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Anne Rice quits Christianity -- but not Christ
Baltimore Sun ^ | July 30, 2010

Posted on 07/30/2010 7:57:36 AM PDT by NYer

Novelist Anne Rice remains committed to Christ. But she is quitting Christianity.

The “Interview With The Vampire” author, who in recent years has spoken publicly about her faith and written a series of novels tracing the life of Jesus, wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday that she was finished with organized Christianity.

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 outside. My conscience will allow nothing else.

She followed that post a few minutes later with more details:

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.

On Thursday, Rice posted a series of passages from the New Testament:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

(Excerpt) Read more at weblogs.baltimoresun.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Prayer; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: annerice; catholic; rice; spiritualjourney
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To: NYer

“...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...”

A bundle of contradictions. Good luck with that philosophy.


21 posted on 07/30/2010 8:15:47 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: NYer

I never though her conversion was real.

She never renounced her previous infatuation with occult things.


22 posted on 07/30/2010 8:16:08 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: NYer; Teófilo
Teofilo had a good blog post about this:

Friday, July 30, 2010

Anne Rice Renounces Christianity

Folks, in a rather confused, angry, yet poignant declaration posted on her Facebook page two days ago on Wednesday, author Ann Rice renounced Christianity “but not Christ”:

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.

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.

In the past, I had reviewed a number of Ms. Anne Rice’s works, particularly her Christ the Lord works, as well as Memnoch the Devil, and Servant of the Bones. One such review earned a place of honor on her website. I found those works genial and congenial, and evidence of a gentle, inner evolution of thought, heart and soul. If Ms. Rice’s declarations hold, her evolution has come to an end.

Ms. Rice is a gentle person. My very few exchanges with her have shown me that and the very few times I expressed my disagreements on her Facebook site I did it respectfully, without attacking her person, but questioning her stances from the viewpoint of the Catholic faith she said she had embraced, and natural law. In the end I saw the futility of it and not liking to be embroiled in long, protracted arguments, I left her to the mercy of God, to whom I cling every day for my own sins and shortcomings.

Ms. Rice is not an ignorant. To say that she’s well read would be an understatement. She’s a genius, she’s an artist. But whether she likes it or not, Christ left us a moral code, that is not anti-human nor anti-life, but well to the contrary and this teaching is proclaimed by the Church He left behind, unapologetically, in season and out of season.

We should take this opportunity for introspection. Did Ms. Rice leave because of her convictions or because we drove her away? Without absolving her of the personal responsibility of her choices, we should ask ourselves that question. We should ask ourselves how many from among us failed to be Christ for her and carefully, gently, try to show her why a number of her deeply held convictions were contrary to the Gospel she said she embraced. Did we also show her the breadth and the depth of the mercy of God to her? I think that many of us didn’t. Those who didn’t also share a measure of responsibility for her apostasy. Think about that one too.

I mourn Ms. Rice’s exit and pray that she comes to her senses. If not, I wish her well, and I want to let her know that the door remains open for her again, awaiting her return. For that we should all pray.


23 posted on 07/30/2010 8:17:09 AM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM ("Oh bother," said Pooh, as he chambered another round...)
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To: NYer
Luther is a hero. He opposed the corruption of the Catholic church at that time and to say other wise is anti-intellectual and anti-truth. I have nothing against the Catholic church, but to blame Luther - well - it made me laugh!
24 posted on 07/30/2010 8:17:54 AM PDT by Dave W
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To: NYer

1. There are churches out there that wouldn’t offend her political and social concerns. Even better, there are churches that don’t get sidetracked on social and political concerns at all, but are focused on the Gospel and in helping people work out their salvation, letting them figure out the social and political concerns on their own.

2. There are churches out there that are not “quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous.” I think anyone who has been around long enough in Christianity has a painful awareness of what she is referring to here. They also know that there are loving, spriritually healthy, Christian communities to be found.


25 posted on 07/30/2010 8:18:06 AM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican ("During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." --Orwell)
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To: NYer

Who in the world is this ignormalus?

“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.”

Well, at least you are being honest.

You are NO CHRISTIAN!

Yes, you’ll fit in with what God HATES:

Proverbs 6:16-19

16] These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

[17] A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

[18] An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

[19] A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.


26 posted on 07/30/2010 8:18:29 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: NYer

“Luther opened Pandora’s box when he said anyone could interpret scripture. Here is yet another victim.”

You’ve also opened Pandora’s box, sweetie.

Who “interprets” the Magesterium for you?

Can anyone “interpret” the Magesterium’s interpretation of Scripture?


