The "higher power" cited in Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups does not necessarily refer to [[God]]. The phrase "God ''as we understood Him''" allows members to choose other gods or "powers" to help them in their recovery.
The "higher power" cited in Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups does not necessarily refer to [[God]]. The phrase "God ''as we understood Him''" allows members to choose other gods or "powers" to help them in their recovery.
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==Character and morality==
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One of the goals of Alcoholics Anonymous is to promote the idea that alcoholism is not a [[moral weakness]].<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=p9pp8Nv05lUC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=alcoholism+moral+weakness&source=web&ots=NUswFo3Ico&sig=uvCDl3DO5sA0ZVe_G3xJDhiU1Dw#PPA77,M1Z Alcoholic Thinking: Language, Culture, and Belief in Alcoholics Anonymous]</ref> This is at odds with the opinion of 63 percent of Americans, who believe that alcoholism is a moral weakness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-136837521.html|title=See more articles from AScribe Health News Service: Stigma Persists Despite Scientific Evidence That Alcoholism Is Not a Moral Weakness}}</ref>