I am writing for myself and those who feel they don’t really belong in OA. I’m writing for the atheists and agnostics.
My Dad was in recovery in another Twelve Step fellowship for thirty years. He was also agnostic. Over the years when I was growing up, I’d ask him, “Do you think there is a God?” He would always say the same thing: “I don’t know, but I’ll call you from the other side and let you know.” For months after he passed, I’d hear a phone ring and think of that.
I’ve been maintaining a 95-pound (43- kg) weight loss for twenty years (it used to be a hundred-pound (45 kg) weight loss, but at age 50, I went through menopause and quit smoking). I read and listen and keep an open mind, but I’m still agnostic. The people in the program, the shares of others, and good orderly directions are my guides. No matter what I go through, I know I’ve heard from other members who have faced or are facing similar circumstances. They handle things with grace and maintain their abstinence while facing life’s trials and tribulations.
I think of the small picture—that one person I hear. I also think of the big picture—thousands and thousands of people in Twelve Step programs succeeding all over the world. Surely some force is helping us in some way, or maybe it’s just that we are all helping each other.
The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. Nowhere does it say, “you must believe in this or that God.” I call others, have a sponsor, and do daily readings. I attend meetings, give service, and cherish my OA friends and family. Don’t let anyone tell you that you must believe this or that. Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way—their way. If you have a desire to stop eating compulsively, you belong.
—Anonymous
