Anne Rice quits being a Christian
Anne Rice, who was artfully crafting vampires before they became the darlings of teenybopper culture, made a surprising announcement this week: She quit being a Christian. Rice noted on her site and on Facebook that she remained committed to Christ, but was fed up with organized religion's opposition to homosexuality, feminism and abortion, among other things.
Among the groups she pointedly took issue with: the ultra-conservative Westboro Baptist, which has disrupted funerals for slain servicemen in Maryland and other states. She called Christianity "quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous." (Wow. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was part of the Jewish media conspiracy.)
The announcement isn't surprising for its tenor. Rice is a thoughtful author, and free to express her feelings about religion. In one post, she quoted Gandhi: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Still, Rice runs a huge risk in alienating publishers, bookstore owners and readers with such a public declaration on a private matter. What, you say, conservative Christians aren't likely to read vampire novels? How then to explain Stephenie Meyer, the Mormon who penned the phenomenally popular Twilight series. Rice faces some serious blowback, and you have to admire her courage to take a stand. You can read some of the heated reaction at the Sun's In Good Faith blog.
If you want to read some of her postings on the topic, go to the jump:
Since some of you mentioned the Westboro Baptist Church in comments below, I thought I'd publish this recent news story about them. This is chilling. I wish I could say this is inexplicable. But it's not. That's the horror. Given the history of Christianity, this is not inexplicable at all. -- Tuesday at 11:56am
Gandhi famously said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” When does a word (Christian)become unusable? When does it become so burdened with history and horror that it cannot be evoked without destructive controversy? -- Tuesday at 3:14pm
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. -- Wednesday at 10:36am
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. -- Wednesday at 10:41am
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 C...hristianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become. -- 22 hours ago
Comments
With all due respect, to judge all of Christianity by the Westboro Baptist Church is simply moronic. It would be like judging all Americans by the tiny American neo-nazi groups. I belong to a Christian church that the Westboro Baptist Church has actively protested, so I find it ironic that I'm being lumped together with them.
Posted by: JDD | July 31, 2010 5:57 AM
What I find interesting is, Rice is in the
middle of a series based on the life of Christ.
Everyone I knew whose read them said it's
really well-done. I wonder how this will affect
her sales.
Posted by: Lauretta (ConstellationBooks) | July 31, 2010 11:54 AM
I admire her candor. As a member of the Brethren Church, I see no sense in any war, and no reason we waste our youth and our treasure killing people. Christ did not say to kill our enemies; he told us to love them. I too, find problems with people like Palin who profess their abiding love for God while supporting and even encouraging wars. War is anti-God, and I refuse to be anti-God.
As far as her book sales, her honesty will not hurt her sales at all. And the series on Jesus IS very well-written.
Posted by: Sally | August 4, 2010 12:36 PM
Dear Anne,
Good for you.
Posted by: bernard michals | August 6, 2010 10:57 AM