Here is another picture from the train trip to the SouthWest. This picture was taken right at the train window and it's as we are getting nearer to the Petrified Forest.
Not much to report today although it was a busy one. Today was the first day for Showtime to play, "Letting Go." I got many letters from people about it, and that made me very, very, VERY happy. Gosh, it's been a long time and a lot of work, getting this movie shot and ready to be on the air. Tonight I tivo-ed it, and after Michael and Mulan and I came home from a celebratory dinner, we watched the first twenty minutes or so. Of course all I can marvel at is the size of my jowls, but on another - less narcissistically obsessed note, I felt it looked pretty good. Ah.... Done... The monologue has gone to college. Yes, that's how it feels, like I've reared this difficult child and now it's at college! Yeah! Yippity yah! Go, have your own life, already!!!!
I spent a big part of the day getting the new forum ready. Well, there are going to be two different forums - one at FFRF.org (Freedom From Religion Foundation) and one at The Skeptics Society. And honestly, all I really did directly for the Skeptic's Forum was to write an introduction. But I learned more about how this blogger site works and you may note that there are several more links to the right. More to do tomorrow, but for now, it's all okay.
However, tomorrow is swamped because I'm doing "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" - the NPR show tomorrow night. G'nite!
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33 comments:
I've been watching your "Letting Go Of God" show tonight. It made me cry. I thought I'd muster the courage to send you this link to a song on youtube (it's called "God and Dog") that I think really sums up everything I would want to say to you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY
I love it when you do Wait Wait! I will be sure to tune in this weekend. I also saw that you are auctioning a lunch to benefit Rosie's Broadway Kids - thanks for all you do!
: ) P
I accidentally flipped onto your sketch "letting go of God". I have to say I feel really sorry for you. I happened to hear the segment where you are speaking about the construction and design of the eye, and you sound completely ignorant. Comparing a human eye to a lenses hmmmm...you stated it was bad design because "the wiring was on top of the lense", its clear to me that the Almighty God knew what he was doing as even with "the wiring on top of lense" the eye works perfectly. And about the blind spot, the good lord must've known about that since he blessed us with two to cancel that out. And surely you understand that squid and octupi live in a completely different environment than humans. A little more F.Y.I. a cats eye is not the same design as a human eye. I will pray for you. GOD BLESS
Hi, just watched letting go. Wonderful. I recommend my book, "The Gospel According to Lilith" as a companion piece. This is an historical novel which deals with many of the questions you raise.
Lonnie Hicks at lonnie.hicks@gmail.com
Julia,
You are AWESOME!! I just watched the tail end of "letting go of god" (i'm taping the next time it airs). You are an inspiration. I, too, was raised catholic and am now an atheist. Thank you for not being afraid to stand up for what you DON'T believe! Keep it up!
Ps- I work for a humane society and love your stories about cats and dogs (sorry about Rita).
Just watched Letting Go Of God and it's nice to know other people share and have shared that loneliness of going against the family. I’m from a deeply religious Mormon family and have always questions religious beliefs. I also believe that even people in the same religion have different beliefs. About two weeks ago I finally finished my book that contains the way I feel. Now I have great fears about what it might do to my relationships with both my siblings and my children. It’s nice to know other people struggle with this. My feeling about religion and God are not identical to yours but I agree that we have brains and should think and reason. My book is It Isn’t The Jefferson Bible and my web is www.grampajonespublishing.com
Here is a link to Julia's lunch auction benefiting Rosie's Broadway Kids:
http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/rosiesbroadwaykids/catalog_items/102415
Wish I lived close enough to go!
: ) P
Your special is a seminal piece of work outlining more than rational thought and objective reality. It ranks with the works of the great philosophers as a major contribution to the truth searched by the question, "Why are we here?" Impressed is to weak a word to describe how moved I am by this work. By your journey. By you.
I've been missing your post here lately and figured you had something in the works. It's great to hear that things are going well for you. Always tuned in, thanks for the update.
Glad to hear LGOG is now on Showtime. I'll set my Tivo -- even though I already have the DVD. It's brilliant and I'm so glad more people are able to see it.
I really feel kinda of sorry for the people that send you hate mail because I do understand their pain. I too want there to be a simplistic one point of contact God that I can call on in times of need as well as ask for goodies like a good job and a safe trip home. Their displeasure with you is as I’m sure you already know is deep fear that you speak the truth. Not just because you are saying it but because your words and dialog is just dripping with simple clarity and common sense. Your story is like that of a child that witnessed a dog hit by a car and then later to describe the pain and horror experienced to others. Your veracity in this show is deeply touching to those that believe in the old man with the white beard in the sky. How special must a person be to have read the bible in its entirety? A very special truth seeker indeed the majority of us folks, not so much. I’m pretty sure those of us with limited intellect feel a deeper loss for Santa than do others. As for me I have just one final question; Why humans? Of all the mammals on this planet that are biologically near identical to humans, I think I even once heard that a pig’s heart can function in a human. So why are we the only species that can solve a simple crossword puzzle? I mean not one other species even comes close to a country mile to human intellect. As my dog Hanna sits next to me I think how close she is to being human in every way except she is dumb as hell. She has more love to give she is trustworthy but no where near any understanding of where I go when I leave. How did we get what we have as humans? Not a trick question, I really don’t think I know ready to proselytize any one that would respond and I truly want to know. I think people that would come here are the best and brightest thinkers of all us humans. I think the entire basis of every religion is a simple humanistic answer that satisfies the masses, even if total BS people no longer have to wonder or think about it. If you think you know why nothing living on earth can paint a picture or build an automatic weapon, but us humans please send me an email. And I must say I was deeply touched by Letting Go of God.
