I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s all about connection. We can’t do this alone. That’s why I’m here. We teach each other we learn from each other we support each other. We love each other. With or without sponsors with or without 12 steps with or without god. It doesn’t matter to me. Do something that works for you. I can’t believe in god so this is my way. And I do believe in love and not in hate. I have found some love here. So thanks for that all. Much love back.
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im in a atheist/agnostic AA meeting right now. This group does not push sponsors and only half the people at best do the steps. I come for the connectivity to fellow alcoholics that believe in their own power to quit. here is the link Launch Meeting - Zoom if anyone want to join.
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I am so sorry you are feeling like that. It all started as I went to bed and really upset me too. I see it grew overnight too. I shouldn’t have looked, particularly not on my birthday 
I was really enjoying this space but feeling very uncomfortable posting now as can see some of my words being held up as examples of how not to be, and arrogance. I am honestly not arrogant, just unlucky enough to have lost my faith after a decade of trauma. Not sure what they think I can do? Switch it back on? I certainly don’t like being judged purely on the agnostic/atheist label. I am so much more than my faith, or lack of.
I will be watching and with you here, but may be a bit more hesitant from now on. Sorry if that seems like I am not brave enough, just so sensitive atm.
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Good morning folks. As I posted before, I am not an atheist. I am here for 2 reasons
- to learn a new perspective
- to help, as a moderator, keep this a safe space for all of you.
On yesterday’s events. If you stick around long enough, things like this happen. TS is just like life. We have people from all over the world, with different backgrounds, at different places in their sobriety journey. In a perfect world, it would never happen and we would all just get along.
What I found, and maybe it’s just my silver lining, is that moments like this…when things are said that can be hurtful…that it reinforces my sobriety.
What I mean is this, the world can be cruel at times. As a recovered alcoholic, I have to find a coping mechanism that is healthy. So in away, things like yesterday, have shaped my sobriety.
What I have done (and sometimes I failed). 1) take the high road. 2) flag and let the moderators sort it out, 3) ignore, ignore, ignore, 4) and most important touch base with those on here I love and cherish.
Keep on being sober, keep on contributing. Y’all are valued.
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I generally tend to avoid offending people, or apologizing to them if I do, because I’m a people-pleaser by nature (unfortunately). But then again, no Christian has ever apologized to me. Besides, this is clearly marked as an atheist thread, so… 
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Hello again! To me it is so odd that being an atheist or agnostic is not in the majority. I come from and live in a country where religion is a personal thing, one that you don’t talk about with others. I get weirded out by seeing someone write “god bless you” - in the two countries I have lived, that is not a common phrase. It is so easy to be an atheist where I live. Hopefully it gets easier for you too. 
We have Zoom meetings on this forum too. It is not AA and we dont usually talk religion, if ever. Anyone from the forum is welcome. It is just hanging out with people in recovery, it isnt any program 
i travelled to California from Europe to meet the people i have met through the zoom meetings 
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I think it’s also important to remember that we only get a little snapshot of people on the forum. We never know what’s going on in other people’s lives and what has happened to influence their behaviour. Try not to take it personally! 
For you to @JennyH - usually people’s responses are a reflection of where they are in their journey. I know that has been true for me 
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Like most atheist or agnostics I was raised in church. While I’ve heard from many horror stories from survivors of Catholic upbringing, I can assure you Pentecostals are pretty bad themselves. It’s amazing how people can have no conscience about what they say or do as long as they put in their two hours on Sunday. But what really made the break for me was simple common sense, and a sign I saw in a bar once. It read: “Price. Quality. Service. Pick any two!!” What’s that got to do with God? Consider that God is supposed to be:
- All knowing
- All powerful
- Purely good
But evil exists in the world, so any combination of two of those qualities could be true, but not all three. Evil can only exist because God:
- Doesn’t know it’s happening
- Can’t stop it
- Doesn’t care
I’ve mentioned this to Christians who fire back with, “God has his plan”. Umm, what?!? That’s not a f’ing answer. That doesn’t explain anything! What’s his plan, to convince rational people that he doesn’t exist? Mission accomplished!
Another line of reasoning I get is Pascal’s Wager: hedge your bets by believing in God just in case there really is a hell. Problem is, salvation doesn’t work that way and their own bible says so. Specifically, Romans 9:10
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Emphasis mine). This is problematic. I can’t make myself believe in something just because this hell sounds like a scary place. Can you force yourself to believe in the tooth fairy?
