Anne Rice appears to be against everything that is life giving. Instead of her focusing on how the church is anti- this anti- that perhaps she needs to look at the other side of these same issues. The church is not anti-homosexual it is for chastity, which of course stands against feminist views of what is life giving. (abortion, contraception, pornography are all part of the culture of death we currently find ourselves entangled in). It is sad when someone with her influence takes a stance that seems to imply that she knows better than what 2000 years of history has taught the mother church, but of course we have seen this throughout those 2000 years whenever, on charismatic individuals belief takes precident to what is good for the human race as a whole which is the living body of Christ.

Good Riddance

It is much harder to follow Christ than to bend and conform to all that is politically correct. I am not ashamed even though society shames me. I refuse to make the world my moral standard. I feel alone among a sea of confessing Christians who claim to follow Christ but have adjusted their scope to the point that He is no longer in their vision. I am discouraged but not without hope. I am weary but sustained by His grace. Could you print something that might possibly encourage this Elijah who waits for the ravens to come?

This makes me sad.. I do pray that she does finds the bright side and place her sight and trust in God alone.

The words that Anne Rice have used are common place among many who have become disillusioned with the 'church'. They are nothing new here. Many feel placed in a tug of war and since Anne was a celebrity maybe is was worse for her that for others. Me thinks that her expectations for the church were way to high. She like many must have entered into the church and went through her Honeymoon Phase and then reality struck. My guess that she wold have been more comfortable being a liberal Episcopalian. Despite imperfections the church has the right to take its stand on moral and theological issues. Sadly it does often do so in the best possible way.

"..That's her in the spotlight, losing her religion..." (credits to R.E.M.) From her remarks, it sounds like she came to Christ but didn't want it to change her life or her way of life...so typical of high-profile celebrity "conversions." Sadly, it seems that she has confused the Christian religion with faith in Christ. Oh well, back to writing demonic Vampire novels...

I understand why people want to "quit" Christianity, but in the end it just reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin decides he's sick of his family, how they act, how they treat him, so he's going to secede from the family and move to the Yukon. Lucky for Calvin, it only takes him an afternoon to realize what a ridiculous idea that is.

What I don't understand is how people who claim a faith entirely built on grace can decide to continue accepting that grace, while refusing to continue extending it to their brothers and sisters. It seems to send the message, "I am perfect, you are not, and you're making me look bad, so I'm outta here!" When did running away from a family problem ever solve it?

CAPTCHA: difficulties tour

Roman Catholics might mistake the US Bishops for Christianity. Bill Buckley had the word for it, "MATER, Si; MAGISTRA, No".

@Renee -- This is precisely the type of attitude that many envision when they hear the word "Christian." Our hearts should be broken for Ms. Rice, praying that she may one day be able to participate in God's vehicle of grace that is the Church.

Every Christian has at some time been discouraged with the Christian church. I personally stayed away from church for years because of what the church often appeared to represent. You can be a follower of Christ outside the church, but it is difficult to become the kind of Christian we need to be, when we remain separated from the body of believers. Certainly we lose patience with the people of Christ, but we need to remember Chrisr died for us even when we hated and rejected Him. We need love and patience, and we need to work to change the things we believe to be wrong in the various churches. This is part of growing as a Christian, learning to tolerate people who don't believe as we do, and realizing that some of the things we believe may be wrong, to some degree. We need to remember that while all the various churches and interpretations of doctrine cannot be right, they may very wll all be wrong in some way or another. We are all sinners seeking the Truth, which is Jesus Christ.

Renee, that's a pretty darn proud comment and Dennis, in two words you sum up what is wrong with "Christianity". Anne will do fine, you two I worry about.

oops, need glasses. Should be JEB....Renee. shouldn't be throwing stones I guess, hit myself!

No Dave,
The mentality behind contraception and abortion has led us to nothing but heartache and pain. We are addicted to sex because we believe there is no longer any consequence to our actions. Unfortunately for so many they can believe there are no consequences, but they can only live in this denial for so long and in the mean time those who perpetrate such lies continue to get richer. The time is near when the world will discover that the feel free spirituality of our day is only a trap. Christ paid the ultimate price for our disobedience why must we go down that path once again. I do hope that Anne Rice sees the mistake she is about to make, however, I do wish her well in spite of her flawed theology. The churches teaching is built on solid ground the world of relativism tries to shatter this. Individuals are all loved in spite of their sinfulness, but they can never change the word as it is written.