keithdailey@hotmail.com
I'm convinced that those of us who actually take faith seriously (as in believing it's truth) will eventually find ourselves in your shoes, Julia. I was a fundamentalist christian who thought my faith was impervious to questions and thorough investigation. If biblical christianity is really truth, then no amount of objective investigation could do anything but strengthen my belief, right? Wrong.
Sometimes I envy those who can just believe without caring if what they believe is really true. Then, I realize that I'd rather be logical and honest.
It's so funny to read these comments here. I get a real kick of people who cast those who hold religious convictions as not being "logical" or "ignorant"...people who just "need an answer". How are you exempt from this? It's age old ignorance at it's best. If you want to appeal to logic, you must follow it where it leads. As a lay philosopher I was laughing out loud at some of the arguments Julia was spouting. Wrought with errors, logistical fallacies, misconceptions and downright ignorance. I'll even give you an example. She states at one point in her joking manner (paraphrased) "Jesus was crying out for being abandoned by God on the cross". Interesting enough, you'll find this same argument leveled by VERY respectable people such as Bart D. Ehrman. In on gospel, Christ is triumphant, the next, a lost little sheep. In actuality, when Christ called out "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?"...he was quoting one of the most well known prophecy of the time, Psalm 22:1...a prophecy about THE MESSIAH!!! How do we know it was a well known prophecy? Because it was one of the most well known and circulated Hymns of the Jewish people at the time!!! Meaning, by quoting that scripture, he was definitively proclaiming that he was this messiah. Far from the scared lonely lamb. So what's the conclusion here? Clumsy, lazy, ignorant, hate speech by yet more people who have nothing but axes to grind against anybody that apposes them. Ironically, it's the heart of their message against believers! Don't be a fool, go further, go past your emotions on a topic. Truly BE logical...not what a cultural miliue would TELL you is logical. If you want some good logical resources, check out Hugh Ross' Reasons To Believe website, or Greg Koukl's Stand To Reason Ministry, or if you think you are a philosopher (Julia is far from it) go and read one of the current living legends of philosophy Alvin Plantinga...that's all I have to say for now. School's out kids.
Just watched and recorded "Letting Go of God". What a wonderful show. Have been going on the same quest for truth as you have been. Having been raised Catholic, Irish, the only girl AND the baby, you can imagine my struggles with my family. Your wonderful sense of humor has gotten you through all these trying times and will continue to get you through. Many times my sense of humor is the only sense of sanity I have when trying to explain to people that they ought to actually be using their brain that "GOD" so nicely "gave" all of us. We should be questioning everything and make up our own minds about truth and life. I am so sorry about your brother Mike, your dad and last, but not least Rita. I saw the show about Mike. How brave he was in the face of a terrible disease. I lost my husband to a terrible disease also. You are a good person. Your daughter is lucky to have you for her mother. (I should have been so lucky, my mother was the Nebraska distributor of guilt.) Please keep your shows going!!!!, and keep up the good work!! Cassie
Raised Mormon, entered the waters of atheism a couple of years ago. I have to say your bit about the Mormons was totally accurate. Most people get stuff wrong (like Bill Maher) but you obviously knew of what you spoke. And you did what I wish other non-believing entertainers would do - make people laugh about their beliefs. 'Cause I think that's a more effective way to change minds, rather than the "Here's why you're ignorant" approach by some.
When someone gives you a gift its only expected of you to say thank you. SOMEHOW we were given many gifts: life, mind, thinking, feeling, choice of destiny, and many more....Those gifts make us unique. To deny the beauty of those gifts is......also our right.....and to accept them and glorify ourselves first and then the ONE who gave them to us is one way to say thank you. Are we imperfect? Of course. But are we capable? Some think yes and some dont know....Now to discover the unknowns in life we need to ask the right questions to get the right answers. We need to be completely unbiased and search through what we have gathered over the centuries and what others also have. The truth could exist amidst us or it could exist somewhere we never thought it would or could. To get beyond the major question about existence of God is most needed and to attain the answer we need to define first how God should be and then see if he exists or not...As a start think of God not as a Physical body, not even as a Spirit, or that He is in a place or time. But think Of God as a unique super being who inspite of all the pain and sufferings that you see around us has given the universe and us many many blessings that deep in our heart we appreciate no matter what the consequencies were. Let us find the true ship that will sail us to the safe shores of our existence remembering that it could be our ship or it could be...sorry to say the word because we should not think this way.... it could be the enemy's ship!! Good Luck.
