The chapter begins with perhaps the most concise and definitive statement of our common problem in the literature, and again names the solution outlined in this book:

 	If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if 
	when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you 
	are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from 
	an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.  (Page 44)

Reassuring the doubtful reader, the authors state that around half their number were once agnostic or atheist, but were able to overcome this obstacle. Some of the reasons cited for non-belief in a Higher Power are: rejecting an idea of God imposed on them in childhood, disbelief that a God could exist in a world full of war, suffering and evil (known in Philosophy as The Problem of Evil) and the inability to rationally comprehend or define God.

In this chapter, no personal testimony is offered, but we do see general statements of the authors' experience, practical examples and appeals to Reason. The alert reader, however, will recall that Bill outlines his own struggle with Reason vs Faith in his story (Pages 10-13). Bill was "hit hard" by Ebby's suggestion to consider his own conception of God (Page 12) and began to be encouraged at that point. Not only can we adopt our own conception of God, it need not be a firm, clearly defined idea. The authors here point out that, "...we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God. Our own conception, however inadequate, was sufficient to make the approach and to effect a contact with Him." (Page 46) They also state that,

	We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a
	willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get
	results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend   
	that Power, which is God.  (Page 46)

We are next treated to a series of appeals to the Intellect, which the authors sum up thus: "Hence we are at pains to tell why we think our present faith is reasonable, why we think it more sane and logical to believe than not to believe." (Page 53) We believe many theories these days, if they are grounded in fact. For example, take electricity: we use it in everyday life and accept without doubt theories as to how it works, since we see the results, but we do not fully understand these theories. We need the theories to understand what we see every day. Scientists tell us that a steel girder is in fact made of many swirling electrons, and that they are subject to laws that apply throughout the Universe. Is it not reasonable to assume a Creative Intelligence lay behind it all?

By the same line of reasoning,

	We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths may 
	be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions. People of 
	faith have a logical idea of what life is all about. Actually, we used 
	to have no reasonable conception whatever. (Page 49) 

Next the authors discuss prejudice. It hindered our ancestors for many centuries, during which material progress was very slow. These days we are ready to throw out a theory that doesn't work for a new one that does. Prejudice, in the form of stubbornly sticking to our old ideas in spiritual matters and animosity toward organized religion and it adherents may be holding us back from a solution to our common problem. "When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work. But the God idea did." (Page 52)

Logic and Reason are wonderful things, but they are not always used properly, and they do not provide everything we need. Who has not "worshipfully beheld the sunset, the sea, or a flower? Who of us had not loved something or somebody? How much did these feelings, these loves, these worships, have to do with pure reason? Little or nothing, we saw at last." (Page 54)

The authors bring home the message with this passage:

	"[D]eep down
	in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental
	idea of God. It may be obscured by calamity, by
	pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form
	or other it is there. For faith in a Power greater than
	ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that
	power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself. 

	We finally saw that faith in some kind of God was
	a part of our make-up, just as much as the feeling we
	have for a friend. Sometimes we had to search fearlessly,
	but He was there. He was as much a fact as
	we were. We found the Great Reality deep down
	within us. (Page 55)