Anne Porter has been a listener of this podcast for a number of years, but recently she felt compelled to contact me after listening to “Episode 208: Ibby A”, and “Episode 250: Atheism and Sobriety”. In these episodes, I expressed a reluctance to serve as a sponsor, and I spoke derisively about the concept of an “AA way of life.” Anne feels strongly that agnostic, atheist, and freethinking people in AA should stay engaged in Alcoholics Anonymous to help make it more accessible and inclusive. It’s important from her perspective that the secular voice be heard in AA, and as difficult as it may be, we should push through that for the benefit of those who seek help from AA but are turned off by the God bit.
What we discussed
- Secular people should think about what it is about AA that people find attractive.
- Anne explains why she is passionate about speaking out as an atheist in AA.
- How self-centeredness applies to recovery.
- The importance of sponsorship.
- How to sponsor people.
- Understanding the 12 Steps through a secular lens.
- The history of atheism in AA.
- How prioritizing singleness of purpose can be problematic.
- Episode 250: Atheism and Sobriety
- Episode 208: Ibby A.
Links
Beyond Belief Sobriety is sponsored by Sober Link: https://soberlink.com/bbs
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