Julia. I watched your performance piece last night. Excellent writing, clear message. You are such a beautiful lady. Thank you.
tp, Western Washington
Just stumbled on "Letting Go of God". Excellent, very well done. I've set the DVR to tape it for the wife to watch. I wish more people were brave enough to question what they believe and change when they are wrong. Not just about religion, but any belief. So much of the sorrow in the world comes from people stubbornly clinging to their beliefs, refusing to change.
I loved Letting Go of God! I went from being a fundamentalist Christian to a Mormon to an agnostic! You said something on the show about when a Mormon leaves their religion they question everything about all religions. Yep. That is so true. The LDS church is the reason I'm an agnostic today.
I sometimes wish I could still be a believer so my brother (a preacher) would speak to me again. I miss him. But once the curtain has been pulled aside, there's no going back.
Totally love you! I hope you never go completely into "hiding"!
Don't be fooled by those who take the words of the Bible and twist them so they can sell DVDs. Specifically, remember when Julia remarked about Luke 14:26 (about "hating" your parents, sisters, etc.), the passage is really saying not to love them more than the poor man, the criminal, the lost, etc. It is saying that you can't just love your own life and serve ONLY your family. It means to be selfless and serve both, especially those that need to be made aware of God's presence in their lives. I challenge you to read the Bible and do some investigating. God knows we are intelligent and says some complex things. Anyone who reads it on the surface and mocks it because it suits their natural instinct to be selfish, is buying into the lies that the enemy whispers in your ear. I know, I believed them once too. Satan is the greatest car salesman on earth. he will make you laugh, stimulate you, REASON with you, and do whatever it takes to make you think that life should be nothing but EASY and FUN. But that's not reality is it? Life is tough, and God wants to give you the tools to navigate it, knowing your true worth. To think you already know it is false, because you doubt yourself sometimes. Not very concrete. But He ALWAYS knows! Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. I mean, look at it! Sweeney is selling something just like Bill Maher! It's a trend to bash God because it sells! God doesn't want money from you or to brainwash you. He wants you to be free from yourself! Its human selfishness that's taken the freedom He's given us and turned the Earth into the selfish place it is! Look into the concept of free will. That is the next step in the investigative process. You are the princes and princesses of a kingdom greater than your own. Be broken of yourself, and be free!
I just saw your Letting go of God show on showtime and LOVED IT. It was as if you were with me through my childhood and my adulthood. My poor religionless daughter and I watched it together and laughed til we cried. We are also afraid to come out to our friends about our lack of God, and can't believe our smart, loyal, loving friends are so stupid with all of the idol worship. My daughter's friend "they all know something is just not right with us" just asked her if we celebrate X-mas! I like you find the whole church thing sort of wrong because there are certain things I love about it, like the church itself is beautiful and peaceful. Anyway thank you for saying what has always been in my head, this is one person who does not think you need fixing, you are just right.....
The mystery to me is what mechanism in one's brain allows filtering of material in their bible that is so incongruous to the Christian message. For the religious community to dismiss all questions with the statement that one must have "faith" has always been fatuous to me.
Will organized religions ever allow your program to be viewed by their congregations? Not likely.
This program will be a staple for us Unitarian Universalists.
J.P. Fentress
Julia, I just hope you find your way back to Him.
On this Christmas Eve, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your search with all of us. I saw "Letting Go of God" late last night (I'm one of those recent Amazon orders!) I read about you in Dawkins' God Delusion. I spent 13 years in Catholic school and also spent dinners at the convent. I also wanted to be a nun and had an overall good experince, even playing weekly tennis with my Irish priest, Father Dennehy. I also love the silence of Gothic Cathedrals but traveled to India, Nepal, and China for inspiration. Buddhism did not quite fit me either, nor did the New Age stuff. As a biology teacher and major fan of Richard Dawkins since high school, I found my answers in science and have traveled to the Amazon, the Serengeti, the Australian Outback and Antarctica to see nature's power, its life/death struggle and beauty/terror. I saw the baby penguins whisked away by the giant skua birds!! No brains dripping, thankfully. Your journey touches me more deeply that my words can express. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Hey anonymous who is weary of people who twist the bible to sell DVDs: What about those tele-evangeliats who sell a whole lot more than DVDs? One more question: the Bible says that those who work on the Lord's Day should be put to death. How exactkly should I twist that one? I'm not being offensive, I just honestly want to know.
Saw "letting go of God" you are a great actress, very funny. It is to bad that there are people out there that don't know that you are deliberatly misquoting the Bible to make it funnier for your own purpose. I'm sorry that you did not find what you needed in Bible Study, you know if you had gone to a college and didnt like the class, you would have transferred to another one, i wonder why you didnt try a protestant bible class? especially since they teach more?
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