I totally get how Anne Rice feels. 6 years ago I exterminated the Christians from my life after I had come to feel as though they were nothing but a vomitous pile of self-righteousness who influenced me AWAY from Christ instead of TOWARD Him . Like Anne, I also needed to reduce my view of myself from being a Christian to simply being a Christ-Follower. Although I now have cautious relationships with Christians, I had to learn the hard way that there are tares and wheat mixed up together in the church and that they will not be revealed for what they are until that Great Day. I needed that time-out to get my head on straight. I also needed to re-enter a community of 'Christians', as mixed up, jumbled up and shook up as they are, to learn how to love Christ better. I have no doubts that Anne will be fine and do what she needs to do. If Jesus can lead me, He can surely lead her.

Let's have a quick look at what Ann has quit:
1. Being a Christian. Well, she still professes Christ. So what she is really doing is distancing herself from some of the tenets of Christianity.
2. Being anti-gay. If she means that she will love homosexuals, great. But if she is purporting that Christianity should promote this orientation or choice, she is clearly not basing her preference on
Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9-12), which counts homosexuality as unacceptable along with other equally sinful practices.
3. Being anti-feminist, artificial birth control, Democrat, secular humanism, science, life. As someone raised Catholic, I increasingly found myself at odds with some of the church's teaching. Now, after 25 years as an "evangelical", I experience much dissonance with this group that I have called "family." Like Bono, I now call myself "half catholic" because I don't adhere to all the church's teachings, Catholic or Protestant. Central to our faithfulness to Jesus, though, is being faithful to Scripture. In this case that involves "not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25). Distancing herself from the church or Christians will never, contrary to popular opinion, result in a becoming a better Christ-follower.

I have to agree with Ann! There are so many denominations who believe that their denomination is the one and only true way to Jesus and God. Oh sure, they may get together to help a food pantry with food and/or money or help with a homeless shelter, but that seems to be about it! And it seems that at least once a month there is a break off group from one denomination because that denomination is not teaching the True Bible! At times I feel the same way, but I have not given up all hope. Sometimes a person must handle their doubts on their own and make up their minds as to what they want in a church. I do not care for all the positions of my denomination, but I do agree with most of them. I think a denomination should be somewhat flexible with their members in some policy matters so all can be happy for the most part.

You all talk about her soul. Why not stop and look atht e corruptness of what the organization of "Christianity" has become.
She didn't leave Christ, she left the estatblishment. and I say "Good for her! It's about time someone publically said, this organization is not what it is suposed to be."

Re: Posted by: Dan at August 4, 2010: (Different Dan, here.) Maybe Ann was just having a hot flash or maybe she forgot her hormone patch (this is my wife's favorite excuse when she has a rotten attitude) - who knows. But anyone who has been a Christian for very long knows that the institutional churches don't necessarily equate the The Church. I've met people like Ann before. They are young in the faith, they haven't been grounded in the word. They think they know it all. Maybe the bible doesn't conform to their view of some issue, so what do they do? They complain about the church. I have a feeling this is Ann's problem.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."-Jesus.
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.-the apostle John.
Love Anne Rice. Anne, love your brothers and sisters that drive you crazy. All of us, love the church who Christ loves and gave Himself for. Debate the issues, stand for your convictions and fight for the truth but don't abandon the faith or the family of God.

To Ronn Brooks:

My sentiments exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself.

She is sincere but sincerely wrong. God bless her! But she's fodder for the anti-Christ and any ideas that can appeal to the emotions at the expense of God's revealed Word. Isn't that what happened in the Garden. Perhaps she should read Bonhoeffer on this subject.

Who is the judgmental party, the ones who offend Anne Rice, or Anne Rice herself? Who can place any fault without knowing the exact circumstances? Are her offenders being legalistic, emphasizing holiness; or is she being libertine, vaunting grace sans responsibility?

