Novelist Anne Rice ditches Christianity for Christ..Is this possible? Discuss

[sidney]

completely co-sign with the above

Hi Volver_Alma_Gitana

I haven't visited the thread since I last posted
in terms of the date?...it was posted the same day I saw it featured on my MSN page....so te first day of this thread
hth


that's not fair....

Romans
There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jeus
and she says she is! She says she is in Christ Jesus....
so why say that?
No one is righteous....says the BIBLE.... no-not one
the thread seems to have become a referendum om Anne Rice's "sinning"
rather than a look at why people leave Christianity

you might.... feel ...you (general you) are superior to Anne Rice
as a follower of Christ...and thus you can condemn her supporting
homosexuality..pro-choice..as worse sins than yours
or mine
so..she is a worse sinner than you or me
and you can even question her love of Christ...
even though she says...she does...you get to judge her because of
her so-called sins.... that's the issue ..right there and an illusion
the civilized sinners..like us! versus the horrible Anne Rice and her associate sinners

Forget it...there's no such thing,sisters
you are NOT a better Christian than she is
Jesus said ..those without sin may cast the first stone
Are you without sin? ..any of us?
For the record..I am NOT pro Anne Rice or con Anne Rice
& I won't enter into discussion
about the evils or ethic or lack of in her earlier writings...

I just do not remember anyone before making such a
declarative public statement before in renouncing the Christain religion
& she's not alone..far from it
even on this forum there are those who ..while they may not agree with her lifestyle can empathize with her anger....and of why she's leaving
I brought the topic to suggest...rather than blame her as a high profile figure for leaving Christianity
that it's BEEN HIGH time the Christian religion take a serious inventory....
of itself and get back to Christ..who embraced everyone...even advocating loving....enemies.

none of us are better Christians ..if you think you are
that ironically ...is considered sin

Looking inward and judging yourself first is always sound advice. But I think we are always to contend for the faith and the truth of God's word. The danger is that when we (christians) accept beliefs that are contrary to God's word, we guarantee eternal security for ourselves, but at the same time we deprive others the ability to do the same.

 

[Laela]

Confirmation message from my minister today:

"My friends you can't let people move you out of the love for God. Jesus already paid for your sins why do you think that you need to give that much power to dirt. Romans 8 said it best. Don't try to be good because evil will present itself, just love because good is in love. Listen or download this podcast and have a love week."

 

[Guitarhero]

Yeah, what she's doing is a bit confusing. I think the bolded is a problem that most Christians have, hence the reason we have so many threads asking "Is [this] a sin?" or "Is [that] against God?" But I think Anne's problem is different than that, actually worse. It seems like since her son is gay, she feels like being gay is okay even though the bible clearly speaks against it. And she mentioned not being anti-secular humanism. We all know that indulging in the evil desires and pleasures of this world is wrong, so she can't be ditching religion for Christ.

As a fellow catholic, she is saying that the church doesn't teach that being homosexual is the sin. She doesn't wish that condemnation on her family nor anyone else. I find catholics to be more inclusive than not, actually. Depends upon the individual people, their regional personality etc.

 

[Sharpened]

Alex Hall outlines a good number of the problems I have with churches:

Christianity Vs. Churchianity.mp3 (Part One)
Christianity Vs. Churchianity2.mp3 (Part Two)
Christianity Vs. Churchianity3.mp3 (Part Three)

Warning: Each one is over an hour long.

 

[julzinha]

Many people do not like labels and for good reason. Unfortunately, "christian" has become a foul word in the minds of many people and it's not through their fault nor lack of belief and love of God, it's by the horrid example that others have led, not just in their own personal lives, but through violence and oppression in the name of Christ against groups of peoples. This is the issue. Again, she's playing with words to express her disgust with that portion of christendom that refuses to realize they have been wrong and continue to be wrong and are so arrogant and prideful, they refuse to confess it and repent of it.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. When many people here Christians, they don't think of the many wonderful and caring people that follow Christ. They think of judgmental people who aim to belittle others in their self righteousness. They think of people like that church that showed up at the funeral of a gay soldier with signs saying that fa**ot will burn in Hell in front of a grieving family.

I even admit that at times I have taken steps back from Christianity because I have gay friends and they are amazing people and when I hear rhetoric like this it makes me want to cry because I envision a God that loves us all. And for people to say that my friends will burn in hell because they are gay is cruel.

I have even stopped going to church because I feel like I need to take a spiritual journey with God separate from everyone else and I need to be ready and at previous points in my life I wasn't ready at all.

 

[aribell]

I think that preaching morality without the gospel is essentially preaching the law, which will not save anyone. A highly moral community can easily be self-deceived, as people put their faith in their own goodness instead of Christ.

If we look to the example of the apostles in the New Testament, their message was first and foremost that of Christ crucified and raised to life again. They preached Jesus as Lord, not the condemnation of the world. I know that it appears that people are being soft on sin when they say that, but really I think the examples of Paul and Peter, Stephen when he was martyred, and the others show that their interactions with the non-Christian world were first and foremost about the Good News in Christ. The Lord had so much more to say to the religious leaders than he did to the adulteress. He invited Himself into Zaccheus' home before Zaccheus had repented of any wrongdoing. And what was His criterion for healing someone? He didn't make them run through a list of things they needed to change first. Faith in Him is the basis and power of change. And really, I think the vast majority of people--then and now--know full well the wrong things they do. It's not the knowledge of sin that we are lacking--the law already brought that--it's the knowledge of the Savior.

