Alcoholics Anonymous talk of turning to a "Higher Power." Is that woo?

[Douglas Carpenter]

26. actually, on a purely personal level - as much as it is difficult to admit it on DU - I lean toward

believing in something that someone might call a higher power - for lack of better words. I have seen several post recently scorning any belief that might not be 100% certified by the American scientific establishment. But I am also aware that AA in general has a good reputation for being affective and helping a lot of people. - Even though they advocate something of a spiritual belief and a principle that would not necessarily meet the requirements of strictly orthodox atheistic scientific thinking. I wanted to see how those who reject anything outside of the strictest form of scientific orthodoxy would react to such a question. I am nonetheless absolutely gobsmacked that ANYONE could interpret my OP as ridiculing religion when anyone can see that if anything my point was the opposite.