I’m lucky to live in New York where there are many secular AA meetings that close with the “responsibility pledge”. When I went to my first aa meeting in 1978, I told a guy that I met that it wouldn’t work for me because I’m an atheist. He said that when the AA big book was first written it was given to religious leaders for comment. The Buddhist returned the book and said that they would change one word. They said that they would substitute the word “Good” for the word “God”. That was all I needed because I’m interested in subtext and hidden unintended meanings. Now when I hear people speak of god I understand that it’s a metaphor and a stand-in for the unconscious and unmeasurable. I’ve turned my life and will over to good and ask myself “is what I’m about to do good”? That way, I can say I do the 3rd step. The step actually says “god as we understand him”. I think poetry, song and prayer are all similar in that they have the power to raise our morale or lift our mood. Awareness of my awareness is the key. I try to ask myself these questions: Am I self righteous? Do I hold others in contempt because of their sincerely held beliefs? I reserve the right to not tolerate intolerance. I also love myself because of my sincerity and honesty. I look at AA as an opportunity to raise my consciousness of others and exercise my power of compassion. I think it’s important to note that AA is not the only way to get sober a lead a happy sober life. None other than Dr George Vaillant, said that more people get sober without AA than with it. https://www.division on addiction.org/html/reprints/vaillant.htm