that he needs his body to get his work done...LOL and that if everyone could just live in their spiritual condition there would be alot of bodies laying around decaying and who was gonna clean up that mess. So many of us are on the same page with the same desires. We need to continue to support each other and each others recovery and work. ((((hugs))))
I go to a coda mtg, and of course many members go to other 12 step mtgs. We actually had this discussion before started. There seems to be quite a variety in the "intensity" of the "christian" aspect in the difft groups. I live in the heart of the Bible Belt, and although Im not a "believer"...I have found groups that arent so intense. I suppose, growing up here that aive gotten used to it. My ESH would be to try difft groups in your area if they are available. There are lots of flavors. Also, for me...I really dont care ha!
I go for me. Its a fight for MY life! If I ran from the word God, I wouldnt be in the rooms. If I wasnt in a 12 step, well...dont wanna think about that. As always, take what you like and leave the rest. Best of wishes to you.
