Anne Rice: ‘Today I Quit Being A Christian’
Posted by majestic on August 4, 2010
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Anne Rice tells NPR why she has rejected organized religion:

On July 28, bestselling author Anne Rice officially left the Roman Catholic Church.

The writer has had a fairly tumultuous religious history. Although she was raised Catholic, Rice rejected the church for the first time when she was 18.

But in 1998, Rice — who’s famous mostly for writing steamy, gothic, decidedly un-Christian novels such as Interview with the Vampire — had a religious awakening. She converted to Catholicism and began to write exclusively Christian-themed novels, like Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt.

In July, Rice decided she had had enough. She announced her decision on her Facebook page:

“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.”

But, the decision wasn’t an easy one.

“It was very painful,” Rice tells NPR’s Michele Norris. “But I’ve always been public about my beliefs, and I’ve always been public about wanting to make a difference.”…

[continues at NPR]

I also wince about calling myself christian. I'm actually a Jesusian.

Someone should inform Anne Rice that a person doesn't have to belong to the Roman Catholic Church in order to be a Christian.

Honestly? Why not go the whole hog and just be a full-blown atheist?!

some people want to believe in a god, but don't like what the churches are saying/doing... i am totally against organized religion, but still like to think there's some sort of god...

I have always defined a Christian as a person who believes in Jesus and in his teachings of love. I think you can still be a Christian even if you don't rigorously accept the Bible as the word of God.

The vision of a human being incarnate as an authentic and true representation of the spirit of what we call "God" who represents good and joy and love and freedom... call it anything you like, it is what some people aspire to.

A church is a organization that wants you to give them money and that wants to tell you how we all should live our lives. When churches do good and bring hope and faith then they are doing good. When they pass judgement and condemn others, and incite wars and violence, they are evil.

Being an atheist is as difficult as being a believer.

Why not just be authentic human beings? Why not just be true and good?

haha I agree...I so don't want to be lumped in with them!!
I believe in Him that all they need to know!