It Is Normal to Experience This
Confronting agnosticism and living with agnosticism is something most addicts and alcoholics do at some point in time during both their active addiction and their recovery. The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous devotes an entire chapter to the topic titled “We Agnostics”. Spirituality and spiritual belief is a part of recovery for many people, especially those who follow twelve step doctrines, equally for those who do not.
To be an agnostic person means to be “a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.”
Agnosticism is radically different from atheism. An atheist completely renounces the idea of a God or any kind of God. Agnosticism, on the other hand, might include some beliefs, but nothing with a solid yes or a solid no towards a total answer.
We lose faith as addicts and alcoholics in many things, God included. Many of us were raised religious and felt that our religions betrayed us. Others were raised completely without doctrine and felt that if there was a God we must not have been on the holy radar.
Our struggles in life are what block us from seeing the entirety of the plan of the Universe and what might be an all-knowing creator. We feel punished, forgotten, rejected, and lost. If there is a thing called God, we weren’t a big fan. All of these points are readily addressed in “We Agnostics”.
One man’s experience stands out. In his contemplations about the existence of God or some kind of higher power, this man concluded that there couldn’t be a God, that there was, in fact, no God. At that moment, an all powerful realization hit him like a voice in his mind which simply asked, who are you to say there is no God? At that moment the man, found his belief in a higher power.
Such simple conclusions bring many people to find a higher power of their understanding, which is all AA advocates for. “God” is simply a term used to describe something greater than ourselves. What creates “God” and who “God” is differs per person.
Agnosticism Does Not Get in The Way Of Your Recovery
Agnosticism is not a problem in recovery. In fact, it is often the foundation upon which many people build their spirituality. It is possible to be spiritual and have spiritual beliefs, as well as live along spiritual principle without believing in or having faith in a power which might be called “God”. Recovery is a process of self-discovery and learning to be okay with what is discovered.
Lakehouse Recovery Center offers recovery and non-recovery focused treatments so that each client can develop a foundation of recovery which suits their needs and lifestyle. For information on our private residential treatment programs and 12 month aftercare, call us today at 877.762.3707.