The Church, Christ and Christians

In the Guardian on Saturday there was a piece about author Anne Rice quitting being a Christian, a fact she apparently displayed on her Facebook page.

She is quoted as saying that in the name of Christ she refuses to be anti-gay, anti-feminist or anti-artificial birth control. Ah. A Roman Catholic Christian then, we deduce from the final anti. She also refuses to be anti-Democrat and anti-secular humanism, anti-science and anti-life. That's one crazy, mixed-up leaver friends, is it not?

She goes on to explain that she is not anti-Christ, nor indeed the Anti-Christ despite what some southern baptists seem to think. She simply cannot stand the company of Christians any more.

It is interesting how 'Christian,' once upon a time a nickname for a bunch of nutters who got Judaism wrong is now the name of a huge worldwide religious phenomenon which includes some nutters who get Christ wrong.

I reassert my desire to remain within whatever it is that is being described when we talk of the church and to affirm from within that I will do all I can to be Christlike to gays, women, scientists, condom wearers, Democrats and humanists. Which may include finding some of the things representatives of these groupings say, to be wrong.

She is right to say, as she does, that Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity but, once you exclude yourself from the fellowship of others who also believe he came that we might have life to the full, you either have to start a sect of the like-minded or be a solitary Jesus-follower, something the New Testament knows nothing of.

Anne, there's this little church I know, just down the road from where I live, where the vicar affirms all you affirm about Jesus, hates the word 'Christian' because of what it encompasses and will work until his last breath to redeem the word if he can. It may be a bit far to come every Sunday since I think you might live in the USA but...