Another Anne Rice Blog Post

According to the official Christian Blogger committee, I'm required to write about Anne Rice's decision to "Quit Christianity". Whatever the heck that means.

For those of you who don't read 37 million blogs like I do, here's what Anne Rice said:

“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 below, 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.”

Also, for those of you who don't know Anne Rice, she wrote some pretty popular books about vampires and stuff. Like, before it was trendy. Before Twilight. Little novels like "Interview With The Vampire".

Anyway, I think a lot of us can identify with Anne Rice's decision to stop identifying with the label "Christian". Just recently, my mom told me that everyone she knows at my church is too "preachy". I asked her who she was talking about and she said "Well, you...and uh...other friends of mine at your church". She doesn't know many people at my church, and if she does she hasn't talked to them in years. Basically, I was her only example, and I've made it a point to lead by example instead of words in the past few years. Maybe my actions are preachy...I don't know. (Is that possible? If so, isn't it a good thing?) Anyway, the point is that I was stereotyped by my own mother. I was lumped into the category of "Christians I don't know anything about".

I grew up Catholic, but as soon as I was old enough I disassociated myself with Catholicism. I got to college and made a Facebook account. Under "Religion" I chose "Christian - Other" (This was back when Facebook had a limited set of religions to choose from) instead of Catholic or Christian - Protestant, or anything like that. I didn't like being called a Catholic, and I didn't like the idea that I was protesting anything. I wasn't angry at Catholicism, I just didn't agree with the "us vs. them" nature of both groups (which is ironic because "Catholic" means "Universal").

Yes. Facebook helped me choose my religion.

Now, I wish that hadn't happened. N.T. Wright, who is considered to be the modern C.S. Lewis, considers unity to be the #1 priority of the church. I'm totally with him. I understand the purpose of there being different physical church buildings and congregations, because it's a smaller community to belong to. I understand different churches having different theologies about what worship means, the balance between faith and works, and other things. But as N.T. Wright said "Nothing justifies schism." No amount of theological difference should keep us from being in community together.

A lot of people have theories about the reason we're here on earth. One reason, I believe, is to learn to live with people we don't agree with.

Because seriously, if you don't get along with people, eternity is gonna be hell.