In an announcement on Facebook, former Catholic, turned atheist, turned Catholic again, writer Anne Rice has declared that she is leaving Christianity for Christ's sake. She claims she will "remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity".Naturally, I have no idea how long this new conversion has been on her mind but, she names two issues (as she posted on Facebook) that have recently caused her quite a bit of distress .......namely, an American "punk rock ministry", called You Can Run (YCR) saying that "executing gays is 'moral'" and a report about the Westboro baptist church in Kansas, which "spreads the message that because the United States condones homosexuality, abortion and divorce, all Americans are going to hell".
I am, likewise distressed over portions of the message conveyed by these two, allegedly, "Christian" groups. However, I don't quite understand how distress over the action and views of two Protestant groups would lead one to quit the Catholic Church.
She says,
"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."
Is the Catholic Church anti-gay?
According to Catholic teaching, "Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life" and "They [homosexuals] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."
Rather than call this position "anti-gay" it would be better described as "love the sinner-hate the sin".
What of the charge that the Church is anti-feminist?
Feminists for Life would must likely say no. Authentic feminism is not defined strictly by being pro-abortion.
Anti-artificial birth control?
Guilty as charged. However, Rice, most likely, hasn't given much thought to the problems brought about by our society's contraceptive mentality.
Anti-Democrat?
Except in the area of abortion, the Church is hardly pro-Republican either.
Anti-secular humanism?
If by secular humanism we mean moral relativism, then the answer is yes.
Anti-science?
The Church supports scientific research except in those areas where the research is detrimental to human life.
Anti-life?
This is probably the most ridiculous charge of all. The Church's teachings on abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and the just war theory put the lie to that.
It is my hope that Rice will one day reconsider her abandonment of the Catholic Church. Hopefully, she will seriously consider studying the Church's teachings as they are and not under a "progressive's" microscope.
1 comment:
I can't say this totally surprizes me. Some of her comments from the start led me to think that she hadn't so much become a real Catholic but might better be described as a gnostic &/or New Ager. Naturally, real Catholicism or Christianity wouldn't line up to her beliefs. & to use the 2 worst examples of people using the Bible to justify their hate is just a cop out as she knows they don't represent true Christianity.
Her committed to Christ but rejecting Christianity is another proof she is rejecting the real Christ & remaking him into her image.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Post a Comment