The best-selling writer who made headlines with her dramatic conversion (or reversion) and wrote a popular book about her journey back to Catholicism, has changed her mind. She made the announcement on Facebook:
Meantime, if anyone can get Rice to re-think her position, it might well be this gal, who argues, compellingly, that Christianity is one of the most misunderstood, poorly taught movements in the world. Anne Rice would do well to read what The Anchoress has to say, and pray about it ... "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."UPDATE: The AP has spoken with Rice by phone:
Rice wrote "Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession," a memoir about her own conversion to Christianity--making the post a bit more surprising.
In another post, Rice also admitted, "I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity." So far, her posts have drawn nearly 2,000 comments and well over 3,000 "likes."
Rice said she had been having doubts for the past two to three years. She was troubled by the child abuse scandals in the church, and the church's defensive reaction, and by the ex-communication of Sister Margaret McBride, a nun and hospital administrator who had approved an abortion for a woman whose life was in danger.
"I believed for a long time that the differences, the quarrels among Christians didn't matter a lot for the individual, that you live your life and stay out of it. But then I began to realize that it wasn't an easy thing to do," said Rice, speaking from her home near Palm Springs, Calif. "I came to the conclusion that if I didn't make this declaration, I was going to lose my mind."
Rice said she is a Democrat who supports the health care legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama and believes gay marriage inevitably will be permitted throughout the country. Although no longer part of any denomination, she remains a believer and continues to read theology and post Biblical passages on her Facebook page. She has no immediate plans to write about her leaving the church and will continue with her metaphysical fiction series, "Songs of the Seraphim."
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
To be a follower of Christ is to reject the powers that be that say in order to follow CHRIST you must follow me.
CHRIST is not a Christian, he is the Son of GOD. Christianity is a man made clique.
Mary,
The Catechism and even the Bible states that Christ is the Head of the Church! How can you be the Head of the Church and not be Christian Mary? That makes no sense.
Another post had Anne Rice saying that, although abandoning Christianity, she felt she still needed to be "... absolutely faithful to the core principles of Jesus' teachings." My dear Anne, one of Jesus' core teachings was that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. No wonder you were in such a tizzy: You were trying to have it both ways, you wanted to follow Christ and also follow your own social/political convictions. You were honest enough to admit that it can't be done. And the Bible bears you out. Jesus Himself decalred that no one can serve both God and "mammon." I'm deeply sorrowful that you chose your own belief system, because I know--and so do you--that it can't save you. That sense of calm you're feeling? It's not the true peace of God, it's merely the absence of your demons, who can take a well-deserved break from harassing you now that you've decided to worship yourself.
@Jan
//One does not "quit" being a Christian. If you "quit" being a Christian, you were never one in the first place.''
So it's like the Mafia ?
I have to agree with Anne Rice. I am a dedicated Christ follower. I believe Christ is the gift of God and the only way to salvation. I don't believe that politics or public opinion has anything to do with loving and following Christ. What a shame it is that so many self professed Christians carry what the world sees Christ as that really has nothing to do with excepting, believing or following Christ at all. Being a Christian has nothing to do with being for or against anything of this world. Being a christian has everything to do with believing that God/Christ came to earth in the form of sinless man and was crucified/sacrificed and shed his blood as an atonement for sin and to rectify and sanctify and to Glorify and do the will of God.
Oh and Erich, The name Christian is just that A label made up by man. I don't fall under any label. I believe in and follow Christ. and I think that is what Anne Rice was getting at. Remember also before Martin Luther a man didn't dare voice his own opinion about what Christ was or what he meant to him personally with out fear of being labeled as a heretic and being executed. Just because a group of organized people voice their opening about what they view as "Christinicly" correct does not make it so. Really the best thing to do is 1. Don't judge, leave that to God and 2. Find out what God has to say about it, read his Word, the Bible...
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.