There's an audio (and text) interview with writer Anne Rice at NPR - Writer Anne Rice: 'Today I Quit Being A Christian' - which I'm listening to as I write this. I've seen comments on her choice of quitting the church (which she posted about on Facebook) at various places - dotCommonweal, The Anchoress, Episcopal Cafe, etc. - but still I thought I'd add my two cents since I have read some of her books - the vampire novels (and a mummy novel, if I remember correctly) and one of her Christian books, Angel Time, which I didn't finish as I didn't like it much.
If I understand her stance, she still has and wants to keep a relationship with Jesus but can't resolve what she sees as the discontinuity between Jesus' teachings and some of the policies of the church. Why make her feelings public? Maybe the fact that she's still going to be writing Christian-themed books makes he want to be clear with readers on her point of view. I didn't realize until I listened to the interview, that her son is gay - perhaps that has something to do with her decision to leave a church that seems hostile to gays.
The Anchoress in her post on this tries to make the point that Rice is wrong in her beliefs about the church being hostile to gays, feminists, humanists, science, etc. I do think the church is ok on science - look at Br. Guy Cpnsolmagno SJ :) - but when the Anchoress writes, for instance .....
I do not know how anyone can read Pope John Paul II’s exhaustive teachings on the Theology of the Body and credibly declare the church to be reactionary on issues of sexuality or womanhood.
.... then I realize how far apart our ideas are - we can use the same document to make opposing points! :) I guess what you already believe to be true will influence what you think of the church's policies and of Rice's decision.
