In a country where over 70% claim to believe in God, calling yourself an atheist can require real courage, especially when you come from a religious family. Letting Go of God is a very interesting and entertaining stage monologue about how Julia Sweeney becomes discontented with the religion she grew up with, and goes on a spiritual quest---eventually ending up as a contented atheist. Rent Letting Go of God (2007) starring Julia Sweeney on DVD and Blu-ray. --Los Angeles City Beat (this review is for the stage show), Julia Sweeney is best known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1989 to 1994, and for her popular character, Pat. A few days ago I went with some friends to see Julia Sweeney's one-woman play, “Letting Go of God.” This being New York City, it was a full house, despite the obviously “controversial” subject matter. This is a half hour excerpt from Julia Sweeney's one woman show about how she stopped believing in God. Julia Sweeney: How Does A Person Go From Believer To Atheist? Decades later, she's ... See full summary ». You can't eat what? She discovers that to accept the truth leads to surprising revelations. ; (which was made into a film) and & In The Family Way; (which is available on CD.). Written by Contains repeated ... See full summary », Based on a true story, this heart-wrenching film follows the journey of Gisella Perl (Christine Lahti), a Jewish-Hungarian doctor who manages to survive Auschwitz. Here is Sweeney s great rebellion: She simply cannot accept short-circuiting her reason in order to believe. My eyes were opened, and I saw the … She is also known for her other monologues, all of which she has performed in Los Angeles and New York: God Said Ha! For me, it meant relinquishing literal religious belief to myth & metaphor, and realizing (as Julia did) that ethical behavior is not dependent on religious belief -- that in fact, religious belief can often justify highly unethical behavior, when directed at The Other. As she says to an imaginary God she's at last parting with near show's end: "It's because I take you so seriously that I can't bring myself to believe in you." Lacking a God to seek out to heal the world s ills, she feels a sense of responsibility. Letting Go of God is her third monologue. Believers of all stripes and intensities, as well as nonbelievers who may scoff a little too facilely, will be challenged and disarmed with stick-in-your-throat laughter by Sweeney's utterly uncynical, blisteringly honest testimony. So are The Iliad and The Odyssey, or any number of foundational myths, Sweeney argues. She begins in the Catholic church, the religion her family raised her in, and takes a Bible study class. She d always felt God s love, she tells us, but the query prompts her to explore for the first time, rationally, what she knows about God. The humbly sage Sweeney has needling questions that can't be swatted away with the laughing, lukewarm tolerance we typically afford faith-based humor, as if to say: Gosh, people believe funny things, but don't we all? As poetry, it s a psychedelic nightmare; as philosophy, it s an incoherent mess; as the literal word of God, it contradicts itself about the origin of Adam and Eve in the first two chapters of Genesis. I let go of God at age 12 when after reading the sermon on the mount for 30 nights at my Methodist mother's direction, I let go of God… She concludes by sharing how this effects her family. What makes this one true? Her recent piece, Letting Go of God, traces a spiritual journey that takes an unexpected turn toward science and ends with atheism. Last night I saw Julia Sweeney's Letting Go of God at the Sander's theatre. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. What she learns there leads her to new questions, and in search for answers she explores meditation, Buddhism and New Age gurus, then describes what she learned from the sciences and from sharpening her critical thinking skills. But then I looked into it, and after much agonizing reflection, I was born again. FINDING GOD'S FUNNY BONE By Rob Kendt Religion is just too easy a target for mockery. I was raised Catholic and for the most part, I was a happy believer and felt great affinity and allegiance to my Catholic culture. I haven't seen any reviews that dispute Ms. Sweeney's claims about the bible. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. View production, box office, & company info. She begins in the Catholic church, the religion her family raised her in, and takes a Bible study ... 14 of 16 people found this review helpful. Letting Go of God is a humorous monologue by Julia Sweeney chronicling her search for God. She explores self-pleasuring as a teen under the dreamy gaze of a matinee-idol portrait of a blue-eyed Jesus. Awaiting their inevitable deaths at one of the worst concentration camps, a group of Jews make a rabbinical court to decide whether God has gone against the Holy Covenant and if He is the one guilty for their suffering. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. She discovers that to accept the truth leads to surprising revelations. Richard Dawkins is joined by Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens to discuss science, god, religion and much more. Julia Sweeney (God Said, "Ha!") When I eventually left the church, it was with a true sense of loss, but also with a knowledge that I had to do so, to be true to myself at long last. Julia Sweeney: Letting Go of God Off Off Broadway, Performance, Solo Performance, Stand Up Comedy Closing Date: Oct. 29, 2006 Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St. 866-811-4111. Unlike many other atheist comedians' takes on religion, this is not an anti-religious tirade. Rather than being an inspiring document of God s love and a blueprint for a holy life, the Bible she discovers is an internally inconsistent, blood- and depravity-soaked indictment of a vengeful, jealous tribal madman. Her father wishes she had instead announced she was gay: At least that s socially acceptable. She obviously gave very careful consideration to her faith in God and found that even a good Catholic education and loving Catholic parents couldn't overcome the problems she uncovered with the Bible, her previous religions beliefs, and the beliefs of other religions in the world. Sweeney s priest tries to guide her, but the answer always comes down to faith. Whether skewering Deepak Chopra in a phrase that ought to be stitched onto a pillow, imagining a public apology (for pretty much everything) from the Pope, or ripping up the intellectual sloppiness of intelligent design compromisers, her sweet-faced air of being constantly on the verge of public embarrassment takes the edge off material that s profoundly challenging to a vast majority of her fellow citizens. Julia Sweeney tells the viewers the monologue about the hard time in her life when her brother fought with cancer and she was also diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Letting Go of God: An Interview with Julia Sweeney Sean Salai, S.J. Julia Sweeneyis an actor and writer best known for her four-year run on Saturday Night Liveand her solo shows. Unable to add item to List. Ms. Sweeny has that courage.For those of faith, it must be hard to give this DVD the rating it deserves since it describes a journey to becoming an infidel. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Maria Burton, rewritten by Bill Stella. She begins in the Catholic church, the religion her family raised her in, and takes a Bible study class. Julia Sweeney was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1989-94, and is best known for the mysteriously androgynous character, “It’s Pat!”. She tells her mother she s been reading the Bible, and the unexpected response is, Why on Earth would you do that? Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Was this review helpful to you? (Redirected from Letting Go of God) Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian and author. Add the first question. I watched Julia Sweeney's autobiographical monologue Letting Go of God the other night on tv. The tight-lipped disapproval of church busybodies at her father s funeral suggest entire worlds in a few deft strokes. Religious historian Karen Armstrong advises in her writing that the Bible isn t literally true, but is psychologically true. Please try again. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. After two Mormon missionaries arrive on her doorstep, she begins to ask herself about her own faith. captainzahn CaptainZahn. 1st December 2019: I have just re-listened to this short, excellent and entertaining live performance by Julia Sweeney. http://www.ted.com Julia Sweeney (God Said, "Ha!") Stage show ) are you THERE God Ehrman 's Jesus Interrupted and Why we Suffer and Blu-ray monologue by Sweeney... To examine Christianity as a consulting producer on Sex and the unexpected response is, Why on would! Show Letting Go of God last night I saw Julia Sweeney chronicling her search God! 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