For those of you who don’t already know, Anne Rice just quit the Catholic church. She released the following statement Thursday, on Facebook:
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.
Soon followed by:
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 understand Anne’s frustration, I am disappointed in her statement for two reasons:
Firstly, to me, there is no difference between “following Christ” and “being a Christian.” We might not all agree on everything, but we share a rich and glorious faith that has done, is doing, and (God willing) will continue to do untold good in this world.
So, by “quitting” Christianity, Anne is allowing the Ratzingers and the Falwells and the LaHayes of the world to define her out the Church of John Brown, Mother Teresa, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King. She is tacitly acknowledging their (flawed) argument that there is no place for gays, feminists, democrats, humanists, or scientists in the Church – the body of the Christ she (still) follows.
Not only is this a disservice to Christ, but a disservice to the millions of his followers (the many dissenting Catholics, Orthodox and Evangelicals as well as the majority of mainline Protestants) who share her frustration and fight tirelessly to make our Church worthy of our Christ.
I understand Anne leaving the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic leadership has certainly lost its way. But Anne doesn’t need to leave Christianity. She doesn’t even need to leave the Catholic tradition and liturgy. Or the city of New Orleans. She just needs to take a walk down the street to the Christ Church Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana.
The other point about Anne’s departure that saddens me is that faith is an experiential activity. It is not just something we think about. Something we agree to in the abstract. Faith is something we feel, see and do.
And while it is tempting to throw away organized religion in our individual pursuit of divinity, the fellowship, guidance, nuturing and, yes, organization provided by the church community are essential elements of our spiritual growth.
As I said before, I completely understand Anne’s frustration. But walking with Christ means walking with people. And in Anne’s case, that means putting aside her justifiable frustration and anger, and taking a walk down St. Charles Avenue or wherever else her feet and her heart may take her.
My prayers today go out to Anne Rice and every other Christian struggling to reconcile their Church with their Christ. To paraphrase my friend Isaiah, may we all find hope in the Lord, and may He renew our strength.
Egon, from my perspective, it’s not just a matter of finding a Church to follow, but finding the preacher who reaches out to his congregation. I can totally understand Anne Rice’s decision to leave Christianity. It can be taken in the context of my much overused but nonetheless effective quote from Ghandi: “I like you Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
When we’re bombarded with media images of Christianity, and the lay person of the churches are throwing Bible verses, selectively of course, in our face day in and day out, the frustration becomes a boiling point. She’s merely ‘stepping off the grid’, as is common in America these days politically as well as socio-economically. This decision of hers is something that works for her, and for many others, when they are surrounded by the bigotry that is weaved through Christianity. Yet, by being a believer in Christ and God, she is maintaining her religious faith. Humanity is where she is struggling. Were it not for the blessing I have of St. James’ Episcopal Church here in Jackson, I would be in a similar position. After my ‘outing’, I was asked by two separate churches, no, I was urged by two separate pastors to no longer attend their church, all at the bequest of the ‘Blue Hair Society’, those funding the capital campaigns who didn’t want any distraction, or loss of the almighty dollar.
I use this story of myself, and now, Anne’s as well, as examples of encouraging people to find a church home, basically ‘church shopping.’ While it might be within the same faith, the preacher and congregation are truly what makes it a church home. I believe Anne is in a phase at this point in her life, and I pray that she too can find something similar to St. James’ as I have. Finally, when she does find that journey and path, she will be able to lead others to God’s home, as I’ve been fortunate enough to accomplish on a few occasions.
- Mike
Irony – I just read your next blog post and there is Ghandi’s quote!
Yep
It seemed relevant.
I do understand Anne’s desire to “step off the grid,” as you put it — and I didn’t mean to be pushing her (or anyone else). It just makes me sad when people allow the crazies to define the faith for the rest of us.
I think it’s a duty for (what I believe to be) the “silent majority” of Christians to stand up and model a more Christ-like image of Christianity in our society.
PS. I here a lot of great things about St. James — glad you’ve found a good home there!
Love it.