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Anne Rice is the author of many books on Vampires (now Angels) and whatnot starting with Interview With The Vampire. Her son, Christopher, has also become an author and has embraced a gay identity/worldview. Recently Anne posted on her facebook page:
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.
I can certainly empathize with not wanting to identify with judgmental exclusivists. It is difficult at times to have grace for those who not only don’t agree but actively oppose my close to the heart views.
However, the Lord calls us to “not forsake the assembly.” Cultural Christianity is not necessarily true “Christianity.” Even so, I have learned that I have to tolerate Christians who are more apt to use certain social issues as their barometer of how Christianity should behave and be defined. I have to lovingly oppose (mindful of my own frailty), not rant against, Christians who place their reasoning above the Truth of Jesus.
As tempting as it is to reject her version of Christianity, which looks to be judgmental and exclusivist in its own right, and go on and on against her various “anti” this and that points … I won’t.
I simply believe that Anne’s blanket stereotyped generalizations may lead to further stigmatization of Christians she doesn’t agree with. If Anne can make bajillions of dollars humanizing the blood sucking un-dead … maybe she could try (again?) to understand those Christians she is obviously angry with. Perhaps if she viewed them with the same level of care and layered complexity she does with her fictional characters … outright rejection might be replaced with principled disagreement and understanding.
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She has a gay son, I think it would be pretty hard to deal with millions of people in the Catholic religion telling her that her son is going to hell, especially since if you’ve read her vampire books you can see how confliced she is with religion. And political Christianity is enough to turn anyone who is conflicted about their beliefs off. I see people pressuring my boyfriend to get into political right wing christianity/catholicism, but because his faith is so much deeper than their political drives, he is able to hold onto his beliefs. That may be the difference between someone who walks away and someone who doesn’t.
She has a gay son, I think it would be pretty hard to deal with millions of people in the Catholic religion telling her that her son is going to hell, especially since if you’ve read her vampire books you can see how confliced she is with religion. And political Christianity is enough to turn anyone who is conflicted about their beliefs off. I see people pressuring my boyfriend to get into political right wing christianity/catholicism, but because his faith is so much deeper than their political drives, he is able to hold onto his beliefs. That may be the difference between someone who walks away and someone who doesn’t.
I heart you, Randy. That’s all.
Aww… I heart you too Laurie.
I have a heart for Anne too … Just praying that this is a catalyst for good with her as she considers her recent statements carefully.
I agree with you Randy. No matter what Rice is still one heck of a writer. I love her works and I do not believe that she is truly rejecting Christianity. She have her own philosophies and I do respect her for that.
I heart you, Randy. That’s all.
Aww… I heart you too Laurie.
I have a heart for Anne too … Just praying that this is a catalyst for good with her as she considers her recent statements carefully.
Randy, I’m sure you will edit your piece to spell Anne Rice’s name correctly. But I think you may be misinterpreting, to an extent, what Anne is saying.
Anne is not rejecting her Lord. She is following Christ in the way that makes sense to her – by rejecting the hatred, the politics, the greed and misogyny and abuses of power (and often children) carried out in His name, by His people. You may recall that Jesus did a similar thing once, when he threw the moneychangers out of the temple. I see no difference here. Anne is following the example of Christ – calling out those who pervert the message our Lord left us, with their anti-this and anti-that. There are not conditions attached to salvation, beyond acceptance. Anne is a sister in Christ.
We are called to love others. We are called to follow Christ, to do as He did. Anne has done so, and like everything else she does, she has done it brilliantly. I do not think she will find that she has “forsaken the assembly”, because many other like-minded followers of Christ will surround her in love and fellowship, and without judgment. She has my full support – the church of today, in many ways, is broken. It is divided upon itself. It is political and issues have replaced worship in many places. Anne loves her Lord, and I believe she is doing as she feels led. God did not tell us to love only the straight, only the Republican, only the churchgoing. And there is entirely too much of that floating around in today’s church. (Um, “embraced a gay worldview”, for example.)
Anne is on a rather public journey. I believe she is called and anointed to make her journey this way. She has led countless people to Christ with her story, and many Christians feel as she does. I expect many of us will come together in worship in new ways – on the internet, perhaps, where a building fund is unnecessary. By separating herself from Catholicism and traditional Christianity, Anne is going into the desert to pray. She has some fine examples of great spiritual leaders in this. I support her fully, and hope that you will find a way to do so, as well.
Thank you for your comment and for the heads up on the misspelling of her name.
And thank you, Randy, for publishing it unedited. I know my thoughts are long and not always palatable.
Anne’s statement has come harshly to many Christians. Labels and nomenclature are hard to handle when we are so invested. So many are sure that they know what God wants that they forget what He has simply asked us to do. Anne is not perfect; no more are we. Prophets are never appreciated in their own towns
I think, given time, she may effect some very interesting change. She has certainly engendered lots of thought on Christ and Christianity in many who would never otherwise be thinking of Him. Thank you again, and peace be with you.
Randy, I’m sure you will edit your piece to spell Anne Rice’s name correctly. But I think you may be misinterpreting, to an extent, what Anne is saying.
Anne is not rejecting her Lord. She is following Christ in the way that makes sense to her – by rejecting the hatred, the politics, the greed and misogyny and abuses of power (and often children) carried out in His name, by His people. You may recall that Jesus did a similar thing once, when he threw the moneychangers out of the temple. I see no difference here. Anne is following the example of Christ – calling out those who pervert the message our Lord left us, with their anti-this and anti-that. There are not conditions attached to salvation, beyond acceptance. Anne is a sister in Christ.
We are called to love others. We are called to follow Christ, to do as He did. Anne has done so, and like everything else she does, she has done it brilliantly. I do not think she will find that she has “forsaken the assembly”, because many other like-minded followers of Christ will surround her in love and fellowship, and without judgment. She has my full support – the church of today, in many ways, is broken. It is divided upon itself. It is political and issues have replaced worship in many places. Anne loves her Lord, and I believe she is doing as she feels led. God did not tell us to love only the straight, only the Republican, only the churchgoing. And there is entirely too much of that floating around in today’s church. (Um, “embraced a gay worldview”, for example.)
Anne is on a rather public journey. I believe she is called and anointed to make her journey this way. She has led countless people to Christ with her story, and many Christians feel as she does. I expect many of us will come together in worship in new ways – on the internet, perhaps, where a building fund is unnecessary. By separating herself from Catholicism and traditional Christianity, Anne is going into the desert to pray. She has some fine examples of great spiritual leaders in this. I support her fully, and hope that you will find a way to do so, as well.
Thank you for your comment and for the heads up on the misspelling of her name.
And thank you, Randy, for publishing it unedited. I know my thoughts are long and not always palatable.
Anne’s statement has come harshly to many Christians. Labels and nomenclature are hard to handle when we are so invested. So many are sure that they know what God wants that they forget what He has simply asked us to do. Anne is not perfect; no more are we. Prophets are never appreciated in their own towns
I think, given time, she may effect some very interesting change. She has certainly engendered lots of thought on Christ and Christianity in many who would never otherwise be thinking of Him. Thank you again, and peace be with you.
Very well written and interesting article. People forget that Jesus Christ came here to save us from the ‘OLD LAWS OF ISRAEL’ that many preachers of the law are currently still trying to bind others to. I don’t condone sin, in all of its forms,..but true sin is in the heart of the man. Only God truely knows our hearts and the reason we do things. It is NOT our job to plant a seed of conviction int he heart of man!..’That is the Holy Spirit’s job!’ We are vessels of God’s love..not his wrath. People should tread lightly when constantly trying to wash the blood of every alleged sinner who’s going to burn in hell off their hands. We arent just vessels if we’re quoting and interpreting scripture…lucifer can do that aswell. We must have God’s love and compassion for our fellow brethern to plant a seed…otherwise we’re nothing but modern-day Pharisees. ..Let us remember..’Above ALL, LOVE is the GREATEST. Are we nothing but full of dead men’s bones? Are we nothing but scribes and pharisees traveling over land and see trying to win converts and making them twice the sons of hell we are?? Ask yourself that. We are ALL sinners..young and old!! Let us come to God out of free-will and his love..NOT FEAR! (IE: hellfire and brimstone) ‘Fear God’ was taken out of biblical text. It means ‘To Respect!’..so please spare me the rhettoric statements.
Very well written and interesting article. People forget that Jesus Christ came here to save us from the ‘OLD LAWS OF ISRAEL’ that many preachers of the law are currently still trying to bind others to. I don’t condone sin, in all of its forms,..but true sin is in the heart of the man. Only God truely knows our hearts and the reason we do things. It is NOT our job to plant a seed of conviction int he heart of man!..’That is the Holy Spirit’s job!’ We are vessels of God’s love..not his wrath. People should tread lightly when constantly trying to wash the blood of every alleged sinner who’s going to burn in hell off their hands. We arent just vessels if we’re quoting and interpreting scripture…lucifer can do that aswell. We must have God’s love and compassion for our fellow brethern to plant a seed…otherwise we’re nothing but modern-day Pharisees. ..Let us remember..’Above ALL, LOVE is the GREATEST. Are we nothing but full of dead men’s bones? Are we nothing but scribes and pharisees traveling over land and see trying to win converts and making them twice the sons of hell we are?? Ask yourself that. We are ALL sinners..young and old!! Let us come to God out of free-will and his love..NOT FEAR! (IE: hellfire and brimstone) ‘Fear God’ was taken out of biblical text. It means ‘To Respect!’..so please spare me the rhettoric statements.
She is quitting on a brand of Christianity, and, hopefully, not on Christ. But only she knows what she means by her statement. She has painted all of Christendom with a very broad and incorrect brush, of course. Some forms of idolatry and mini-false religions need to be quit, too. How many folks have made a separate religion out of some of the same pros, the antis of which she lists?
She is quitting on a brand of Christianity, and, hopefully, not on Christ. But only she knows what she means by her statement. She has painted all of Christendom with a very broad and incorrect brush, of course. Some forms of idolatry and mini-false religions need to be quit, too. How many folks have made a separate religion out of some of the same pros, the antis of which she lists?
I was torn up when I read the headline on CNN that Anne Rice left Christianity. I knew that she had a gay son and that she was probably pro-gay. From her statement which you posted, it seems there is some deep seeded rebellion there. I wonder what Jesus she met? Jesus isn’t anti-gay, though He is willing to call it a sin and call sinners to repentance. its not an anti position to warn someone of the folly of their ways. but so be it. really, my biggest problem isn’t with her refusing to be anti-gay, but with her refusal to be anti- Secular Humanism. does not secular humanism deny the very existence of God and place itself (humanity) as God? Sigh. Hopefully, this is just part of a journey which will eventually end with her worshipping at Jesus’ feet. but let us remember that Jesus was very exclusivist Himself. He said “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father” and “friendship with the world is enmity with God” as well as “if this world hate you, remember that it hated me first”
I was torn up when I read the headline on CNN that Anne Rice left Christianity. I knew that she had a gay son and that she was probably pro-gay. From her statement which you posted, it seems there is some deep seeded rebellion there. I wonder what Jesus she met? Jesus isn’t anti-gay, though He is willing to call it a sin and call sinners to repentance. its not an anti position to warn someone of the folly of their ways. but so be it. really, my biggest problem isn’t with her refusing to be anti-gay, but with her refusal to be anti- Secular Humanism. does not secular humanism deny the very existence of God and place itself (humanity) as God? Sigh. Hopefully, this is just part of a journey which will eventually end with her worshipping at Jesus’ feet. but let us remember that Jesus was very exclusivist Himself. He said “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father” and “friendship with the world is enmity with God” as well as “if this world hate you, remember that it hated me first”
Jesus did not come to change the Law because the Law of the Lord is perfect. He knew that we cannot follow the law perfectly, however, so He came to save us from ourselves in a sense.The danger I see from Anne’s statement is that she is falling for the concepts that truth is relative and we form our own truth, tolerance means to condone sin, and love means you cannot follow scripture and exhort a fellow believer to obey God’s word. Frank, you are so right when you say that Jesus had an exclusive view about who could be His disciple…those who denied themselves, obeyed His commandments, and made Him Lord of their life.Many times some ignore the many “if/then” statements of Jesus such as John 15:10-”If you keep my commandments, then you will abide in my love.”.
Jesus did not come to change the Law because the Law of the Lord is perfect. He knew that we cannot follow the law perfectly, however, so He came to save us from ourselves in a sense.The danger I see from Anne’s statement is that she is falling for the concepts that truth is relative and we form our own truth, tolerance means to condone sin, and love means you cannot follow scripture and exhort a fellow believer to obey God’s word. Frank, you are so right when you say that Jesus had an exclusive view about who could be His disciple…those who denied themselves, obeyed His commandments, and made Him Lord of their life.Many times some ignore the many “if/then” statements of Jesus such as John 15:10-”If you keep my commandments, then you will abide in my love.”.
