The bride

Best-selling author Anne Rice has renounced Christianity, but not Christ. Reactions to that news are varied: empathy, identification, sadness, judgment, scoffing, disagreement, admonition, anger, admiration, respect… My first reflex was to completely understand her frustration and to agree with some of her conclusions as stated on her Facebook page.

“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.

“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.”

I know that feeling of not belonging anymore, of not wanting to identify with the extreme right-wing group-think mentality that is so prevalent in evangelical circles. Like Ms. Rice, I am beginning to feel like an outsider – not from the body of Christ, mind you, but from the legalistic, anti-grace political machine of organized religion. For a very long time I’ve been sad that Christians have come to be known for what we’re against rather than what we are for and how we love.

Some are saying that they hope Anne Rice can find a loving caring segment of the body of Christ where she could be at home. I can agree with that wish, but maybe it misses the point she is making – that Christianity is becoming known for some ugly characteristics. Instead of pointing our fingers at her and being upset with her, shouldn't we be concerned about the things that are so very wrong within the church?

Interestingly, this is not a new problem. Jesus-followers in other parts of the world have avoided the term Christian for some time. When we in the West first heard of that happening, some of us judged their motives; perhaps they are trying to avoid persecution or are guilty of diluting the Gospel. In reality, they likely know more about persecution than we can even imagine. Instead the reason for avoiding this term is because it is an inaccurate label; it means something completely different in those cultures than it originally meant.

And now a similar phenomena is happening here in our own country - that the label "Christian" conjures up all kinds of hateful stereotypes. What are we to do about this perception? Different people come up with different tactics. Some choose to try to change Christianity into something that more closely resembles our leader. Others have given up on that attempt and feel that they must disassociate themselves from the hateful brand of Christianity that seems so un-Christlike. No matter which route you or I choose, somebody is going to find fault with it and question our wisdom and our motives as they have done with Anne Rice.

So what is the best God-honoring stance for me? Should I focus my energy and resources on trying to change the church? What can be done that might make a difference? Do we need to be part of the body of Christ? Does that mean that we must be members of the institutional church?

May God give Anne Rice wisdom to use her vast influence in a Jesus-honoring way. And God help me to be grace-filled and God-glorifying in my little world as well.

May the bride of Christ be beautiful and ready for her bridegroom.