She faults anti-homosexuals; the Bible says unnatural acts and affections are sin. She faults anti-feminists; the Bible says "all flesh" may prophesy (Acts 2) but does not overturn all gender roles or identity. She faults those who are anti-birth control. There are two types of birth control: those that prevent conception and those that terminate life; only certain denominations disapprove the former. She faults those against secular humanism; what about Christian humanism (which is by definition at odds with secular thought)? She faults those who are against the Democrat agenda; there are plenty of lies and corruption in the party in power to which one ought rightfully to object. She calls Christians anti-science, discounting Christians who do yeoman's work to resolve the two, not to mention the many cases of censorship and exclusion of Christian input by mainstream Science. She faults Christians for being "anti-life," whatever that means (so did the Romans calls us "haters of mankind").

In short, these accusations can all be defended. Perhaps like Apollos, Anne Rice, her offenders, or both, need to be "instructed in the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:26). As it stands, however, with the advantages of elite status, Rice has already convicted those she has accused in absentia.

Christianity has been cheapened, it's named driven through the dirt, and even has turned into an evil by hate peddlers. Some do it for self gain, some do it to create smoke screens so not to have to look at themselves. It's easier to spread hate than to spur change in oneself. So Anne Rice was right to leave the church. Shame on Christians for creating an environment where people are made to think like Anne!

I certainly understand where Anne Rice is coming from.

I've been a missionary in a closed country for a number of years. Many missionaries have discovered the importance of distinguishing a disciple of Christ from a "Christian". Many Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists live a 'better' life than many "Christians" I know.

The label 'Christian' has come to mean one thing; being a follower of Christ, however, has not changed.

I often tell some of my Muslim friends that I believe that I am a true 'Muslim' - because of my faith in Jesus Christ; (the word "Muslim" means one whose life has been submitted to God).

Signed - a follower of Christ

The list of non-negotiable items she had read like a list of anti-Christian ideas ... secular humanism in particular.

She wants to follow Christ and be a secular humanist? That just does not make sense.

Earlier this year in my town a little girl badly hurt herself while playing at school. Her teacher didn't send her to nurse and her teacher didn't call her parents. The reason was because the teacher didn't approve of the fact the girl has two moms. To us outside of Christianity this is an example of the "Love" most Christians have for the GLBT community. Many Christians put their "Morals" before compassion. Which the way I see it puts them more in line with the Pharisees than Jesus. If mainstream Christianity had more compassion for the GLBT community they would see all the damage, and pain they have cause and are continuing to do.

This is one of the many reasons many are stepping away from the Church.

Well, Nique: I don't personally know ANY Christians who would refuse to call the parent or parents of a hurt child or send her to a nurse because of her family set-up. Could you perhaps allow that you should not judge Christians in general on the basis of this one instance? Could that be an example of prejudice akin to racism?

Not only are most professed non-christians not christians but the vast majority of professed christians are also not christians. For example, most catholics dont consider themselves christians, but "catholics". And therein they make a true distinction, as to be a catholic in this day when the bible is available to all, is to be a non-christian, regardless of what they say, for it is the word and ones attitude and adherance to it that determines if one is a christian or not. As for the vast majority of protestants (protestant means to be a believer in the word of God and protesting against the errors and abominations of the catholic church)they dont even know what protestant means. As to all these, they repudiate the law of God-that is the ten commandments- and thereby place themselves outside of what God, based on the bible word, calls his church.

TWO. If you have a problem with the foregoing, (comment above), read and reread and deeply consider for the next 30 days exodus 20 which presents the ten commandments...all ten, not 6 or 8, or 9...but all ten. These are the very commandments which Jesus kept which Jesus gave on Sinai, and which he perfectly kept in his humanity on earth. These are the commandments he specifically referred to when he said "If you love me, keep my commandments". And nothing is more plain, more clear in all the bible that the ten commandments are the normative response/living of a grace saved christian, through the indwelling christ/Holy Spirit. A christian is also one that "let this mind be in you which is in CHrist Jesus". And what was that mind? "which loves rightousness and hates iniquity".