I pointed this out to a Christian, who of course continued arguing with me. I was just like “Dude, your own bible says I’m right. Why are you still talking?”
Anyway, just had to get that out before taking off to work. Good morning sober friends!
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I think something I have been really conscious of following this thread is that it doesn’t become a way to put down people on the forum who do believe in religion (intentionally or not). I have liked that is has largely been focused on our experience of sobriety without a higher power.
I understand there was some kerfuffle last night and some of what was said was upsetting. But there was also a lot of support and kindness from people who have different beliefs to ours. Let’s show them the same
I respect other people for their beliefs. If someone doesn’t respect mine, that seems like their problem 
I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. Much like with sobriety 
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Oh no… did you get a message from a TS moderator or something?!.. it’s a little hurtful when you don’t even kind of realise that anything can be ‘harmful’… Don’t worry about it and move on 
…it’s different when you’re full of rage and don’t really care of the consequences!..(I’m not really sure what was said but I hope this thread carries on as it’s interesting to see different view points). ((Defo don’t condone to be derogatory to any other perspectives. Everybody is individual yet one 
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Fair enough I wasn’t trying to offend anyone, but rather to elaborate on why I had to break from the church. This thread has become quite active, and I just wanted to throw my two cents in. Belief systems are a product of life experiences, and while I’ve met many great Christians here in Kansas, my overall experience with them for the most part has been pretty bad.
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Yes I understand
Like @Jennajen where I live it is not unusual to be an atheist. It’s not something that is particularly discussed in most day to day settings.
Saying that, the Church of England is technically part of our governance, with the Queen as Head of State. But generally it is pretty progressive I think. So doesn’t conflict much with the day to day lives of people, whatever their beliefs.
And on the forum, aside from the odd thread or two that is particularly related to God, it isn’t something I have found to be a massive barrier to my participation. I might not have a higher power that I look to but I have still learned a lot from people who do.
That turned into a bit of a mind wander for me, not sure all of that was relevant to what you wrote
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Good morning, I just wanted to say that I do appreciate everyone here and their thoughts on this situation. I understand that we are a very diverse bunch and we all have our differences and beliefs. I respect that completely and hope nothing but the best to anyone who is succeeding at their sobriety in whatever way is working for them. Whether we see eye to eye or not, I’m happy you are choosing to live a better life 
I don’t want to dwell on the negative today because it’s a new start… whatever happened yesterday is over and the best thing is that we can start fresh every day 
I am so very grateful to you all in this thread! I want to put my focus back on my sobriety rather than arguing a point or being worried what others think I should believe. I am me and I’m very happy to be me
I hope you all can have a great Friday and know that we are killing it in our sobriety! I’m proud of us and happy to be here
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I am not a moderator but would want to pitch in saying that the other thread (devoted to god and religion) was talking about moderators siding with the atheists. It isn 't easy to be a moderator, always someone not happy with how they do their job haha. But they are here not to take sides but to keep this place going and to see that this is a safe place for all 
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We have a strong separation of state and church/religion. Churches have the right to collect taxes but only from their members. I do not belong to any church thus do not pay any taxes (to churches - I do pay my state/municipality taxes haha).
Being an atheist is easy where I am from ss well as where I live now. Just respect each other and there wont be problems
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Just wanted to add that moderators are normal members too. Like me, I am both. I post in this thread as myself, as a member. I don’t read or follow christian threads unless I need to do so, because I’m a mod. And as a mod I do my utmost not to side with anybody. And I believe our team of mods is diverse enough, and open enough, to be fair to all here.
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Ooh this is going deep and OPEN!! 
… fantastic… Assumptions 
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I am grateful for you creating this thread but dealing with religion and how it tends to claim
Ownership of healthy sobriety is part of being an atheist in sobriety. In my opinion everything I have read here this morning is on topic.
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Been sober a year and 9 months and still an atheist. That being said I DO have a higher power and it is mine not what anyone else told me it had to be. At first I chose the Group of Drunks or the AA fellowship itself. Later it grew into what it is now.
I do believe each person has to have some higher power outside themselves that they can to which they can “turn things over” only because how can we surrender to ourselves if that is all we believe in. More importantly we cannot rely only on ourselves because we are drunks and out thinking isn’t right without aupport from fellow AAs and imho an HP.
Thats just my perspective on the whole GOD of it. Also I’ve heard lots of different acronyms G.O.D. can stand for like Good Orderly Directions, Great OutDoors, etc. Hope this helps!
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Welcome to the community. Glad you are here.
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