Chapter Four
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 44, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"In the preceding chapters you have learned something
of alcoholism. We hope we have made clear the
distinction between the alcoholic and the
non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find
you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you
have little control over the amount you
take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case,
you may be suffering from an illness which only a
spiritual experience will conquer"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here, Compulsive Overeater, Newcomer to Overeaters Anonymous and this loop and your leader for
the Big Book Study for the month of May. When my sponsor suggested that I volunteer for this service I
immediately responded that I was too new and did not have any ESH to offer to others. I do, however, have
much experience being an agnostic (I remember having faith when I was about 9 or 10, but not since then),
so I offered to lead this month's chapter, "We Agnostics".
I had considered posting a short biography today, but I believe you will learn as much as you will ever want
to know about me during the coming month! So here goes..
I am just now accepting the notion that I have a disease. I have spent years trying to find the "right
diet", all the while believing that if I could just find it, I would lose the excess weight and my life
would be perfect. I tried pills, shots, exercise, hi-carb, low-carb, supervised, unsupervised, even
hypnotism. I have always believed, and advised others, (especially my children), that if you can read, you
can do anything. I own just about every diet book ever written and, while I was reading them I gained 100
lbs. I believe I have found the right book at last. I am not aware of a connection to a higher power, but I
do believe that is what it will take for me to conquer my illness.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe you are a compulsive overeater? If so, do you believe that you will need a
spiritual connection to conquer your illness?
2. In what ways are you willing to change your attitude about weight control, body image and eating?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 44, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"To one who feels he is an atheist or agnostic such an experience seems impossible, but to continue as he is
means disaster, especially if he is an alcoholic of the hopeless variety. To be doomed to an
alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face.
But it isn't so difficult. About half our original fellowship were of exactly that type. At first some of
us tried to avoid the issue, hoping against hope we were not true alcoholics. But after a while we
had to face the fact that we must find a spiritual basis of life or else. Perhaps it is going to
be that way with you. But cheer up, something like half of us thought we were atheists or agnostics. Our
experience shows that you need not be disconcerted."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here, COE and your leader for the month of May.
I believe that I have this disease. But I thought I had "taken Step 1" a few months ago and
before I knew it, I was at Barnes and Noble buying yet another diet book, this one different from all the
others because it came highly recommended and there were true stories about people for whom this diet had
really worked!! When I put that book down and picked up my Big Book again I did not feel defeated, as I had
in the past when I had failed at a diet "anyone could follow successfully". I felt hope; I am not sure what
the future or this program will bring me but I have a good feeling, deep inside, that it will be real and
lasting.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you still cling to the hope that you do not have this disease therefore obviating the need for a spiritual connection?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 44-45, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of
us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save
us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be
philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power
wasn't there. Our human resources, as marshaled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have always been honest, hardworking and caring and
consider myself a useful member of society. I have
served on many commissions, committees and boards,
donated hours and hours of my time to worthy causes
and believe that I have done at least some good in
this world. My husband is Jewish and I was raised as
a protestant in the Church of England. We have 3
adopted children, aged 13, 12 and 10, all mixed race
African American/Caucasian. During the screening
process in each of the adoptions the social workers
would ask us what we planned to do about religion. We
were affronted; we were well read, educated
professionals who were way too cool to be involved
with organized religion. We believed that we lived by
a code of morals which was superior to most and were
confident that we could instill these values in our
children without interference from rabbi, clergy or
anyone else who might think they knew better than we.
Six years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and
because of my other disease (COE) I am now on insulin
and still do not have tight control of my blood
sugars. I am already suffering some mild
complications of diabetes. I absolutely believe that I
owe a duty to my 3 children to be as physically fit as
I possibly can so that I will be around and well
enough to take care of them until they are grown. I
also would like to be alive to see my grandchildren
some day. Yet I cannot conquer this disease by myself.
I need some help from someone more able than I.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe that you have a code of morals or philosophy which is sufficient for you to
live a good, useful, rewarding life?
2. If so, why have you not been able to be good yourself and your own body?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 45, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power
greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
The biggest hurdle I have to overcome when seeking a power greater than myself is accepting that such a
thing exists. I was taught to be self-sufficient, to rely on no-one or nothing, that there was nothing and
no-one out there who was going to take care of me so I had better learn to take care of myself. I learned
this lesson sooo well (at the same time and with the same success that I was learning my co-dependency skills):).
I still fight, daily, this fierce self-reliance; I am afraid to admit my powerlessness because of my fear
that whoever or whatever is supposed to step in and take over will fail. I have failed, but I am used to
my own failure; I am scared that if I rely on some other power, that will fail me too. I have experienced
abandonment and betrayal; I have been "let down". My instinct is to not trust again so that I will not be
failed again.
