According to USA Today, novelist Anne Rice, famous for her books on vampires (Interview with the Vampire, Queen of the Damned), creator of the ever-interesting Lestat and sister of noted novelist Alice Borchardt, is rejecting Christianity while sticking with Christ.
On her Facebook page, the author said the following:
Anne Rice grew up a Catholic, married Stan Rice (an atheist) in 1961 and started writing her vampire books while living in San Francisco after the death of her daughter Michele to leukemia in 1972.
She left Christianity/Catholicism at age 18 and described herself as an atheist for several years, only to return to Catholicism in 1998, and has now left the Church again, however not the family.
I'm a big fan of vampire books, TV series and movies, and have to admit that I wouldn't have been one without Anne Rice's books.
I've read her books on the Mayfair witches as well, however have never read her other books, such as the ones she's written about the life of Jesus (starting with Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt published in 2005).
What interested me about Anne's books on vampires was the theme of searching for meaning. Her vampires may live for hundreds (or thousands) of years, however they still search for the meaning of life, want to know what will happen to them once they die, and are looking for clues as to what they are in the eyes of God.
Lestat especially did a lot of searching, and it was my interest in his journey that kept me coming back for more.
I had similar questions to those Lestat had, and was very interested in finding out how he (or rather, his creator!) answered those questions. Lestat's answers helped me in my own search as well as raising many more interesting questions and ideas for me to explore.
I found the news on Anne's return to Catholicism interesting to read about, and now find her leaving the Catholic Church an interesting story as well.
I believe many people struggle with questions similar to the ones raised by the author and wanted to highlight her search, which is why I decided to write about it.
To end with some more quotes from Anne's Facebook page to ponder:
Anne Rice's Official Website
Anne Rice's Facebook page
Anne Rice on Wikipedia
Stan Rice on Wikipedia
Anne Rice's IMDB page
Anne Rice's Amazon page
USA Today article "Novelist Anne Rice ditches Christianity for Christ"
USA Today article "Pick a new religion for ex-Catholic Anne Rice?"
On her Facebook page, the author said the following:
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.- Anne Rice's Facebook page
Anne Rice grew up a Catholic, married Stan Rice (an atheist) in 1961 and started writing her vampire books while living in San Francisco after the death of her daughter Michele to leukemia in 1972.
She left Christianity/Catholicism at age 18 and described herself as an atheist for several years, only to return to Catholicism in 1998, and has now left the Church again, however not the family.
I'm a big fan of vampire books, TV series and movies, and have to admit that I wouldn't have been one without Anne Rice's books.
I've read her books on the Mayfair witches as well, however have never read her other books, such as the ones she's written about the life of Jesus (starting with Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt published in 2005).
What interested me about Anne's books on vampires was the theme of searching for meaning. Her vampires may live for hundreds (or thousands) of years, however they still search for the meaning of life, want to know what will happen to them once they die, and are looking for clues as to what they are in the eyes of God.
Lestat especially did a lot of searching, and it was my interest in his journey that kept me coming back for more.
I had similar questions to those Lestat had, and was very interested in finding out how he (or rather, his creator!) answered those questions. Lestat's answers helped me in my own search as well as raising many more interesting questions and ideas for me to explore.
I found the news on Anne's return to Catholicism interesting to read about, and now find her leaving the Catholic Church an interesting story as well.
I believe many people struggle with questions similar to the ones raised by the author and wanted to highlight her search, which is why I decided to write about it.
To end with some more quotes from Anne's Facebook page to ponder:
My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.Sources for the above information and more Anne Rice related websites:
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.
Anne Rice's Official Website
Anne Rice's Facebook page
Anne Rice on Wikipedia
Stan Rice on Wikipedia
Anne Rice's IMDB page
Anne Rice's Amazon page
USA Today article "Novelist Anne Rice ditches Christianity for Christ"
USA Today article "Pick a new religion for ex-Catholic Anne Rice?"