It all begins with an idea.
Find your sobriety without having to accept anyone else’s beliefs or deny your own.
Inclusivity Statement.
“Newcomers are approaching AA at the rate often of thousands yearly. They represent almost every belief and attitude imaginable. We have atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race, culture, and religion. In AA we are supposed to be bound together in the kinship of a common suffering. Consequently, the full individual liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy whatever should be a first consideration for us all. Let us not, therefore, pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. Let us instead accord each other the respect and love that is due to every human being as he or she tries to make his or her way toward the light. Let us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive; let us remember that each alcoholic among us is a member of AA, so long as he or she so declares.”
~ Bill W., Grapevine, July 1965
About Secular AA.
Secular Ontario AA is a peopleship within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that emphasizes a non-religious approach to addiction recovery. AA is a worldwide fellowship of individuals who share their experiences, strength, and hope with one another in order to overcome their addiction to alcohol. Traditionally, AA has a spiritual aspect and many of its members rely on a belief in a higher power as part of their recovery process.
However, the secular AA movement in Ontario (and elsewhere) recognizes that not all individuals find a spiritual approach helpful or relevant to their recovery. As such, secular AA meetings typically replace spiritual language with more inclusive and universal terms, such as "life force" or "inner strength." The focus of these meetings is on individual empowerment and self-reliance, rather than reliance on a higher power.
Secular AA meetings in Ontario can take many forms, including in-person meetings, online meetings, and phone meetings. These meetings are open to anyone who has a desire to recover and is seeking support and fellowship from others who understand the challenges of addiction.
Overall, the goal of secular Ontario AA is to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals seeking recovery from their addiction(s), regardless of their personal beliefs or spiritual practices.
“Secular AA does not endorse or oppose any form of religion or belief system and operates in accordance with the Third Tradition of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program: “the only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.”