I believe that my contact with other members of OA is helping me to let go and surrender my will. I am
consistently surprised and comforted by the faith in a higher power of others in this fellowship. Daily I
listen to and read the shares of people with amazing faith. I do not know what this higher power will be
like; perhaps it is inside me, waiting for me to recognize it. I am nothing if not pragmatic; I see
that this idea of a higher power has worked for others and I believe it will therefore some day work for me.
Thank you all so much for your shares on this and the other recovery loops; I think this is where I am
finding my higher power.
THE QUESTIONS
1. How do you feel about replacing your old ways with ways that work?
2. Where will you find this new path?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 45, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Well, that's exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than
yourself which will solve your problem. That means we have written a book which we believe to
be spiritual as well as moral. And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about
God. Here difficulty arises with agnostics. Many times we talk to a new man and watch his hope rise as we
discuss his alcoholic problems and explain our fellowship. But his face falls when we speak of
spiritual matters, especially when we mention God, for we have re-opened a subject which our man
thought he had neatly evaded or entirely ignored."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I knew before I came into OA about the higher power stuff; my husband is in another 12 step program and I
had a basic knowledge of how the whole thing worked. It's for that reason that I resisted the idea of OA.
(that, and the fact that my husband had been the one who suggested it :)). I reluctantly started to get
involved, online for a few months then face to face. Before I made it to my first face to face meeting, I quit
altogether; I had been attending online meetings faithfully, reading and posting on the various loops
and writing and reading OA literature. But nothing was happening; God had not appeared to me in a vision and
I was still eating. I decided that I was one of the unlucky ones for whom God did not exist and I was
therefore doomed to fail or succeed on my own.
In the meantime, my blood glucose levels were approaching a dangerously high level and I was
beginning to experience the long term consequences of diabetes. I was desperate and an online friend who
lives overseas, who is also in another 12 step program urged me to do something, anything, about my health.
She had started not believing in God, had been "acting as if" and had come to feel the presence of a higher
power. I went to a face to face meeting in January of this year and some of the people there also said that
they had started out as non believers but had come to believe that a power greater than themselves could
help. As I said yesterday, I am pragmatic, and if this works for so many people I am willing to believe
that it can work for me.
THE QUESTIONS
1. When you first came to OA were you put off by the mention of God or a Higher Power?
2. Were you surprised to learn that this faith in a higher power was the foundation for the 12 step programs?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 44, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We know how he feels. We have shared his honest doubt and prejudice. Some of us have been violently
anti-religious. To others, the word "God" brought up a particular idea of Him with which someone had tried
to impress them during childhood. Perhaps we rejected this particular conception because it seemed
inadequate. With that rejection we imagined we had abandoned the God idea entirely."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have never actually rejected the idea of the
existence of God or a Higher Power, but I have never
actively searched for one either. I didn't believe I
needed a power greater than myself because,
notwithstanding the fact that I was killing myself
with this disease, I believed I was in control and
that I would be fine as soon as I found the "right
diet" or the "right doctor".
I went to Sunday school as a child because it was
mandatory if you wanted to be a Girl Scout. I did
believe there was a God then; my concept of Him was
one of a punitive entity (a grumpy old man, I
remember) who was not much interested in us mere
mortals but concerned with lofty ideas which only the
vicar understood.
I think I did ask for things from God as a child, but
when I didn't get them I felt unworthy, not angry. I
have felt, over the years, that life has been very
unfair to me and others close to me but I have never
blamed anything but human nature and mother nature,
depending on the circumstances.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you actively rejected the concept of a higher power or have you simply not been interested
in the whole idea?
2. Have you ever been angry at your God? Have you ever asked your God to do something for you and felt abandoned?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 45-46, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We were bothered with the thought that faith and dependence upon a Power beyond
ourselves was somewhat weak, even cowardly."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I remember pitying people who joined cults and extreme religious groups because I believed that it was a flaw
in their characters which made them vulnerable and weak, otherwise they would not need this presence in
their lives. Although I will admit I have not overcome my prejudice against certain extreme beliefs
and cultures, I do now envy those with a simple belief in God. I envy them the ability to allow that faith to
be part of their lives and to not doubt it.
As I learn more about OA I am coming to realize that what I perceived as "weakness", is actually the
courage to give up control of my life and place it in the hands of higher power. I no longer see this as
cowardly; I am hoping (and praying) to find the courage to let go.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you think it is "weak" to rely on a power other than yourself to get through life?
