We take our sobriety very seriously, but we try to keep the mood friendly and cheerful. No-one is excluded based on his or her religious beliefs. However, topics directly related to religion are generally not discussed at our meetings, since we feel that our sobriety is a separate issue from religion or spirituality. Different SOS members have different views on religion, ranging from atheism to active membership in a church, synagogue, or other place of worship. The voluntary contributions go towards paying expenses such as the cost of refreshments and the cost of maintaining our telephone information number.
Nobody is pressured into contributing.
Rather, we think of ourselves as a non-religious alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Some of our members are also active in local 12-step groups. We are in favor of anything that helps people maintain their sobriety. We certainly don't discourage our members from attending other groups. No, but that is a common myth or misconception.