what an annoying voice. can't imagine listening to this monologue for more than a few minutes.

Who cares about her voice? It's what she has to say. I find that what she says is heartfelt and entertaining. Anyway, her voice is different, but I don't think it's annoying at all.

very enjoyable.

i still haven't seen or heard a ted-talk that i didn't enjoy and/or learn from.

-- óskar

It's really I shame you can't get over her voice, 'cause she has a lot of great things to say. I've found her monologues to be insightful, moving and absolutely hilarious. I actually think her voice adds a lot to her delivery. My CD of "Letting Go of God" should arrive today, I can't wait!

What an annoying comment. I can't imagine reading a post like that for more than a few minutes.

If you want to listen to the rest of the story, Click Here

It's from last years post of Letting Go of God by Julia Sweeney.

BTW, LOL @ Thranil! Good one!

I've only seen 3 of the TED speakers Julia Sweeney, Richard Dawkins and Peter Gabrial so far. I'm thinking of getting a copy of the CD for my friend who was culturaly raised as a Mormon, but doesn't put any faith in the dogma. So far what I've read into it, it sounds like very light hearted and entertaining view into her experiences with religion.

I've seen most of it and it is great stuff. Well worth the time.

I love the things Julia Sweeney has to say but I too am seriously irritated by her voice. I listen because she has a lot to say. Her words are easy to listen to but her voice irritates the crap out of me.

Still, the voice qualities have nothing to do with content. Listen to Cr. Hawkin. Talk about a shitty voice...but so what I've listened to hours of recordings by him.

So if the voice is the real reason for not listening to her, that's too bad. Your loss.

But if I can listen to Pat Robertson...

Sweeney's voice has character and it's perfectly suited to her delivery and wit. Granted such observations are purely subjective. I see her as invested in being totally transparent. Maybe it comes a bit too close to using the stage as public therapy, which has the potential to be tiresome. I wonder if anyone out there remembers "It's Pat" -the movie, in 1994. I think I was one out of 5 people who actually liked it.

Norm,

I love this Julia Sweeney piece but think this is a terrible video because of what BMW did in the way they edited it.

They cut Julia's talk right after she says that she didn't know if she believed what she so clearly felt.

We then hear a narrator talk about the importance of ideas and what would happen if we don't cherish them and we see a wrecking ball destroy a building.

Because Julia was just voicing her concern about her beliefs and she was not given a chance to draw to her conclusions (in which she thoroughly rejects her religious beliefs), her troubling struggle with her doubt is used by BMW copy writers to underscore the importance of . . . believing!!!

Of course, no major brand advertizer wants to be associated with in-your-face atheism. But to cut Julia before her conclusions, to prevent the listener from hearing where she was going, and then to use it in the way they did was just a bit too cynically exploitive for me.

I think you should add the audio completion on this page (which you presented elsewhere) as was done here on Yoism's Julia Sweeney page.

May the PLWYGYWO

Dan