2. Are you willing to give up your self will regarding food?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 46, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We looked upon this world of warring individuals, warring theological systems, and
inexplicable calamity, with deep skepticism. We looked askance at many individuals who claimed
to be godly. How could a Supreme Being have anything to do with it all? And who could comprehend a Supreme
Being anyhow? Yet, in other moments, we found ourselves thinking, when enchanted
by a starlit night, "Who, then, made all this?" There was a feeling of awe and wonder,
but it was fleeting and soon lost."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
When I was a child in England there were often pictures of thalidomide babies in the newspapers. I
attended Sunday school at that time and did believe in God. I was too young to understand what thalidomide
was, and why the babies were so horribly deformed. I remember sitting in church one day and wondering "Why
did He do that?" There was no-one in my life at that time who I could talk to about this. I still can see
the image of those photographs and I think that might have been the beginning of the end of faith for me (at
least for many years).
During Spring Break this year, we spent a couple of days in Humboldt County, (in California), admiring the
giant redwoods. If you have seen them, you know how breathtakingly beautiful they are. My 10 year old
daughter said that it looked as if God had rolled the earth in seed. It certainly made me think.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you seen hardship and suffering which has made you think that no one with the power to
change this would allow it?
2. Have you had moments when you have been struck by the beauty around you and felt a
connection to a "Spirit of the Universe"?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 46, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Yes, we of agnostic temperament have had these thoughts and experiences. Let us make haste to
reassure you. We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a
willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even
though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I didn't actually have prejudices against the existence of a higher power, I just didn't see any evidence and
was not particularly interested in searching for any. I spent my first few months in OA waiting for an
epiphany; it did not come! I am willing to believe and I want to believe. I am willing to pray and stay
open to the idea.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What steps have you taken/will you take to overcome any prejudices that you previously held against the existence of a Higher Power
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 46-47, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own
conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a
contact with Him. As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a
Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of
power and direction, provided we took other simple steps. We found that God does not make
too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all
inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men.
When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God. This applies, too, to other
spiritual expressions which you find in this book. Do not let any prejudice you may have against
spiritual terms deter you from honestly asking yourself what they mean to you.
At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to effect our first conscious
relation with God as we understood Him. Afterward, we found ourselves accepting many things
which then seemed entirely out of reach. That was growth, but if we wished to grow we
had to begin somewhere. So we used our own conception, however limited it was."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
As I have said already, I did not believe there was a power greater than myself which could affect my life.
But I have looked around at OA meetings and at the people I have met online and I realize that they do
have a power greater than the human power. At least it is greater then mine. And I believe many people when
they tell me that, at one time, they did not believe there was a power who could help them and guide them.
I am very willing to believe that there is a power which can help me. I cannot yet define it, but what I
would like it to be is wise and patient and serene; I suppose the qualities I most would like to possess myself.
THE QUESTIONS
1. How would you define a power greater than yourself?
2. What would this power be able to do for you which you cannot do for yourself?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 47, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe,
that there is a Power greater than myself?" As soon as a man can say that he does believe, or is willing to
believe, we emphatically assure him that he is on his way. It has been repeatedly proven among us that upon
this simple cornerstone a wonderfully effective spiritual structure can be built.
That was great news to us, for we had assumed we could not make use of spiritual principles unless we
accepted many things on faith which seemed difficult to believe. When people presented us with spiritual
approaches, how frequently did we all say, "I wish I had what that man has. I'm sure it would work if I
could only believe as he believes. But I cannot accept as surely true the many articles of faith which are so
plain to him." So it was comforting to learn that we could commence at a simpler level".
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have heard it said that the 12 step program is simple (but not easy). I think that, for me, is the
reason I am willing to keep trying. It seems so simple; those who have had recovery seem to have less
complicated lives than I. People in OA have a faith in a HP which some of them can't even define; this is
comforting to me because I lost my childhood image of God and it never occurred to me to just believe and
not worry about who or what it was a I believed in. I pray now, not to anyone or anything in particular,
just to whomever is listening.
One recovered compulsive overeater told me that his HP was his inner peace and tranquility. He described it
as that "okayness" which we are all born with and which we lose somewhere along the way. Others have
told me that they have imagined a Higher Power and still others believe in the God of their religion, or
childhood, or some other diety. I doesn't matter to me any more. I see that when others believe it works,
and I want it to work so I am willing to believe.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What actions are you willing to take to connect with a spiritual power which others have said works for them?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 47-48, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Besides a seeming inability to accept much on faith, we often found ourselves handicapped by obstinacy,
sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice. Many of us have been so touchy that even casual reference to
spiritual things make us bristle with antagonism. This sort of thinking had to be abandoned. Though some of
us resisted, we found no great difficulty in casting aside such feelings."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I did not bristle at anything anyone said. I was very sad; I saw that these people had something that worked
for them and I wanted it to work for me and I thought that it never would. I thought that if I didn't
believe in God as I had known him as a child (and as I assumed everyone in OA knew him) that I was one of
unlucky ones for whom a 12 step program would not work. I still struggle with these feelings but I am
coming, slowly, to believe that it is possible for me to succeed.
THE QUESTIONS
1. When you first came into OA, were there things said which made you "bristle"?
2. What were they and why did they affect you that way?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 48, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Faced with alcoholic destruction, we soon became as open minded on spiritual matters as we had tried to be
on other questions. In this respect alcohol was a great persuader. It finally beat us into a state of
reasonableness. Sometimes this was a tedious process; we hope no one else will be prejudiced for as long as
some of us were."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I don't know how long this process is going to take for me. It will probably be very tedious. As I shared
earlier, when I first came into OA I sat around waiting for God to appear and speak to me. When I
realized that it was going to take some action and commitment on my part; some openness and willingness,
I started to try to be open to the idea. I am willing, now I need some patience!
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you still have to be "hit over the head" to accept the existence of a Higher Power? If so, what do you think would convince you?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 48-49, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"To illustrate: The prosaic steel girder is a mass of electrons whirling around each other at incredible
speed. These tiny bodies are governed by precise laws, and these laws hold true throughout the material
world. Science tells us so. We have no reason to doubt it. When, however, the perfectly logical
assumption is suggested that underneath the material world and life as we see it, there is an All Powerful,
Guiding, Creative Intelligence, right there our perverse streak comes to the surface and we
laboriously set out to convince ourselves it isn't so. We read wordy books and indulge in windy arguments,
thinking we believe this universe needs no God to explain it. Were our contentions true, it would follow
that life originated out of nothing, means nothing, and proceeds nowhere."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have argued with myself against the existence of God, half-heartedly perhaps, but I am sure I have done
it. Not because I hated the idea of God, I think, but because I couldn't see him working in my life and I
now realize that I have believed that he was there for others but not for me; perhaps I was not worthy.
I have recently been arguing with myself for the idea of God. This is a mistake; I need to let go and LET
God, as they say. As always I have been trying too hard to make things work the way I want them to
instead of just letting go. I am beginning to see the light!
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever argued with yourself or others against the idea of the existence of God? Why?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 49, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Instead of regarding ourselves as intelligent agents, spearheads of God's ever advancing Creation, we
agnostics and atheists chose to believe that our human intelligence was the last word, the alpha and the
omega, the beginning and end of all. Rather vain of us, wasn't it? We, who have traveled this dubious
path, beg you to lay aside prejudice, even against organized religion."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
The question is sometimes asked, "What have you heard in meetings that has offended you?". This particular
quote about us agnostics being vain offends me every time I hear it. It is one of the few things in the Big
Book with which I cannot agree. Whoever wrote that does not know what it is like to seek God and not find
him. A friend of mine once told me that faith is a gift from God. I believe this. I don't think vanity
has anything to do with it.
My Prayer:
God, let me see the light.
Open up my heart and mind so that flicker of the
awareness of your power which creeps in every now and
again can take root and grow.
Help me to feel and accept your love and show me the
path I must follow.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What knowledge would you like to receive from God (or a Higher Power)?
2. What would you say if you were to talk to your Higher Power?
3. Are you afraid to express your true feelings?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 49-50, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be, those faiths have given purpose
and direction to millions. People of faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. Actually, we
used to have no reasonable conception whatever. We used to amuse ourselves by cynically dissecting spiritual
beliefs and practices when we might have observed that many spiritually-minded persons of all races,
colors, and creeds were demonstrating a degree of stability, happiness and usefulness which we should
have sought ourselves.
Instead, we looked at the human defects of these people, and sometimes used their
shortcomings as a basis of wholesale condemnation. We talked of intolerance, while we were intolerant
ourselves. We missed the reality and the beauty of the forest because we were diverted by the ugliness of
some its trees. We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing.
In our personal stories you will find a wide variation in the way each teller approaches and conceives of
the Power which is greater than himself. Whether we agree with a particular approach or conception seems
to make little difference. Experience has taught us that these are matters about which, for our purpose,
we need not be worried. They are questions for each individual to settle for himself.
