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"Much to our relief, we discovered that we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him."

Alcoholics Anonymous
We Agnostics
Page 46

So how do those who struggle with the concept of a Higher Power make progress in AA? Unlike religion, Alcoholics Anonymous does not ask anyone to buy into a prescribed organizational definition or understanding of a Higher Power (Creative Intelligence, Spirit of the Universe, Mother Nature, God). That is left up to the individual.

Although we may not have had any understanding of what it was, many of us could recall the feeling of awe we got staring up at a star filled sky or snow capped mountains and knowing that something powerful indeed had created us and the universe in which we lived. And that was enough. All we are asked to acknowledge is that, in the universe of possibility, there is something larger, more powerful than ourselves.

AA believes that an individual's relationship with their Higher Power is just that, an individual relationship. The program does suggest, however, that to stay sober, its members develop a stronger relationship and better understanding over time. Spiritual progress, not spiritual perfection.



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