Anne Rice renounces Christianity over 'Anti-Gay' and 'Anti-Life' positions

International News, By christianbaines82, 31st July, 2010

Ten years after her surprise conversion to Catholicism, occult author Anne Rice has turned her back on the church, citing her refusal to agree with many of the its stances on contemporary social issues including LGBT rights.

“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,” the 68 year old author explained on her Facebook page.

For a generation of readers, Rice’s books, most notably the series’ The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches defined a bold new style of occult and horror fiction, in which her monstrous protagonists were well-rounded, very human characters. Her first novel, Interview With the Vampire was published in 1976, the first of ten books in the Chronicles. The series is noted for its frank and equal depictions of same-sex relationships, including, most notably, the two-father family formed between vampires Lestat, Louis and child-vampire Claudia.

In 2000, Rice turned her back on her occult fiction, embracing Catholicism. In 2003, she released the last of the Chronicles, Blood Canticle. At that time, Rice vowed to write ‘only for the Lord’ in future. “The Chronicles are no more, thank God!” she wrote in a now infamous response to an Amazon review of Canticle.

Now, Rice appears to have had a change of heart, proclaiming on her Facebook page, “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.”

Rice has not yet discussed how the change will affect her fiction – if she intends to return to writing horror and fantasy novels, or if she will finish her trilogy following the life of Christ.

Her son Christopher is also a bestselling author of crime novels, and is openly gay.

Your Thoughts

christianbaines82

said on the 31st Jul, 2010

Yay! I knew she was only experimenting LOL Now, if only someone/something could get Ms Brite to write more of her old style, luscious novels again. From Ms Brite's Twitter bio: "I wrote some books, but now I mostly garden." :(

Spooky

said on the 31st Jul, 2010

Hey Akkaz, the bible is just another book, The Exorcist is just another book and The Diary of Kylie Mole is just another book. I read a book, you read a book and the stranger on a train reads a book and nothing changes.

Light-Bearer

said on the 31st Jul, 2010

It could have been worse I suppose. She could have become a Raelian. And everyone knows they're fucked.

camiseta

said last month on the 2nd

From Ms Brite's Twitter bio: "I wrote some books, but now I mostly garden." :( I don't find reading pleasurable..... there are so few books writen about me...... so I can't maintain any interest. The only book I have read in my adult life was "Exquisite Corpse"..... she tricked me with the title.... I thought it was going to be about me.

hazyinseptember

said last month on the 2nd

the twilight series was written by a mormon...

Light-Bearer

said last month on the 2nd

That's m-o-r-o-n dear.

Sinshol

said last month on the 6th

I understand her contempt. Many American Christian churches openly abuse and corrupt many peoples minds against homosexuality. Yet they do not even pay attention to their bible: Matthew 7/3 I'm tired of the Christian religiousness.

ammonite

said last month on the 6th

I understand her contempt. Many American Christian churches openly abuse and corrupt many peoples minds against homosexuality. Yet they do not even pay attention to their bible: Matthew 7/3 I'm tired of the Christian religiousness. I love that passage Why do you see the speck of sawdust that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

Hessy

said last month on the 6th

I was Christian once...so I kind of feel sorry for her. Then again I didn't write Vampire novels. Renouncing your faith is kind of like realising there's no Santa-only 20 billion times worse. You get sick of interpretations though.

weathervain

said last month on the 7th

Yah it's fucking horrible shit, I think there is some of it written in Body-thief, which is the worst book in the Vampire Chronicles, even more so than "Interview" I want her to write more Sleeping Beauty porn, that shit was awesome

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