A religious woman scholar puzzles over "spiritual, but not religious"

Of all the puzzlers invented by the "wisdom of the rooms" and publicized by critics who know better, perhaps the greatest entre for higher powers, light bulbs, spirituality, Santa Claus, and "Something" is the shopworn and illustory phrase, "spiritual, but not religious." What in the world does that mean? What is it supposed to argue? What drunk is it supposed to help?

One A.A. oldtimer Mel B. wrote that, if pressed to define the difference, it is doubtful that AAs could do so. On the other hand, one Roman Catholic writer--who consistently links himself with like-minded "scholars" has repeatedly claimed this odd phrase as descriptive of A.A.

Actually, there is never a word of documentation for the appellations--light bulbs, trees, rocks, Big Dippers, Gertrude, spirituality, not-god, and all the rest. And most Christians shudder at being chastized for mentioning the Bible in an A.A. setting, while being pelted with "spiritual" "higher power" nonsense not-god-ness.

Now, a puzzled Catholic woman--not totally accurate in her jurisprudence--nonetheless tells it like it is from her religious viewpoint and her observations of Alcoholics Anonymous. She states:

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Why do people insist AA is not religious?/Efficacy of AA & other treatment programs

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I'm dealing with a spouse who has alcohol issues. His first therapist (social worker) told him to go to a Beginner's AA meeting, and to "Keep An Open Mind."

He went, and was instantly uncomfortable. Not only was Jesus Christ mentioned constantly as the Savior, but the meeting ended with, "The Lord's Prayer."

He related this to the social worker, who berated him for not going to a Beginner's meeting. (Which it WAS listed as.) And then told him that, "The Lord's Prayer" is not really religious, anyway.

My husband now sees a psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavior and doesn't push AA.

Now I'm furious that MY new therapist is telling me that AA would be a good resource for my husband. "It's not religious, it's spiritual," and "Your higher power can be anything at all, the ocean, even yourself."

I'm not confrontational, and I tried to remember some of the advice I've received here about debating. I told her that I had done research on AA, that it had a 5% success rate, and that the Supreme Court had ruled that it was religious. Then I started to get emotional and told her that it was all based on a Buchmanite group designed to get people to accept Christ as the Savior, and that the Higher Power stuff was nonsense, since sure, it starts out as, "the ocean," but ends up referring to God. And the "higher power" definitely CANNOT be yourself, since it has to be some outside force. As Henry Ford said of his cars, you can have any color you want so long as it's black. Well, you can have any Higher Power you want so long as it's God.

As former Catholics, my husband and I tend to get a bit touchy when religion is sold to us. It is very difficult to get away from, "Magical Thinking," and I've been working so hard to restructure my thoughts, to think more critically, to learn about logic, and to question things. And it took a lot for me to "talk back" to my therapist about this, and I still feel guilty, like I should just accept it as good advice. Such is the mark that being a good little Catholic girl leaves on person.

I feel so angry that the majority of people don't question AA at all.

 

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A comment:

 

There is no tenable argument that "AA" is this or that or anything at all. Certainly not about a doorknob of a "spiritual" god or just plain "Somebody."

 

Yes. There are those therapists, social workers, clergymen, researchers, atheists, and anti-AA writers who asks absurd questions about whether "AA" is religious, whether "AA" is spiritual, whether an "higher power" is a group or a light bulb, whether God is an "higher power" or a "Christian god," whether "the ocean" refers to God, and whether you can have any Higher Power you want--so long as it is God.

 

A.A. is a fellowship. A.A. is a society. A.A. is a group of drunks who attend meetings. A.A. was originally a Christian Fellowship. A.A. later invited in any who wanted to quit drinking--whether gay or black or native American or Protestant or Roman Catholic or Jew or agnostic or of no belief at all. And if one tried today to put a label on that conglomeration and call it Masonic or Spiritualist or Cult or Swedenborgian or idolatrous or atheist, he would be hard pressed to persuade any reasoning person that such nonsense is right.

 

Today--right or wrong, crazy or sane, religious or irreligious, sick or well, diseased or afflicted, believing or unbelieving, Christian or Hindu--an AA individual is merely a drunk who may be in the rooms under court order, under treatment bussing, under a wife's insistence, or because he wants to quit drinking.

 

Yesteryear (in 1935 and for a few years), he came in, professed a belief in God, accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, attended prayer meetings, studied the Bible, read Christian literature, used quiet time Christian devotionals, and helped others quit drinking for good, place their reliance on God, and try  to walk by the spirit  of God in obedience to the will of God.

 

Many still do. And today many don't. More's the pity.

 

Gloria Deo