On one proposition, however, these men and women are strikingly agreed. Every one of them has gained
access to, and believes in, a Power greater than himself. This Power has in each case
accomplished the miraculous, the humanly impossible. As a celebrated American statesman put it, "Let's look
at the record."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have spent a lot of time criticizing people who openly talked about their faith in God and who I
perceived as somehow lacking in moral fiber, or honesty, integrity or any number of character traits
which I believed I possessed. I used to think of them as "so-called [Christians, or whatever their faith
happened to be]. I have used this critical view of others to close myself off from the idea that God
exists; if there was a God, why would all his followers be so imperfect?
I am beginning to see (in part from all of your shares on this loop) that it is not only perfect humans who
can have a God. And perhaps it is I who have these character defects :-). And perhaps I can have a God,
even though I am imperfect. Thank you all so much for your shares this month.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever known people who profess to be spiritual but are not "good people" in your eyes?
2. How did you feel about this?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 50-51, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Here are thousands of men and women, worldly indeed. They flatly declare that since they have come to
believe in a Power greater than themselves, to take a certain attitude toward that Power, and to do certain
simple things, there has been a revolutionary change in their way of living and thinking. In the face of
collapse and despair, in the face of the total failure of their human resources, they found that a new power,
peace, happiness, and sense of direction flowed into them. This happened soon after they wholeheartedly
met a few simple requirements. Once confused and baffled by the seeming futility of existence, they
show the underlying reasons why they were making heavy going of life. Leaving aside the drink question, they
tell why living was so unsatisfactory. They show how the change came over them. When many hundreds of
people are able to say that the consciousness of the Presence of God is today the most important fact of
their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I want to know the consciousness of the presence of God. As you all know by now I am really struggling
with this. I don't think I have ever known personally anyone in whom the presence of God was obvious, but,
as I shared before, I have always though that this presence would make one perfect and I have never known
a perfect person. I am going to look back over my life and the people I have known and think about the
goodness in those people and where it came from.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever known/do you know anyone in whom the presence of God was obvious to you?
2. How did you know?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 51-52, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"This world of ours has made more material progress in the last century than in all the millenniums which
went before. Almost everyone knows the reason. Students of ancient history tell us that the intellect
of men in those days was equal to the best of today. Yet in ancient times, material progress was painfully
slow. The spirit of modern scientific inquiry, research and invention was almost unknown. In the
realm of the material, men's minds were fettered by superstition, tradition, and all sorts of fixed ideas. Some of the
contemporaries of Columbus thought a round earth preposterous. Others came near putting Galileo to
death for his astronomical heresies.
We asked ourselves this: Are not some of us just as biased and unreasonable about the realm of the spirit as were the
ancients about the realm of the material? Even in the present century, American newspapers were afraid to
print an account of the Wright brothers' first successful flight at Kittyhawk. Had not all efforts at
flight failed before? Did not Professor Langley's flying machine go to the bottom of the Potomac River?
Was it not true that the best mathematical minds had proved man could never fly? Had not people said God
had reserved this privilege to the birds? Only thirty years later the conquest of the air was almost an old
story and airplane travel was in full swing."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I still remember the sense of wonder I felt when the humans landed on the moon. I was in England, and they
had a sort of Telethon with all these stars to keep us entertained, because it was the middle of the night
there when they landed. I remember looking at the TV set and going outside and looking at the moon. It was
such a wondrous thing; I think I felt something spiritual stirring inside me that night. I was with
friends and we can all still remember the sense of wonder and awe we felt. Unfortunately, the frequency of
space travel has made it seem mundane; I wonder if this is what happens as we make scientific advances.
What seemed wonderful and magical turns out to have a scientific explanation and, for me that makes it
ordinary, material and not spiritual.
I have 3 adopted children all of whom we adopted at birth and I remember saying a prayer of thanks each
time we took one of them home from the hospital. For me, the fact that these women made a decision to bear
these children and then sacrifice their own needs for the sake of the their babies is a true miracle. I am
very busy working, raising 3 teenagers, working my program :-) and I had forgotten, until now, to thank
whatever power it was that made this possible for me.
I think I'm getting it!
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you heard of or read accounts of events taking place around the world which you have trouble
believing? Why?
2. Why do some sources seem more believable to you than others?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 52, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"But in most fields our generation has witnessed complete liberation in thinking. Show any
longshoreman a Sunday supplement describing a proposal to explore the moon by means of a rocket and he will
say, "I bet they do it-maybe not so long either." Is not our age characterized by the ease with which we
discard old ideas for new, by the complete readiness with which we throw away the theory or gadget which
does not work for something new which does?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I would love to be able to say that I have abandoned my self will and "turned my life over" to my HP, but
that is not true, yet. I do see that my old ways do not work; and whatever I am doing I need to give it up
in favor of something better! I suppose I am afraid that there will be nothing there to replace it.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever abandoned a practice of belief because it was not working for you?
