Daily Reprieve

Can an alcoholic get sober in A.A. if they don’t believe in God? Do not be discouraged. Daily Reprieve is a secular daily meditation book which uses the core text of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous to create a reflective consideration and action based question for each day of the year, suggesting that anyone, including atheists, agnostics, and those of no religious faith can recover in A.A. The book also contains some of the author's personal musings on a variety of A.A. related topics.

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is the cornerstone of the A.A. recovery program. Published in 1939, it reflects the religious, Christian roots of its founders, and strongly encourages those in the Fellowship to find God. Although A.A. does not consider itself a religious Fellowship, their emphasis on God as the required Higher Power discourages many suffering alcoholics from joining A.A. Do not be discouraged. Anyone, including atheists, agnostics, humanists and freethinkers can get sober in A.A. following the Big Book suggestions. Daily Reprieve is divided into three parts. The Preface provides some background on the author and his experience, along with information about the content of the book. The Daily Meditation section divides the basic text of the Big Book into 365 parts, followed by a secular reflective Consideration and action-based Question for each day of the year. The last section, Various Musings, contains some of the author’s personal thoughts on a variety of A.A related topics.

Read Jan-2018 review of Daily Reprieve by Joe C., author of Beyond Belief Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36399069-daily-reprieve

BOOK REVIEW: for a review of Daily Reprieve by Joe C., author of Beyond Belief Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life from Jan-2018 go to: https://aaagnostica.org/2018/01/25/daily-reprieve-a-a-for-atheists-agnostics-review/#more-13487
PODCAST: for a podcast by the author hosted by John S., go to: https://aabeyondbelief.org/2018/01/25/episode-79-daily-reprieve-aa-for-atheists-agnostics/

Alex M. is a retired physician living in the Midwest where he got sober in 2006. Since so many newcomers flee A.A. because of the “God stuff”, Alex believes his responsibility is to share his experience on how recovery can be attained through the A.A. Fellowship, the 12 Steps and the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous when one does not believe in a God of someone else’s understanding. One of his Home Groups is the only the only atheist-agnostic meeting in his region. Service work is the foundation of his recovery. He is active in sponsorship and volunteers for various service committees in his local Intergroup. In 2010 he started a program which takes A.A. meetings to alcoholics in the community who are unable to attend regular meetings due to medical conditions or legal restrictions. An article on this service, “24 Hour Delivery”, was published in the A.A. Grapevine in February, 2014. So far, Alex has published eight articles in The A.A. Grapevine, including his article “God on Every Page” in the October 2016 A.A. Grapevine – Atheist & Agnostic Members-Special Section. He has also published in his A.A. Area Newsletter and has a chapter in the book Do Tell! Stories by Atheists & Agnostics in AA called “A Friend of Jim B.”