27 posted on 07/30/2010 8:19:19 AM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: jtal
It was only a matter of time - if you spend much of your time writing and thinking about “vampires” it won’t be long before evil creeps into your consciousness.

************************

Interesting point. There was a thread recently (Vampire Logic?), now removed, that addressed this issue. Imho, it's a valid connection.

28 posted on 07/30/2010 8:20:28 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: NYer

Like she’s too perfect to belong to a church.


29 posted on 07/30/2010 8:21:28 AM PDT by Shimmer1 (Perseverance. In a confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins)
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To: NYer
Anne Rice quits Christianity -- but not Christ

I am quitting Anne Rice, but I am not quitting Rice; it's actually delicious with Black Beans and Tomatoes.

30 posted on 07/30/2010 8:21:36 AM PDT by Nonstatist
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To: trisham

This is okay with you?

“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.”

Whem you are not against something you are FOR it.

Let me rephase her personal theology for you.

I am PRO homosexuality.

I am a PRO feminist.

I am PRO birth control.

I am PRO Democrat.

I am PRO secular humanism.

There!

All these “anti’s” might have been confusing.


31 posted on 07/30/2010 8:22:45 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: throwback

I have learned that churches and churchiology are actually crucibles of relationship building and learning to love and forgive others. It is cowardly to and run when we are offended buy other Christians. By staying and resolving or staying and tolerating the percieved idiocy of “others,” we live out the command to love oneanother. It was not promised that this would be comfortable, pleasant, convenient, or easy. By leaving, Ms. Rice is living out her own self-absorbption and failure to live up to the essence of being Christian. Love to all. Foyen


32 posted on 07/30/2010 8:23:50 AM PDT by foyen
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To: Nonstatist
Her rant tells me she never knew Christ.

She's on the side of Christ’s adversary.

What a silly, mixed up person !

33 posted on 07/30/2010 8:23:55 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: NYer
“Luther opened Pandora's box when he said anyone could interpret scripture. Here is yet another victim. “

Interpreting is much different than reading it yourself and understanding it. And to think for yourself.

Christ certainly didn't intend for Popes and priests to be established for the purpose of spoon-feeding understanding to us.
That is an artificial man made barrier between us and God; and what the Pharisees were doing. He came to abolish that flawed way.

34 posted on 07/30/2010 8:26:24 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (I aspire to a large carbon footprint; just like Al Gore's)
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To: NYer
Luther opened Pandora's box when he said anyone could interpret scripture. Here is yet another victim.

Frankly, we should take this back a lot farther than the 16th century: After all, Marcion set the prototype with his "canon" of Scripture and his separation of the "creator god" from the "good god." (And that was back in the second century)

To take it farther back, the church in Corinth was in pretty bad shape too (read 1 Cor 5 if you'd like an explicit example)

But, in reality, Pandora's box was truly opened by Eve when she believed the line, "thou shalt not surely die."

I wouldn't nail this one on Protestants, in other words.

35 posted on 07/30/2010 8:26:57 AM PDT by markomalley (Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus)
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To: NYer
Sounds like Ms. Rice does not want to make any worrisome or unpopular decisions. She's not going to be anti- anything anymore. Nothing’s bad, everything’s good, we're all fine..... No conflict, make love not war, etc.

Haven't we heard all this before? Wasn't this the anthem of the Hippie Movement?

36 posted on 07/30/2010 8:28:53 AM PDT by July4 (Remember the price paid for your freedom.)
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To: NYer
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.

What's she complaigning about, there are plenty of denominations around that will bless off on all her issues and more ...
37 posted on 07/30/2010 8:31:13 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: foyen

I’m afraid you’re right. I’ve been batting around formally joining a church. I go to one regularly, but am not a member. I like the church and its message, and I’ve gone through some introduction classes. Still, the people I’ve met I don’t particularly like. I think they’re all goofballs. Then I look at me, and guess what, so am I. I’m thinking this idea of making a church out of sinners, how dumb is that? Uh, but what is the alternative? What’s the old line, I’d never join a church that would have me as a member.


38 posted on 07/30/2010 8:36:51 AM PDT by throwback ( The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid)
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To: Ann Archy

Exactly what I thought.

She apparently never had a good grasp of what sin is and the concept of loving the sinner but hating the sin.


39 posted on 07/30/2010 8:39:27 AM PDT by texaschick
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To: NYer

Committed to her own imaginary “Christ” that she keeps handy in a box.


40 posted on 07/30/2010 8:41:09 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Obamacare is America's kristallnacht !!)
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