Saturday, August 7, 2010

Following Christ vs being a Christian

As many of you have seen recently on Facebook, author Anne Rice has quit Christianity. Can't say I blame her. Here is her statement:

"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."

Later on, she added,

"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."

Here is an interview Rice gave on CNN:




I almost always like Leonard Pitts, Jr.'s responses. His article on Rice is here:

Another favorite response of mine is Michael Rowe on Why Rice has never been more Christian:

Yes, perhaps the problem is Christians. Gandhi famously said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

No comments: