If an atheist is in need to join the alcoholics anonymous can he? in the 12 steps program you need to say there is a higher power in control

In the Big Book there is a chapter to the Atheist.

In Meetings we learn that a higher power does not have to be a supernatural being (God/Allah/Gaea/Vishnu/Et Al) a higher power can be something like a box, or a potted plant.

Although I believe in a "God" when I joined AA my sponsor was my higher power - a bit more effective and reasonable considering that they had 20 years clean and sober and unlike God could be called 24/7 and would answer the phone.

While on the surface AA appears to be "spiritual" it isn't necessary for you to be a spiritual person.

The reason why "Higher Power" was used instead of "God" was to allow a person as many options as they needed.

The Steps themselves attempt (albeit poorly) to leave God to the person as they understand Step two says "A power greater than ourselves" and step three says "God as we understood God". It is to be inferred that your understanding of God or a power greater than yourself is what the rest of the steps are talking about when the word God is used.

The Steps were written in a manner to make them short sentences easy to remember, thus they do not go into detail definitions of terms and words, I guess they could say "God of your understanding" each time that they say God... but then it becomes a bit harder to read through and memorize.

Spiritual and Religion are not always the same thing. God does not have to be part of the Spiritual aspect of things. Most Atheists I know have a clear understanding that there is more to the spiritual aspect of us humans than a deity. It is that part of us that program attempts to reach.

It is difficult to separate religion from "spirit" due to thousands of years of religions insisting they are "the spirit".

Sure. I had an atheist friend in AA, and she said the higher power didn't have to be God. It could be belief in one's self, or the solidarity of being in a group.

Athrael explained it perfectly.

I arrived as a true Atheist, my experience has been something else, but I have more then once taken the steps as an atheist.