I’m with Frank and Gale on this issue. Did she ever truly come to Christ in the first place? Was she following Jesus, or was she following religion? It is not my intention to judge or condemn her. However, as I read what she said, it sounds as though her beliefs were never in alignment with scripture in the first place.
They probably were not Holly. So she goes on this diatriabe of how she is refuses to be anti-worldy. Big deal. She’s judgmental in her own right, yet she refuses to admit it. I never liked Anne Rice nor her novels and now this just confirms my dislike of her even more so.
She is just another individual who became famous and wealthy in this world system. What does that mean in God’s Kingdom? Absolutely nothing. Jesus said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. I’m tired of listening to people like her who think like the world and love the world and think that Christians and Jesus Himself should abide by the world’s rules. Sorry, it just doesn’t work that way. Not now, not ever.
Why should we care what Anne Rice thinks anyway?
I’m with Frank and Gale on this issue. Did she ever truly come to Christ in the first place? Was she following Jesus, or was she following religion? It is not my intention to judge or condemn her. However, as I read what she said, it sounds as though her beliefs were never in alignment with scripture in the first place.
They probably were not Holly. So she goes on this diatriabe of how she is refuses to be anti-worldy. Big deal. She’s judgmental in her own right, yet she refuses to admit it. I never liked Anne Rice nor her novels and now this just confirms my dislike of her even more so.
She is just another individual who became famous and wealthy in this world system. What does that mean in God’s Kingdom? Absolutely nothing. Jesus said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. I’m tired of listening to people like her who think like the world and love the world and think that Christians and Jesus Himself should abide by the world’s rules. Sorry, it just doesn’t work that way. Not now, not ever.
Why should we care what Anne Rice thinks anyway?
Greg,
Jesus didn’t come to save us from the law…He said that “not one jot or tiddle of the law will pass away”. Rather, He came to fulfill the law in us through His sacrifice. It is intimacy with God through the shed blood of Christ that brings us to our knees and teaches us sanctity. The Lord will write the law on your heart, and your mind will follow suit as you meditate on God’s Word.
The law is lovely to my eyes! However, it does not save. Its purpose is to shed light on our sins so we may repent of them and get right with God through His grace…by faith alone in the name of Jesus Christ.
God shed His grace on thee, Greg!
Greg,
Jesus didn’t come to save us from the law…He said that “not one jot or tiddle of the law will pass away”. Rather, He came to fulfill the law in us through His sacrifice. It is intimacy with God through the shed blood of Christ that brings us to our knees and teaches us sanctity. The Lord will write the law on your heart, and your mind will follow suit as you meditate on God’s Word.
The law is lovely to my eyes! However, it does not save. Its purpose is to shed light on our sins so we may repent of them and get right with God through His grace…by faith alone in the name of Jesus Christ.
God shed His grace on thee, Greg!
Being Christian is about Truth who is Jesus Christ and the Church He built upon the chair of Peter. Anne Rice works and lives in fiction !! The Church isn’t “anti-life” !! Vampire Rice should be brought back from the dead !!
Being Christian is about Truth who is Jesus Christ and the Church He built upon the chair of Peter. Anne Rice works and lives in fiction !! The Church isn’t “anti-life” !! Vampire Rice should be brought back from the dead !!
Intresting choice of words “forsaking the assembly” carries a lot if you understand the writer was speaking to Jewsish Christians that were going back to Judiasm. There remains no more sacrifice for sin. Exactly what Rice os doing. Under pressure from friends and family or for what ever reason she is going back rather than confront the problem. I don’t agree with the Roman Church, I don’t even agree with my own church on many of the issues mentioned, but I will not turn my back on christ and crucify him anew. Rather I will try to convience my brothers and sisters of there errors until I change their hearts or they reject me. I think someone else did that very thing.
Intresting choice of words “forsaking the assembly” carries a lot if you understand the writer was speaking to Jewsish Christians that were going back to Judiasm. There remains no more sacrifice for sin. Exactly what Rice os doing. Under pressure from friends and family or for what ever reason she is going back rather than confront the problem. I don’t agree with the Roman Church, I don’t even agree with my own church on many of the issues mentioned, but I will not turn my back on christ and crucify him anew. Rather I will try to convience my brothers and sisters of there errors until I change their hearts or they reject me. I think someone else did that very thing.
Cultural Christianity is not necessarily true, but i’m sure Ann will not be the last to reject bible christianity. There have been many like her in the past, and i’m sure more to come.