1. We admit we were oppressed by religion and that our lives had become incomprehensible and unmanageable under the guise of faith.
2. We came to understand through common sense, education and critical thinking that our own inner strength can restore us to sanity and help us break free of the tyranny of religion.
3. We made a decision to accept complete responsibility for our lives and our will, instead of giving that free will to a god that never made sense.
4. We made a fearless searching inventory of ourselves and our beliefs, and discarded what was not logical and not ours.
5. We admitted to ourselves and others the true nature of our beliefs, stripped of the lies of faith and religion.
6. We were entirely ready to remove the illogical defects of skewed faith from our beliefs through education, common sense and critical thought.
7. We humbly realized we are all human and make mistakes, and take personal responsibility for our shortcomings, and strive to be a good person.
8. We made a list of all beliefs that have harmed us and those around us, and willingly removed them from our lives.
9. We made direct amends to all persons we tried to control with religious indoctrination.
10. We continue to take personal inventory of ourselves and our beliefs through logical thinking, and when we are wrong, learn from our mistakes and correct them accordingly.
11. We sought through education and critical thinking to improve our understanding of our developing beliefs and disconnection from religion, empowering ourselves to carry out our renunciation of faith.
12. Having had an intellectual awakening as a result of these steps, we carry our lack of faith humbly and consciously, and offer to educate others when they are ready to break free of the tyranny of religion, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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July 29, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
[...] is basically a Tabula Rasa, at this point, as you can see. The only thing we have so far is the 12 step program. Other than that, it’s up to you what we make of [...]
July 31, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
[...] 12 Steps to Intellectual Enlightenment [...]
August 22, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
[...] The 12 Step Program [...]
September 4, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
I just started my first blog on this very subject. Its just getting rolling, but I’d be keen to have you weigh in if you’re interested. Our 12 steps are strikingly similar, being based on the AA model.
Another atheist blog. The more the merrier, right?
LV
[Reply to This Comment]
November 30, 2008 @ 12:18 am
As an agnostic living amongst believers, I often feel the disappointment of my persuasive arguments lying in vain, and as such, as well as reading on the bitter attitudes theists are capable of having towards us, I wonder just how we can strike a convincing argument whilst keeping theists from indignation, how to build a bridge of the great idealogical chasm between us. Thoughts, anyone?
[Reply to This Comment]