Anne Rice (famous author of vampire and other novels) has quit Christianity.
Silence.
For those who don't know or care, here's the chronology from her Facebook page
(according to Wikipedia):
On July 29, 2010, Rice publicly renounced her dedication to her Roman Catholic
faith, yet remaining committed to Christ, on her Facebook page stating:
"For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a
Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being
"Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to
"belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous
group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience
will allow nothing else."
---following the post a few hours after with:
"As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ,
I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be
anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be
anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In
the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."
She reaffirmed her faith in Christ with stance of non-adherence to organized
Christianity an hour or so later with the following post:
"My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic
atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a
universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following
Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more
important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is,
has been, or might become."
Anne further clarified her statements as follows:
My commitment to Christ remains at the heart and center of my life.
Transformation in Him is radical and ongoing. That I feel now that I am called
to be an outsider for Him, to step away from the words, "Christian" and
"Christianity" is something that my conscience demands of me. I feel that my
faith in Him demands this of me. I know of no other way to express how I must
remove myself from those things which seek to separate me from Him.
In an August 7, 2010 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she elaborated on her
view regarding being a member of a Christian church: "I feel much more morally
comfortable walking away from organized religion. I respect that there are all
kinds of denominations and all kinds of churches, but it's the entire
controversy, the entire conversation that I need to walk away from right
now." In response to the question, "[H]ow do you follow Christ without a
church?" Rice replied: "I think the basic ritual is simply prayer. It's talking
to God, putting things in the hands of God, trusting that you're living in God's
world and praying for God's guidance. And being absolutely faithful to the core
principles of Jesus' teachings.
Sometimes, it seems to me, the famous simply talk too much and/or we listen to or read them too often without context or more sober perspective.
Anyway, here is Anne Rice talking with apologist Bishop of Durham, N.T. Wright about writing, religion, her gay son, etc., at a Grace Cathedral forum dated May 14, 2006.
Vampires (and those who love them), please consider these St. Paul words to the
Corinthians:
"And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily."
~1 Corinthians15:31
Of course one cannot be anti son or daughter or even anti-death.
But - BEING - anti-God?
Happens more within organized religion than even the greatest "organizers" care
to admit or say - everyday.
So how to avoid being organized personally and collectively without losing our soul?
Rejoice in the Lord . . . and "die" daily.
No comments:
Post a Comment