Addiction in America

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Personally, I think the more interesting discussion is not an argument about whether AA is effective or religious ... but rather why it is effective (to whatever degree it is). Why is acceptance of a power beyond yourself useful to combat addiction and relapse.

Quite possibly because people will do for others what they won't do for themselves. A person whose lack of self love has led them down this path in the first place (eg: willingness to do something they KNOW isn't good for them, but it's their choice to make and they make it) might not care enough about themselves to face the struggle. But when you bring "other" into it, now they acknowledge how their behavior affects those who do not have control over (the original person's) behavior. Now they have some responsibility to others whom they may love more than themselves, or at least not want to be the cause of harm to others.

Can't atheists' "higher power" be logic? Natural law?