Higher Power

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Speak of the devil

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An act of faith

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Higher Power is a euphemism for God, the supernatural, or the godhead.

The term was first coined by Bill Wilson, the spiritualist founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, and features heavily in their sobriety program.

Although a former governor of Oklahoma once claimed that a Higher Power could be something as corporeal as a tree and members of AA cite other Higher Powers such as doorknobs, closet doors, and toilet seats, numerous U.S. court rulings have held that it is definitely a religious term referring to a supernatural entity, and thus it is unconstitutional to force convicts to attend AA meetings.

In this vein, it sees use as a code word by Christians who are trying to be "inclusive" or deceptive and thus refrain from saying which Higher Power they mean; however, although these people may sing the praises of "a relationship with a Higher Power," they are not exceedingly enthusiastic about relationships with a certain other Higher Power.

See also

• Spiritual but not religious
• Spirituality