Once someone has come to faith, then we begin the process of discipleship. But discipling someone in Christ is something completely different than simply talking about how bad this, that or the other thing is in the world. As Paul says, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?" (I Cor. 5:12) We know from Scripture that the world is under the sway of the wicked one, we know that the world is filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of they eyes, and the pride of life. The question is whether that's all we have to say about it.

I think that many Christians today believe that they are being prophetic when they go into the public square to decry the evils of our age. And it could be that the Lord has called some to do just that. But I think that we cannot forget that we as Christians are not proxy-judges for the Lord, evaluating, condemning, and approving people until Jesus returns. In this current age, we're His witnesses, testifying of His power and work in us and bringing others to walk with Him as well.

When Christians preach the evil of homosexuality, of feminism. of abortion, etc., they have given those people absolutely nothing to hope for, and certainly no means by which they can be forgiven or transformed. Condemnation for sin is not the Gospel. I was in a conversation with someone as promiscuous as the day is long, but he sure was anti-gay. When we as believers focus on the sins of unelievers we ultimately shine the light back on our own sin and appear hypocritical. But if we were focusing on Jesus' redemptive work on the Cross, inviting all to continually be made whole, then we acknowledge that we are all sinners in need of healing, that we are all on this journey toward the Kingdom, and that it's not just certain groups of people that God is wagging His finger at.

 

[SND411]

I think that preaching morality without the gospel is essentially preaching the law, which will not save anyone. A highly moral community can easily be self-deceived, as people put their faith in their own goodness instead of Christ.

If we look to the example of the apostles in the New Testament, their message was first and foremost that of Christ crucified and raised to life again. They preached Jesus as Lord, not the condemnation of the world. I know that it appears that people are being soft on sin when they say that, but really I think the examples of Paul and Peter, Stephen when he was martyred, and the others show that their interactions with the non-Christian world were first and foremost about the Good News in Christ. The Lord had so much more to say to the religious leaders than he did to the adulteress. He invited Himself into Zaccheus' home before Zaccheus had repented of any wrongdoing. And what was His criterion for healing someone? He didn't make them run through a list of things they needed to change first. Faith in Him is the basis and power of change. And really, I think the vast majority of people--then and now--know full well the wrong things they do. It's not the knowledge of sin that we are lacking--the law already brought that--it's the knowledge of the Savior.

Once someone has come to faith, then we begin the process of discipleship. But discipling someone in Christ is something completely different than simply talking about how bad this, that or the other thing is in the world. As Paul says, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?" (I Cor. 5:12) We know from Scripture that the world is under the sway of the wicked one, we know that the world is filled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of they eyes, and the pride of life. The question is whether that's all we have to say about it.

I think that many Christians today believe that they are being prophetic when they go into the public square to decry the evils of our age. And it could be that the Lord has called some to do just that. But I think that we cannot forget that we as Christians are not proxy-judges for the Lord, evaluating, condemning, and approving people until Jesus returns. In this current age, we're His witnesses, testifying of His power and work in us and bringing others to walk with Him as well.

When Christians preach the evil of homosexuality, of feminism. of abortion, etc., they have given those people absolutely nothing to hope for, and certainly no means by which they can be forgiven or transformed. Condemnation for sin is not the Gospel. I was in a conversation with someone as promiscuous as the day is long, but he sure was anti-gay. When we as believers focus on the sins of unelievers we ultimately shine the light back on our own sin and appear hypocritical. But if we were focusing on Jesus' redemptive work on the Cross, inviting all to continually be made whole, then we acknowledge that we are all sinners in need of healing, that we are all on this journey toward the Kingdom, and that it's not just certain groups of people that God is wagging His finger at.

I am saving this response...

Beautiful....

 

[Galadriel]

When I read Ms. Rice's comments it seemed to me that she considered her own preferences and values and then decided that Christianity didn't conform to them and thereby rejected Christianity. She made her own subjective values the standard.

Can Christians sin, or fall short, or be jerks? Sure.
Does this means Christianity or the Church is superfluous? No.

Christ established a Church (Matthew 16:18). The Church is His Bride, His Body, and the custodian and teacher of His truths to the world. She is His chosen vehicle through which He communicates grace and salvation (via the preaching of the Gospel).

The Church has a purpose and a role, which cannot be ignored or pushed aside because it doesn't conform to people's subjective preferences. And no matter how much Ms. Rice claims she's following Christ, she is not following Him, but rather she's following her *idea* of Him. She constructed her own personal Christ in her mind.

 

[Galadriel]

As you become closer to God you will sin less but you will never get to the sinless status of Jesus. If that was possible, there would be no purpose of Him dying on the cross.

I think (through God's sustaining grace) it's inevitable that you will be sinless, at least at the point of death, because nothing imperfect or unclean can survive in God's presence in heaven.