Anne Rice is a best-selling author of gothic and religious-themed novels. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history. As a child, Rice had connections with the Catholic Church. As she grew older, however, she left that church. She also left the Christian faith in general. Rice became so removed from all religious faith that she eventually described herself as an atheist. In 1998, however, Rice returned to the Christian faith and to the Catholic Church. She announced she would now use her life and her writing to glorify God. It was a surprising conversion, one that shocked many of Rice’s readers. But twelve years later, on July 29, 2010, Rice publicly renounced her affiliation with the Catholic church. Yet she steadfastly proclaimed her commitment to Christ. Here is her announcement from 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 followed that post with this one a few hours later: “My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn’t understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.”
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