2. Why do you think it did not work?
3. What finally convinced you go give it up?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 52, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We had to ask ourselves why we shouldn't apply to our human problems this same readiness to change our
point of view. We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn't control our emotional
natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn't make a living, we had a feeling of
uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, we couldn't seem to be of real help to other people-was
not a basic solution of these bedevilments more important than whether we should see newsreels of
lunar flight? Of course it was."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
Before I started to explore OA, I did not know I had "bedevilments" in my life. I thought I was just fat!
I now know that there are many aspects of my life which are out of control, and I can no longer deny
this. I used to think that all of these problems were mine because I was overweight. Now I know that is not
true. I am not sure that they are here because I am a COE, or I am a COE because of these problems. I
do know that they go hand in hand, and that I have to find something to help me get a hold of all of my life.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What bedevilments plagued your life before OA (or still do)?
2. How did your life change and how did your HP help effect that change?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 52-53, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"The Wright brothers' almost childish faith that they could build a machine which would fly was the
mainspring of their accomplishment. Without that, nothing could have happened. We agnostics and atheists
were sticking to the idea that self-sufficiency would solve our problems. When others showed us that
"God-sufficiency" worked with them, we began to feel like those who had insisted the Wrights would never fly.
Logic is great stuff. We like it. We still like it. It is not by chance we were given the power to reason,
to examine the evidence of our sense, and to draw conclusions. That is one of man's magnificent
attributes. We agnostically inclined would not feel satisfied with a proposal which does not lend itself
to reasonable approach and interpretation. Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is
reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not to believe, why we say our former
thinking was soft and mushy when we threw up our hands in doubt and said, "We don't know."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have a fairly responsible job, other people's problems are in my hands daily and I have learned so
well over the years to trust my own judgment, rely on my own instincts and act with confidence in my own
abilities. I do okay at work, I can help my clients to understand their problems and put them in
perspective. Why, oh why, can I not control something as simple as what I put in my mouth? If I give up my
self-sufficiency, will it be in all areas of my life or just my food? Today I am particularly grateful for
the opportunity to be the leader for this chapter, because I will get the benefit of all your "cross-talk".
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 53-54, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"When we became alcoholics, crushed by a self-imposed crises we could not postpone or evade, we had to
fearlessly face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is or He
isn't. What was our choice to be?
Arrived at this point, we were squarely confronted with the question of faith. We couldn't duck the issue.
Some of us had already walked far over the Bridge of Reason toward the desired shore of faith. The outlines
and the promise of the New Land had brought lustre to tired eyes and fresh courage to flagging spirits. Friendly
hands had stretched out in welcome. We were grateful that Reason had brought us so far. But somehow, we couldn't
quite step ashore. Perhaps we had been leaning too heavily on reason that last mile and we did not like
to lose our support.
That was natural, but let us think a little more closely.
Without knowing it, had we not been brought to where
we stood by a certain kind of
faith? For did we not believe in our own reasoning?
Did we not have confidence in our ability to think?
What was that but a sort of faith? Yes, we had been
faithful, abjectly faithful to the God of Reason. So,
in one way or another, we discovered that faith had
been involved all the time!"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
Thank you all for your shares for May 22. The most
amazing thing is that I got the answers and I forgot
to post the questions! Thanks everyone.
I am afraid to take the step of the edge and trust
God. I think about it, pray about it and sometimes I
feel a connection which does help me with my food. But
I cannot say that I have turned my life over. I can
say that I no longer believe that God does not exist.
But I am still afraid to let go and let God, as they
say.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Are you (or were you) afraid to take that last step to faith?
2. What are (or were) you afraid would happen? What did happen?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 54, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We found, too, that we had been worshippers. What a state of mental goose-flesh that used to bring on!
Had we not variously worshipped people, sentiment, things, money, and ourselves? And then, with a better
motive, had we not worshipfully beheld the sunset, the sea, or a flower? Who of us had not loved something or
somebody? How much did these feelings, these loves, these worships, have to do with pure reason? Little or
nothing, we saw at last. Were not these things the tissue out of which our lives were constructed? Did
not these feelings, after all, determine the course of our existence? It was impossible to say we had no
capacity for faith, or love, or worship. In one form or another we had been living by faith and little else."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have said to various people throughout my life (and meant it), when they had doubts about their ability to
succeed at certain endeavors, "I have faith in you; I know you can do it". When I was about 11, I was asked
to write a definition of faith, and I wrote "Faith is believing in something you don't know to be true".
