Anne Rice "I Quit Being a Christian"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/anne-rice-i-quit-being-a_n_663915.html?ref=fb&src=sp

I’m not sure how i feel about this. i know that what she means is to renounce the history of hypocritical christians and “organized” christianity because it has become so corrupt and terrible at times, and i guess that’s noble but what it sounds like is she is trying to just follow christ on her own- but that means she is also denying the call to be apart of the body of christ- she is making herself and ember away from the flame, ya know. and i feel like it is all a way to refuse the hypocrisy and corruptness of “religion” but i feel like it is extremely important to identify as a “christian” but to also identify as a “sinner.” she doesn’t have to deny the church- she can just simply admit that we are all at fault, we are all sinful before God, and we are only purified and transformed through jesus christ.

instead of running away from being named as a “christian” i think she should just try to live her life in light of what Christ has done, and prove to other people that only when he works in us, our sinful nature becomes transparent.

I almost feel as though if you feel like an “outsider” in the christian community, you should check your heart and ask God to show you why- are you not conforming to the body of christ, or do you feel as though your christian community is making you feel like an outsider because you do not conform to their own standards? if that is the case, which it has been for me and for many, many christians who have felt turned off to “religion” because of the behavior of its followers, you should count it as a blessing. but i don’t think you should run away from the church - i think you should pray and pray that you would become a light in that community, that people would see your witness of jesus’ love in your life, that you ARE an outsider, that you ARE different, and that you are passionate for what sets you apart from the world, ya know.

i also understand her stance on refusing to be “anti-life, anti-feminist, anti-humanity” etc etc, and i agree that as christians we are called to strive after the likeness of Christ- we are NOT called to mimic God the Father- we are not called to the duty of judgement. however, we are obligated to search our own hearts and to trust in god that he is righteous and even when we do not understand his ways and his thoughts that are so unlike our own. i think that lots of christians become misguided by certain commandments in the bible- things such as women submitting to their husbands, and homosexuality being a sin. but we shouldn’t blindly extend a self righteous arm of judgement to those who struggle with these things, but we also shouldn’t belittle or be ashamed of God’s righteousness and his commandments- i believe with all my heart that God’s commandments are out of LOVE, and thankfully in his faithfulness he has brought me to places where i can see the love in some of his confusing standards. specifically those two things, submission in marriage and homosexuality as a sin. i won’t get into that in this note, but if we ask god to provide to us wisdom and zealousness to pursue knowledge, and we act upon it, he will answer us in our struggles. but we must have faith that he is good, he is righteous, and that we want to understand his righteousness, when our human understanding prevails in our mind.

we shouldn’t hate those who do not know jesus, or people who do know jesus and continue in a lifestyle of sin. but we can recognize God’s righteousness over our own, and pray that in ourselves and others that it would be revealed. but not only that- but that because of Jesus we are forgiven, and not only that, but we are LOVED.

yeah ok yes. those are my two centz