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.
Source: Anne Rice’s Facebook Page
On Wednesday, July 28, shortly after 1:30pm, Anne Rice made the above announcement on her Facebook page. The internet immediately went to work by agreeing or disagreeing and, many times, misinterpreting her words completely.
We will not comment on the crossroads of politics and religion here, that’s not our purpose. But it should be noted that this announcement, even in light of Mrs. Rice’s recent conversion and publications, shouldn’t come as that big a surprise. She has, after all, been writing about redemption and grace for quite some time now.
You’re familiar with Lestat, I hope?
Though Anne Rice’s Vampire books are now behind her (though it’d be cool with us if she wanted to revisit them…) it’s foolish to think she wasn’t communicating the complexity of grace and compassion through them. Lestat might be a vain creature who is, at least to outward appearances, wholly and completely self-interested, but look deeper and you’ll see a character who questions the nature and morality of his existence along with the problems his (post)life presents for ideas of the afterlife.
Lestat was an outsider, too. In fiction, as a vampire, he was something that society could be fearful of and quick to damn. But if that were all there was to him, would he have held our interest through so many books? No. As we read and came to know him, we came to see there was still some humanity left in him; there was still something there with which we could identify. In the end, Lestat isn’t as different from you or I as we may have at first believed.
It’s common to suggest that vampires are easy stand-ins for “alternative” lifestyles—usually homosexuality—and perhaps they are, and perhaps they’re not. Like any group, they are portrayed as having their heroes and villains. But if reading Anne Rice’s Vampire books has taught us anything, it’s that you shouldn’t be so quick to toss the baby out with the bath water.
It appears that Mrs. Rice’s journey, like Lestat’s, will not be as short and easy a one as she might have liked. But in taking another step, and so publicly involving us in her decision, perhaps we’ll all be better for it in time.
What do you think about Anne Rice’s recent decision to step back from organized religion? Does/do the religious affiliation/ideologies of an author affect your reading of their work?
Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out, Ms. Rice.
I think her decision is a fantastic thing. I also think her other posts are both insightful and spot on:
“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.”
“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.”
While I think faith is a grand and noble thing, I believe that organized religion is the root of all evil.
And a little more on-topic, no, an author’s religious or political affiliations / ideologies do not influence my reading of their work unless they are blatantly thrown in my face — I’m looking at you, Terry Goodkind.
Admittedly, it’s more difficult with TV/film stars to distance myself from being influenced, because you’re looking right at them, when trying to appreciate their art/craft.
@Spaz – thank you for a reasoned response. I think that her quote (I’m grabbing it from your comment): “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” is the piece that seems to be overlooked in a lot of the criticism being thrown at her. At least, from what I’ve seen.
Now, I happen to have different views from Ms. Rice religiously, but I also have a great deal of respect for her approach and decision. I think that while she’s taking a different road than the one some may have expected her to take (and maybe different from the one she herself might have expected to take), she’ll emerge just fine and maybe, just maybe, encourage people to investigate message instead of packaging.
Anne Rice?s Big Announcement…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
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It’s pretty weird to be discussing someone’s religious journey like we’d discuss the merits of one baseball team versus another. Our spiritual choices are deeply personal, and I’m not sure a Facebook post (or posts) can do justice to such complex, individual relationships. I’ve read many people who claim that organized religion is the root of much human strife, while completely ignoring the amazing, uplifting things it does. I’m not saying that bad–even terrible–things haven’t been caused in the name of religion, but so has generosity, forgiveness, and selfless service. I’m glad to hear that Ms. Rice isn’t giving up on Christ, and I hope her spiritual journey eventually brings her to like-minded individuals who can form a community of support and respect– a “church” in which she can feel at home. Christianity is like a big, extended family. From the outside we may seem like one cohesive unit, but from the inside we’re a bunch of individuals all trying to find our way. I hope Ms. Rice finds hers.
I understand her frustraition with ‘mainstream’ Christianity…whatever that is…but it’s a personal walk with Christ. Look in the living word, in almost every segment/story that the Bible relates, the mob thought and rule is WRONG! it’s the individual walking with God who is true.
We westerners must stop putting God in a box, and thereby, limit loving thought and action.
I for one am trying to think outside of the TRIANGLE! h
Be blessed,
pah