Q: Why do some people hate AA?
A: It mostly comes down to the idea of a “higher power”, frequently expressed as “God, as we understand him”. The co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, was closely related to a Christian evangelical group during the 1930’s known as the “Oxford Group”. From their teachings stemmed the idea of a “higher power” which became a central thesis in the 12 Steps of AA. While there is no obligation to believe in a higher power, many who reject AA do so because they claim to be atheists, or believe that AA is a religious program, when AA explicitly states that it is a spiritual program instead. The confusion between the two continues to work against membership in AA for some who would otherwise greatly benefit, by belonging.