Obviously, what I meant was believing in something for which there is no tangible proof of existence. But I
have and do believe in many things for which there is no evidence. I have examined this faith and realize
that it is not faith in things but in people. I don't need faith that the sun will rise tomorrow; I am
satisfied with the scientific explanation. What I have faith in is the human spirit. I have faith in
people; I believe that there is much good in the world and that it is because of the efforts of the human
race. But now I suppose I have to ask where this basic goodness comes from? Does it come from a higher power,
or is it the pure, unspoiled nature of man? I don't know.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever (or do you now love) another "more than life itself"?
2. What was (is) it about this person that makes you love them so much?
3. Does your HP play a part in your love for this person?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 54-55, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Imagine life without faith! Were nothing left but pure reason, it wouldn't be life. But we believed in
life of course we did. We could not prove life in the sense that you can prove a straight line is
the shortest distance between two points, yet, there it was. Could we still say the whole thing was nothing
but a mass of electrons, created out of nothing, meaning nothing, whirling on to a destiny of
nothingness? Or course we couldn't. The electrons themselves seemed more intelligent than that. At
least, so the chemist said.
Hence, we saw that reason isn't everything. Neither is reason, as most of us use it, entirely dependable,
thought it emanate from our best minds. What about people who proved that man could never fly?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
During my life I have believed many strange things, among them: a turkey and a chicken were the same
thing, but the turkey was the male and the chicken the female. I wondered why only ate the males at
Christmas. My brother, who is 5 years older than I, convinced me that because I was once 1/6th his age
then half his age, etc., I would eventually catch up to him. I believed
these things because my older brothers and sisters told me they were true and I had no reason to doubt
them. I see my children do the same things to one another. Perhaps my early faith was there because
someone told me there was a God and I had no reason to doubt them.
Whether my HP is a "spirit of the universe" or a power emanating from within me, I believe that I need to
examine the reasons I started to doubt. Perhaps the 4th step?
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever held a belief in the truth or existence of an idea or event which was
subsequently disproven to you?
2. What made you cling to your earlier belief?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 55, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Yet we had been seeing another kind of flight, a spiritual liberation from this world, people who rose
above their problems. They said God made these things possible, and we only smiled. We had seen spiritual
release, but liked to tell ourselves it wasn't true."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I have a friend who is able to rise above any problem she encounters in her life, whether it be with her
husband, her children or finances; she has had many huge problems to deal with. She has moved away now
and I miss our chats a lot. She would sit down with a cup of tea, talk through the problem, discuss the
possible solutions, then "Oh! well, what will be, will be." I love her dearly but I used to think she was
nuts. I wondered why she didn't get a grip on reality and see the seriousness of her situation. Her
reactions were entirely inappropriate in my mind. I would have worried and obsessed and tried to fix
everything. She seemed to do nothing.
I heard from her recently that she is going to a seminary which has been arranged through her church to
become a youth counselor. I did not pay much attention to the details because I remember thinking: "Oh no,
she is going to teach all these teenagers to be as zoned out as she is."
Since I have been in OA I have met people with serenity; that is what I want the most from my
program. (Weight loss would be nice, too). I want to be like my friend and take life as it comes and have
faith that everything will work out. I understand now that she was not zoned out, she was trusting God to
show her the way. I don't know that I will ever be able to have that faith in her God, but I am starting
to believe that it is possible to have serenity and to trust that things will work out. If I just work the
steps. I see that now.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever known anyone who has the ability to rise above their problems and rely on
their faith in God?
2. Have you ever asked them how they came by their faith?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 55, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"Actually we were fooling ourselves, for deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea
of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or other it
is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human
lives, are facts as old as man himself.
We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we
have for a friend. Sometimes we had to search fearlessly, but He was there. He was as much a fact as
we were. We found the Great Reality deep down within us. In the last analysis it is only there that
He may be found. It was so with us."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
This particular passage means more to me than just about anything else in the Big Book. I am unable to
reach out and up and envision a God in whom I can have faith. For this reason, I have doubted on more than one
occasion whether a 12 step program could ever work for me. It was safe and comfortable for me to look at
others' ideas of God and say, "He's not there for me, Oh Well". The idea that the spirit was already inside
me was very scary. What had I been doing all my life? Why had I not been listening and taking guidance from
something already so close to me. I admit that, although I have not consciously rejected a particular
religious belief, I have rejected the idea that the "Great Reality is deep down within me". I now believe
it is, and now I have to take the responsibility of acknowledging it and talking to and listening to it.
This is a big day for me. Thanks for sharing it with me.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe that you always had the spirit of God inside you?
