My opinion is: it depends. Many atheists and agnostics, as well as people from all faiths benefit from taking part in Alcoholics Anonymous. For people who live in rural areas or in small towns there may be no other alternative in terms of finding a peer support group. AA is open to all and groups may be more or less dogmatic about spirituality depending on the members of the particular group. That being said, AA is certainly committed (organizationally and programatically) to empowering individuals to overcome addictions through a spiritual journey. Atheists may find that this presents them with a challenge. Spirituality, as practiced by most people, involving the concepts of an omnipresent, omnibenevolent, omnipotent, or omniscient 'presence,' runs pretty much counter the foundation of atheism. Lots of alternatives to AA have sprouted up, such as SMART Recovery, where I am a volunteer facilitator. Some SMART participants also attend AA meetings, and the programs are definitely not mutually exclusive. But many folks who come to SMART say that AA just didn't fit well with their secular or atheist views. Here's a much longer article about AA and atheism. Check it out and see what you think!
http://www.alternet.org/story/151294/is_there_a_place_for_atheists_in_alcoholics_anonymous?akid=7112.278496.v__9IZ&rd=1&t=5
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