"…many of us are uncomfortable with the word ‘God' and can recoil at the word's mention…. These members often find relief in the thought that G-O-D could stand for ‘good, orderly direction.'" BRB p. 78

Many of us were harmed as children in the name of religion and God. Perhaps we grew up with teachings that showed us a punishing God, or in a home where there was no tolerance for other beliefs. We still may not recognize the depth of the damage done to us by the shame and emotional abuse we experienced in the name of God.

When we found ACA, we may have had trouble with the use of the word God in the Steps. Then when others talked about their belief in God and mentioned their religion, it was a huge button that kept getting pushed. If we stopped attending meetings because of this, we rejected a program meant for people of all belief systems, whether they call their Higher Power "God" or not.

If we stay, we can do a number of things. During a share, we can affirm our own belief by saying, "This program works for me because it's spiritual, not religious." Or when someone says "God," we can think of it as the acronym for "good, orderly direction." Either of these choices, or a number of others, can help us find a way to "take what we like and leave the rest."

On this day I will not "throw the baby out with the bathwater." Just because some people believe in a Higher Power that makes me uncomfortable does not mean the program isn't right for me.