2. How did you recognize this?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", page 55, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"We can only clear the ground a bit. If our testimony helps sweep away prejudice, enables you to think
honestly, encourages you to search diligently within yourself, then, if you wish, you can join us on the
Broad Highway. With this attitude you cannot fail. The consciousness of your belief is sure to come to you."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I had read the "We Agnostics" chapter in the Big Book many times before I started to share this month. I now
know what it means to me, and I understand what it means when people say that the Big Book is open to
many interpretations. Last year, I started in OA and quit because I did not believe in God and thought that
this program was not for me. I considered joining a church, among other things, in an effort to find a
Higher Power. I now know that believing in a particular God is not necessary. I used to believe
that I was just a body, with a brain and heart which pumped the blood around. I believe now that I am more
than that. I don't know exactly what, but there is something else I can tap into when my brain fails me.
It's a good feeling.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Did you look inward in your search for a HP?
2. What steps did you take to do that?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 55-56, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"In this book you will read the experience of a man who thought he was an atheist. His story is so
interesting that some of it should be told now. His change of heart was dramatic, convincing, and moving.
Our friend was a minister's son. He attended church school, where he became rebellious at what he thought
an overdose of religious education. For years thereafter he was dogged by trouble and frustration.
Business failure, insanity, fatal illness, suicide these calamities in his immediate family embittered and
depressed him. Post-war disillusionment, ever more serious alcoholism, impending mental and physical
collapse, brought him to the point to self-destruction.
One night, when confined in a hospital, he was approached by an alcoholic who had known a spiritual
experience. Our friend's gorge rose as he bitterly cried out: "If there is a God, He certainly hasn't
done anything for me!" But later, alone in his room, he asked himself this question: "Is it possible that
all the religious people I have known are wrong?" While pondering the answer he felt as though he lived
in hell. Then, like a thunderbolt, a great thought came. It crowded out all else:
"Who are you to say there is no God?"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I never really thought about God, or a higher power, or my soul, or whatever it is until I came to OA. I
thought I was okay just the way I was, as long as I could lose some weight, life was fine. I wanted to
find some faith when I came here so that I could lose weight. And I thought that was so selfish that it got
in the way of my progress. As I have shared already, I do not necessarily believe that there is someone or
some thing out there whom I have shunned and ignored until I needed something. If I have slighted anyone it
is myself, and I can make amends for that.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Have the circumstances of your life made you willing to believe and brought you faith in a higher power?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pp. 56-57, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"This man recounts that he tumbled out of bed to his knees. In a few seconds he was overwhelmed by a
conviction of the Presence of God. It poured over and through him with the certainty and majesty of a great
tide at flood. The barriers he had built through the years were swept away. He stood in the Presence of
Infinite Power and Love. He had stepped from bridge to shore. For the first time, he lived in conscious
companionship with his Creator.
Thus was our friend's cornerstone fixed in place. No later vicissitude has shaken it. His alcoholic problem
was taken away. That very night, years ago, it disappeared. Save for a few brief moments of
temptation the though of drink has never returned; and at such times a great revulsion has risen up in him.
Seemingly he could not drink even if he would. God had restored his sanity."
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I did so want to "find God"; I imagined it would happen suddenly one day, just the way I dreamed when I
was younger that I would go to sleep and wake up thin! I never got thin overnight and I am not going to work
this program overnight either. People tell me "it takes time", and "in God's time". I am still
struggling with these concepts. I have diabetes and my disease is causing complications which may become
irreversible. But I have gone all these years with no progress at all, and now at least I am moving forward.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Did your faith in your HP come to you in an epiphany, or did you just act "as if" and let the spirit grow inside you?
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
ASSIGNMENT:
Read from AA Big Book, Chapter 4, "We Agnostics", pag 57, adapted to compulsive overeating.
Respond to questions about this reading.
Text of "We Agnostics"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
"What is this but a miracle of healing? Yet its elements are simple. Circumstances made him willing
to believe. He humbly offered himself to his Maker then he knew.
Even so has God restored us all to our right minds. To this man, the revelation was sudden. Some of us grow
into it more slowly. But He has come to all who have honestly sought Him.
When we drew near to Him He disclosed Himself to us!"
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»
Hi, ***** here., COE and your leader for the month of
May.
I started out this month saying that I did not have
any prejudices against God and religion. I do not
believe that was true. I fancied myself open and
enlightened but I see now that I was afraid of that
which I did not understand. This last passage says
that we will find faith if we honestly seek it. This
month has been a major exercise in honesty for me, and
I thank you all for sharing it with me.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Please share an example of how your relationship with your higher power has helped you in your disease.
 Back |
 Top |
 Next |
JOIN US
Copyright © 2000 ~ The RECOVERY Group
![[IMAGE]](../../image/bigbooklogo1.gif)
![[IMAGE]](../../image/dovec.gif)