Interview with the Christian

Written by Matt Mosler
Monday, 2 August 2010

Anne Rice has had enough.  In a recent post on her Facebook Fan Page (confirmed by her publisher as authentic) she wrote;

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.

So, what happened?  I mean it wasn’t that long ago that the author of the Interview with a Vampire series became a Christian.  Just a couple of years ago Rice told USA TODAY,“I do get people saying, "How can you be such a fool to believe in God?" I sense many are young Goth kids who feel abandoned. I just say, look, you're looking for the same things that I was, transcendence and redemption. I found what my characters were looking for.” (USA Today 3/6/2008 Life Section)

Now, I don’t know who said what to whom or why but apparently much of Ms. Rice’s shift in direction has to do with the pressure she’s received from ‘Christians’ regarding her son, Christopher Rice, who is gay.  She continues on her FB page;

“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.”

While there may be some who would be quick to say, “Good riddance Anne Rice.  I didn’t like your books anyway and you seem like a nut job.” I would caution you instead to consider what she’s saying because this same sort of thing happens to people of lesser note every day.  And you may have been one of the perpetrators.

See, while I, too, love Jesus I’m not wild about some of his followers at time either.  Too often I see far too much judging and not nearly enough grace. While I may not agree with Anne Rice’s views about homosexuality, feminism, birth control, secular humanism, science or politics it’s not my job to change her mind.  If I were her friend or confidante I would try to mentor, disciple and instruct her as to what the Bible teaches but I’ll leave it up to the Holy Spirit to change her mind.  I don’t want that responsibility. Plus I trust his wisdom and insight a lot more than I do my own.

The apostle Paul begins his second chapter to the Philippians by explaining the finer points of humility. He writes, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” He then talks about the humility of Christ and how it resulted in God exalting Jesus’ name far above all names.  This all leads Paul to then implore his readers to, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

See, it’s not our job to determine what is or what is not God’s plan for Anne Rice.  That’s between God and Anne.  Our job is just to love, fellowship, show affection and compassion and be encouraging (1-2).  We need to allow our brothers and sisters a little space to work out their own salvation not beat them up because they’re taking their own sweet time coming around to our way of thinking.  Trust the Holy Spirit to do his thing and he will “exalt them at the proper time.” (I Pet. 5:6)

Paul concludes by telling the body of Christ, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.”(14) This is supposed to serve as a testimony to all those other people watching to see if we really practice what we preach.  This seems to be where Anne Rice reached her limit.  Can you blame her?