Looking for your thought on this. God of my understanding. "MY UNDERSTANDING" is a very limited ability in open-mindedness, it was my understanding that got me to NA, I am falable to deception, let down, etc.... as is any individual, so to attempt to create something that is infalable is not a god but fits my comfortablilities, in order to change and grow, I must be uncomfortable sometimes. You get where I'm going with this one. Have fun.
If you don't know what you believe, that's fine. Our literature tells us that the nature of our higher power is not what's important. What's important is that He(?) is loving, caring, and greater than we are. It's what he can do for us that is important ,,,namely get and keep us from using. If you believe Jesus can do this for you...fine. Allah? no problem buddha....many do the universe? very new agey and certainly works The group or na as awhole? totally acceptable and working for thousands. don't get hung up on the rhetoric. The message here is hope. Believe.
The Basic Text gives us a clue, a lovely one devoid of personality and dogma. It says "Many of us understand God to be the Force that keeps us clean"......(Step Three).
And then again it suggests that one very important project we can undertake for ourselves is to develop the God Concept ! Him? Her? Personal ? Impersonal ? Personality ? Formless ? are many questions Id asked, but was relieved when the Text said "The right to a God of our understanding is total and without any catches".......
Yes, God for me is the Force that keeps me clean and serene and out of the power of defects of character and shortcomings.
I had to go back to to the religion of my childhood, Hinduism, which already has the concept of "as we understand". Then I added Yoga and Meditation and after many years Im greatful that I am Ecletic, and can understand the viewpoints of many varied religions of this world.
However, Im also reminded in the Text that this is a Spiritual and not religious program and that it is so easy for an addict to try shortcuts and float out on a cloud of religious zeal. And after seeing what religion has done to humankind (and still is doing, in terms of bloodshed, terrorising etc.), I really am very greatful that this program is not based on religious dogma but is the shared experience of those recovering addicts that discovered what keeps us clean and serene.
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
The difference between the religious and spiritual program requires lot of definition.
But the simplest comes from what we aim for.
If I go to a mosque, temple, church, synagoue etc. once there I find people come with all sorts of variedwishes and prayers. Religion.... Whereas, in an NA meeting, no matter who we are or what we used, the common thing is "God, Im an addict, keep me clean and serene and show me a new way of life"..... this is the Great Unity of Purpose in our Worldwide Fellowship ! Spiritual.........
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
As an aside you might find interesting: We adapted and borrowed this program of ours from Alcoholics Anonymous. Most of the original members contibuted to the book Alcoholics Anonymous wih their personal story or a significant portion of the text. There was one fellow who they decided was just too sick to have much value to the alcoholic still suffering and so they chose not to include a contibution from him. Through fierce entreaties, stubborness and frankly, to shut him up, they allowed him four words. Those words were: "...as we understand him." He probably saved my life.
It is not suggested that we create a God of our understanding. I agree with the op that this would be a faulty plan. What is suggested is that we accept a power greater than ourselves - God if you will, of our own understanding. As an athiest, this was a daunting task for me. However, I was told that all I needed was willingness and that I was granted great latitude with the idea of God...just a power greater than myself. N.A. certainly qualified.
As for the idea of infallibility - I was taught by religious folks that there was a God and he was infallible. Infallibility is their dogma - not mine. N.A. works quite well for me as 'god' despite the fallibility of the entity because I don't need it to be infallible - just a power greater than myself.
I had a problem with the God word itself when I came to Narcotics Anonymous. Then I took a Sponsor and started working my Steps. Reading Step Two chapter from It Works How and Why gave me the breakthrough here; just like one of us shared above, reading that the only suggested guidelines for opening my mind to a Higher Power concept was that this Power be loving, caring and greater than myself brought great relief for me. I'm still more comfortable with the word "Higher Power" than God itself when I share or interact about this topic with others as I have observed that a Higher Power could be many things for many of us, with one of such choices being God too.
When I started out, I looked for a Power Greater than my addiction, and I found many people, places, principles and things that could help me stay clean. That's how I first experienced a Higher Power at work. Also, over the years, I have realized that the understanding part, the way I perceive and experience my Higher Power at work in my daily life keeps growing and transcending.
Just to share it here, today I have a God of my own understanding, where my understanding is not a construct but an accumulation of what was revealed through the application of the Steps in my daily life. To give a form or an image or to define my Higher Power doesn't help me as much as applying my Steps and seeing my Higher Power at work in my daily life.
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
I am so inspired when I read the passion and faith in those who have chosen sobriety over destruction... every response has been so well spoken.
Coming from a long line of priests and nuns and harboring a significant amount of resentment towards the traditional God and religious precepts of my youth, it's only been by the growth of a spiritual relationship with that same God and by the faith and support in non-religious programming and friends that I find myself clean and alive today... as a whole, is the greater power that serves me.
As for infallibility, even from a religious point of view, is only a concept of governance and not of self. kd
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"The Greatest Possession We Have is The 24 Hours Ahead Of Us"
THAT a Power,not IN a Power ,your freedom to choose the God of your own understanding even if that is no God at all,a force that helps keep you clean and a process not an event (2nd step) WE CAME(showed up and walked thru the door) WE CAME TO(the drugs and stupor was wearing off and we were missing something)WE CAME TO BELIEVE(the beginning of our process based on many evidences,the group,people who used to use ,now clean,something you hear,a sponsors guidance etc)any Power greater than yourself with only guidelines being that Power be loving and caring and greater than you...This process may change many times or it may be something you came in with the you develop as you apply spiritual principles of the STEPS in all affairs of your life..Welcome...............Keep coming back
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
I'm not trying to be rude but, is the greater power that serves me. Sounds like a spoiled child by his father. The child has to do nothing because dad does it all.
