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.
As I said below, 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. In the name of ...Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.When I first read the headlines regarding Ms. Rice and her leaving Christianity, I was shocked, then puzzled until I clicked over to her facebook page and read her postings for myself.
I realize that Ms. Rice went from being an atheist to a believer, and I hope and pray that her conversion was genuine. That is not up to me to decide, but for the One who knows our hearts. However, some of her reasons for leaving Christianity but not leaving Christ are still puzzling to me.
For instance, "I refuse to be anti-gay" is the first thing she sites as a reason. Now, I do not claim to be an expert on all things biblical, nor am I a biblical scholar, but I do know that homosexual behavior is neither condoned, nor tolerated by God. Jesus did indeed eat with, drink with and associate with sinners, but he did so to tell them that the Kingdom of God was near, and to repent and follow Him. There are numerous passages in the Bible that say Homosexual behavior and those that practice homosexuality will not get you into heaven. Instead they are condemned for that behavior. So if the Word of God says this, and Jesus is God as He claims He is, then Jesus condemns this as well. Ms. Rice, It is not anti-gay when you tell them to stop their behavior and repent. That is instead love. A love that says I do not want to see you go to hell but go to heaven.
"I refuse to be anti-feminist." Now here I am not really sure what Ms. Rice means and I have no problem saying I do not know. Since Ms. Rice comes from a Catholic background where women are not allowed as clergy, perhaps that is what she means. I do know that there are many examples of women in the Bible who are in places of authority as well as ordinary places and are used by God in numerous ways. Esther is one, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Lydia from Thyatira, and many, many more. These are powerful women, yet humble and willing to do God's will. That speaks volumes to me.
"I refuse to be anti-secular humanism." This reason and the next also left me puzzled. I want to be fair and have pulled four definitions from the web for secular-humanism. Here they are:
- humanism: the doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural
http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=secular%20humanism - Secular humanism is a humanist philosophy that espouses reason, ethics, and justice, and specifically rejects supernatural and religious dogma as the basis of morality and decision-making. ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism
- A form of religion that believes in humanistic values. Placing man before God. The thought that man is practically a god.
www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/dictionary/foundations.htm - Secular Humanism is a philosophy based on weighing and testing beliefs whether they be religious. political or social. Using critical reasoning and logic instead of faith and mysticism to help solve our problems. A more indepth look at Secular humanism can be found here www.onetruefairy.com/Definitions.html
"I refuse to be anti-life." My first reaction to this was "HUH?". If nothing else being a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ is to be for life. Ever hear of abortion? That is anti-life and that is a view that the world says is a woman's right, the right to kill her baby. Those Christians who protest this, or stand on a corner and pray for the stoppage of this practice, are ridiculed and spat upon. They are pro-life, not anti-life. I am still unsure of what she is talking about here, but it is her opinion and she has the right to her opinion.
"I refuse to be anti-Democrat." Once again, I am not sure why she thinks that being a Christian is being anti-democrat. Now, I do believe that there are many ideals that democrats have that do not agree with biblical principles. Same sex marriage, abortion, and others and perhaps that is what Ms. Rice is referring to. In all seriousness though, it does not matter what the party affiliation is. If the party platform does not match what God tells us from His Word, then, yes, I suppose you could say that a true follower of Christ would be anti-whatever party.
"I refuse to be anti-science." The only reason a Christian would be anti-science would be when people use science to say that God does not exist, or something similar. Evolution is an example. Evolution says that ultimately, everything was born of nothing. Everything was created by chance. I personally do not believe in evolution, but I am not anti-science. Indeed science continues to show that God must exist and indeed that creation happened.
There is a part of me that grieves for Ms. Rice, especially when she says that she has felt like an outsider. I do agree that there are many Christians and many churches that are quarrelsome, and give Christianity and Christians a very bad name. Those are the exceptions, not the rule. I am extending an open invitation to Ms. Rice. Come to my church for a while. Listen to the sermons that are offered online as MP3 files. Please remember that the Church is not a building, nor any one denomination. The Church is comprised of the believers of Christ, the bride of Christ he will eventually come for.
Search your heart Ms. Rice. And pray. I will be praying for you.
Eric
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