Letting Go of God is one of my favorite DVDs ever. I found Julia Sweeney to be extremely intelligent and well read. 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. 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. 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. I haven't seen any reviews that dispute Ms. Sweeney's claims about the bible. For most Christians who haven't read the bible, her claims about it should be a wake-up call. For those without faith who love this DVD, I recommend the recently released movie Agora. For those who liked it even though they still have their faith, I recommend the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So. For those who have outstanding questions and want to read more, I recommend Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted and Why We Suffer.

Julia Sweeney, best known from her days on "Saturday Night Live," lets the audience in on her quest for faith which ultimately led her to the revelation that she has none in "Letting Go of God." Watching one person speak for over two hours can be a bit taxing and difficult to sustain, but for Sweeney, it all comes naturally. She tells her story in a humorous and human way, often getting emotional as well as witty and casual. For the entire duration, she has the audience in her hand, as she talks in depth about childhood doubt, adulthood tragedies and the journey which led her to her ultimate conclusion: God is a figment of our imagination.For those who believe, Sweeney's monologue might be a tough pill to swallow, but rest assured, she speaks in a respectful manner, even relating to her parents who kept their faith as well as their relationship with their daughter in the wake of her newfound atheism. The message of the film is bold and gut-wrenching but ultimately inescapable. Julia is a great storyteller, and it's worth sitting down for a few hours and letting her tell you her story.

I saw Julia perform this show in Las Vegas in 2007 before an audience of skeptics. She received a standing ovation. The show is clever, thought provoking and funny. She explains in her gentle way her personal path to becoming an atheist. "God Said Ha!" (produced by Quentin Tarantino) which detailed a traumatic year for her described the first part of her journey from being a good Catholic girl to her position as a non-believer. In it she tells the story of how her brother developed cancer. While she was caring for him she discovered that she too had the disease. Julia survived. Her brother didn't. "Letting Go of God" carries on from there. Ms Sweeney comes across as a very warm, decent human being. I've spoken with her after seeing her shows and her humanity shines through. It's well worth seeing this film - no matter which side of the fence you're on - because it may well change your outlook on life. Highly recommended.

the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is having the world premiere of this film and i was fortunate enough to see a press screening today. somehow i missed the live tour and i'm very sad about that as this looked like it was such an intimate, thought provoking show. julia delivers her one woman monologue in her usual, witty way. i was thoroughly delighted every moment of this live film. i can't give away anything but i will say it was a pleasure to listen & watch julia speak about her spiritual journey/evolution and her realistic outlook on life. when this film comes to your city, do yourself a favour and see it with a group of friends or family. you'll laugh out-loud, get teary-eyed and rejoice in the intelligent criticisms before you. i LOVED it!