Secular Organizations For Sobriety - History

History

James Christopher's alcoholism began when he was a teenager. He had originally sought help in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), but was uncomfortable with the emphasis on God and religion and he began looking for direction in the writings of secular humanists. Christopher wrote about his frustrations with AA and his own developing program for recovery. In 1985, Free Inquiry published an article "Sobriety Without Superstition" written by Christopher. He received hundreds of letters in response and decided to organize secular, self-help, alcoholism recovery group meetings. The first such meeting was held in November 1986 in North Hollywood, California, and meetings continue to this day at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles and at other locations. Christopher has been continuously sober since 1978.

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