What if I don’t believe in god?
The OA program of recovery is a deeply personal journey, and everyone’s thoughts and experiences are unique.
As stated in The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, “Our common bonds are two: the disease of compulsive eating from which we all have suffered, and the solution that we all are finding as we live by the principles embodied in these Steps.”
This is what unites us in OA. Differences regarding a spiritual concept, or lack thereof, need not keep us from working the program. As the Third Tradition states, if we have the desire to stop eating compulsively, there is a place for us in OA. The following excerpts below from OA literature further explain the 12-step approach to religion and spirituality…
Ours is a spiritual program, not a religious one.
We have no creeds or doctrines, only our own experiences of recovery. OA doesn’t tell us we have to believe in God — only that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. We are invited to define that Power however we wish and relate to it in whatever way works for us. OA only suggests that we remain open to spiritual growth. Open-mindedness is key to success.
In the end, the results of those who follow the program with their own understanding of a Higher Power demonstrate that it works, regardless of their individual interpretation. Achieving clarity, peace of mind, and personal growth are just a few of the many positive outcomes of OA’s recovery program. By continuing to participate in the program and applying its principles according to our own understanding of a Higher Power, we can experience these significant benefits. These are compelling reasons to “keep coming back.”
Literature