Letting Go of God (Original Staging)
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4.3 • 111 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Julia Sweeney says she was a "happy Catholic girl" when, one day, she walked into church and signed up for a Bible-study course. "What an eye opener that was!" she says. "Next thing you know, I was on a quest for something I could really believe in. I traveled to places like Bhutan, Ecuador, and my local Starbucks looking for answers. Would I embrace Buddhism? New Age pseudo-science? Was I a freak for feeling the way I did, or were there other people out there just like me? I was grappling with serious questions. But, somehow, a lot of the things that were happening to me seemed, well, funny."
Equally comedic and insightful, Letting Go of God is Sweeney's brilliant one-woman show about her struggle with her faith. Grappling with the seeming contradictions in Adam and Eve, Noah, the Ten Commandments, and even the teachings of Jesus - and trying to understand the Bible's messages about morality, family values, and human suffering while faced with door-knocking Mormons and wise-cracking priests - Sweeney takes listeners on her very personal journey from God to "not-God".
This performance was recorded on November 19, 2005, at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York City.
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 has also served as a consulting producer on Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. Letting Go of God is her third monologue. She performed her first, God Said, "Ha!", in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and on Broadway, as well as in a film produced by Quentin Tarantino. The CD version was nominated for a Grammy.
Customer Reviews
Letting Go of God
Julia must be a mind reader! In humble, but with laugh out loud impact, her wit and insight pinpoint the struggle doubters have with the traditional beliefs of organized religion, particularly Catholicism. With humor and intelligence she skewers the contraditions of religion's written documents and the prouncements of its believers. Never condescending or spiteful, she reveals with gracious honesty the very issues that perplex many seekers of answers to life's how, why and who.
The product, not the ideas
This is a wonderful, inspiring monologue written and performed by the woman who experienced what she talks about. If you look through the reviews, you'll see that the people who reviewed the PRODUCT all gave it rave reviews. The few people who (quite rudely) gave it a 1 star review are upset with the ideas she talks about, NOt the product itself. This is the story of a woman's experience, and it's wonderful for what it is. You don't have to be an atheist to enjoy this program, and you shouldn't just write it off for disagreeing with her thoughts. This is not non-fiction, it's a monologue about her life's experience. Relax a little, reviewers, and if you don't agree with the conclusions she draws, than just don't listen to it. Actively trying to dissuade people from listening to a heartfelt account of their life because you personally don't agree with her conclusions is trite. So buy, listen and enjoy :)
Inspiring and Honest
After listening to Julia's insightful, ambitious and rare journey into God's identity and where we, as humans, fit into the Bible's rules and teachings, I am truly thankful for her bravery in writing this book. She is honest, witty, kind, and very earnest in her want to understand God's love. By raising the questions that we have all asked (at one time or another) about Christianity, the Bible, and our own personal faith, she provides a comforting voice of companionship on the road of the organized religious experience. After reading some of the poor reviews posted here, I have heavy doubt as to whether the reviewers actually listened to Ms. Sweeney's words and thoughts. Her effort here is honest, kind and respectful of religion, but ultimately true to her own feelings. One cannot ask much more than that.
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