THREE. Regarding the article re its mention of gay persons or homosexuals, the word of God clearly states that that activity is 100% unacceptable to God. Therefore, no christian at any time, anywhere, will ever say a thing regarding that subject that would soften, discount, etc. the word of God re that activity/lifestyle as being sin and the wages of sin is (eternal) death. And as a matter of fact, for a christian to be silent regarding that issue when his/her voice can make a difference is treason against the government of God.
So what shall a Christians attitude/response be re pro active resistence or action re homosexuality? This is why you should read and prayerfully meditate on Exodus chaper 20-the ten commandments, because God gives zero license for a christian to break a commandment re thought, word, or deed, regardless if that person “thinks” they are doing something for God.

FOUR. So what if some professed christian did this or that..did one or any of the apostles walk away from Christ because Judas proved to be unfaithful, a betrayer? Let the dogs bark and the lions roar, but let you and me be faithful unto our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

haha.... Ms Rice I commend you for dumping the religious spirit of the label 'christian' and 'christianity' ... organized legalistic pharisee religion which has become 'christianity' needs to be shunned.... the performance, work orientated vehicle that system christianity has adopted since Constantine in 300 AD needs to be rejected.... Jesus alone is the Way the Truth and the Life.... it is HIM that we follow not some theology, or religious system of belief ... Just like in Jesus day... it wasn't the lay people Jesus had issue with.. it was the religious leaders.. the prideful, self-righteous, holier-than-thou folks that followed the letter of the law as it suited them .. all the while forgoing the weighter matters of love and kindness... the 'traditions of man' make the Word of God of no effect... and the 'church system' in america is just that making the word of God of no effect.... LOVE is the missing element... the true Love of God shed abroad in our hearts.. the LOVE that truly loves our enemies and prays for those who persecute and despitefully use us ... the religious christianity is what is going to kill people like Anne Rice and others who have rejected their self-imposed religious bullarky of performance and perfectionism and phoniness ... thinking that they do God a service.... what will be the true enemy in these last days will be the 'spirit of religion' guised in christianity, islam and all other 'religions' ... coming together to oppose those who truly follow Jesus as their Savior, Lord, King and the One Who alone is the Way the Truth and the Life... and no man comes to the Father except BY HIM...

bravo Anne Rice... I am also of the same conviction and it is a truly glorious freedom ... truly it is for liberty that Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death ... for the law is powerless to save...

we've moved from OT law into NT GRACE and MERCY ... ALL of our sins were put upon Jesus.. and HE was made a curse for us... we are redeemed and Jesus alone is our Redemption, our Salvation and our all in all!!! amen!! Its all about Jesus Christ, Him Crucified and His Kingdom coming and His will being done in our individual lives upon this earth as it is in heaven.....

Anne is one step away from being enlightened again. She's right on all counts of what christianity leads to. Judgement, exclusivity, prejudice, bigotry and worst of all hypocrisy.

It's a quant old tradition, christianity. But Jesus, if he truly existed at all, died a long time ago and didn't get up again. Unlike fictional vampires.

It's only a matter of time when she'll see that it's perfectly fine to skip the Jesus phantom when she feels that wondrous sense of awe that is the universe and the sense of revelation when science learns something wonderful and new about it.

The huge question that science uncovers a little bit more of everyday doesn't require us to immediately assume that some "human-like" being made it. Ancient people who existed back when the world was still flat thought thunder was god's voice. And yet here we are.

We have to be done with that people!! Come on! It's ok y'all. Just because you can't deal with mortality and all those crazy big questions about life and it's meaning doesn't mean we still have to cling to this superstitious pablum. Right?

Come on Anne! You got a little scared for a minute and that's fine. Come back to logic, reason, and thought. You're so close..sooo close!

Anne, Westboro Church is against everything Christian, and most true Christians are against what the Westboro church is doing. It is a hateful, bigotted betrayal of what Christianity is. But go back to writing vampire novels. Most of us understood you when you were doing that instead of jumping in and out of religion.

King James Bible see Matthew chap9:verse9
(Jesus said): 'Follow Me.'
'follow my followers' is nowhere to be found in the Christian Bible.