Well, another one bites the dust… a Christian, that is, who has “had enough” of the church, and organized religion. "The church is just too different from Jesus." That’s their experience, personally, and it’s tough to reconcile that with the Jesus they read about in the Gospels, and with the Jesus they experience personally in prayer.Anne Rice, author of “Interview with a Vampire,” is the most recent example. In her own words she writes on her blog in the last two days:
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 … 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, not matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.hristianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.
Anne is not the first person to “leave the church.” She won’t be the last. But she’s part of a growing wave of folks whose numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. I understand—even sympathize with—her experience. I’m praying and thinking... intensely … what’s the answer?...
1 comment:
I understand where she is coming from, but at the end of the day (and I'm saying this after an immense personal struggle with the faith), it's about obedience to Christ. Naturally, we can only try out best...........and sometimes we get it right, most of the time not, but we keep trying! We have to start to understand what humility is and self denial. These were key virtues in early Christianity. Unfortantely these virtues are not appreciated in modern Christianity. love in Christ, Susan Waters, M. Div., Belgium
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