Posted on 08/15/2005 2:44:54 PM PDT by SmithL
With conservative Christians calling the shots in Washington, creationism crawling back into the nation's schools and even normally decadent Hollywood hopping onto the spiritual bandwagon, it's a beleaguered time for atheists in America.
Comedian Julia Sweeney, a former Roman Catholic who lost her faith in God, tries to keep her sense of humor. Best known for her portrayal of the androgynous character "Pat" on "Saturday Night Live," Sweeney recently completed a successful run in Los Angeles of a one-woman show, "Letting Go of God," which chronicles her own disillusionment with religion.
Now she is telling her story in a book, "My Beautiful Loss of Faith Story" (Henry Holt). Sweeney, who grew up the oldest of five children in Spokane, Wash., is now the single mother of an adopted girl from China. She spoke with me from her home in Los Angeles.
No. It actually wasn't. If I had gone to Salt Lake City and done this show, maybe that would have been different. But here [in L.A.] you're not defined socially by your religious views.
I think most of my friends were shocked that I actually thought about religion that much. I had several people come up and say, "I didn't know you were so religious!" I think they were more surprised by how religious I was before I wasn't religious than they were by the fact that I wasn't religious. [laughter]
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I agree with you.She does not believe that she is created inthe imageof God but probably believes she evolved from whatever. Evolution has done more to destroy Christianity than all of the homosexuals in the U.S. can muster.
ping
You would like this too.
If she is so sure there is nothing to religion why bother talking about it.We do not try to disprove something that we ourselves are not sure there might be something to.
I feel sorry for her. I see her being very conflicted. I will pray for her today.
Usually those that use such convoluted thinking have a strong inner dislike or hatred for religion. Hating something that does not exist requires a twisted mind.
Anyone who can say that "God is an idea [sic] of an old man [sic] who lives up in the clouds [sic]..." is a little higher than an amoeba, i.e. eons away from becoming human.
The only thing that can make her human is a miracle. So let's pray that it happens to her too.
They do know He exists. They are just in denial.
Proof is simple..History is replete with noted atheists becoming believers on their deathbed. In contrast, we know of no believer that has become an atheist in the same situation.
And it could be this is her daughter's way of letting mom know that she is curious about God and would like to learn about Him, without getting mom 'mad' at her. And Julia is letting her new anti-'religion' get in the way of a natural curiosity. Where is her tolerance now?, as she writes of LA not defining people by their religion? Has she considered what she will do if her daughter does embrace God and want to learn about him?
Right. And among those who believe in God, Catholic is the least desirable.
Sorry to hear of her loss. I always liked Julia, very funny. Maybe she's listened to too many Bill Maher ramblings?
Shouldnt that be "I didn't know you were so irreligious!"
When you see a building, you don't believe it built itself. You "know" (by implication) that there was an architect who designed it and a master builder who built it. Yet, when it comes to Creation, we have difficulty recognizing the Architect and the Master Buildier as well as the Interior Decorator.
To the best of my knowledge, there is not a single example of a house building itself. But that's precisely what atheists seem to believe in.
Interesting thread
Revelation 4:11
See my profile for info
Poor woman. I think she's had a difficult life.
Huh? That doesn't say she's a lesbian, just that her announcement of atheism was more shocking to her family than coming out would have been. She's pretty clearly comparing the shock value of the two things, not announcing that she's gay.
Hurts my brain to think about such.
Seems to me that cancer would cause a heightened sense of ones own mortality and have the opposite effect on potentially meeting your maker, but hey, what do I know?
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