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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon Nov 20th, 2006 06:49 pm |
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Anne Rice, who wrote Interview with a Vampire and several other books, has begun a new series of novels called "Christ the Lord". The first is Christ the Lord Out of Egypt. In the back of the book she tells the story of her return to the Catholic faith after many years of atheism. In New Orleans she was somewhat infamous for her voodoo practices, especially at Halloween, so her return to the Church is a major event. The appendix includes the following which is so incredibly Catholic that I thought I would share it with you.
Well, what happened to me on that Sunday that I returned to faith was this: I received a glimpse into what I can only call the Infinite Mercy of God. It worked something like this. I realized that none of my theological or social questions really made any difference. I didn't have to know the answers to these questions precisely because God did. He was the God who made the Universe in which I existed. That meant He had made the Big Bang, He had made DNA, He had made the Black Holes in space, and the wind and the rain and the individual snowflakes that fall from the sky. He had done all that. So surely He could do virtually anything and He could solve virtually everything. And how could I possibly know what He knew? And why should I remain apart from Him because I could not grasp all that He could grasp? What came over me then was an infinite trust, trust in His power and His love. I didn't have to worry about the ultimate fate of my good atheistic friends, gay or straight, because he knew all about them, and He was holding them in His hands. I didn't have to quake alone in terror at the thought of those who die untimely deaths from illness, or the countless millions destroyed in the horrors of war. He knew all about them. He had always been holding them in His hands.
He and only He knew the full story of every person who'd ever lived or would live; He and He alone knew what person was given what choice, what chance, what opportunity, what amount of time, to come to Him and by what path.
That I couldn't possibly know all was as clear to me as my awareness that He did.
Now this was not totally understandable to me in words at that time. I couldn't have explained it in this way then. But it is essentially what happened: faith became absolutely real to me; and its implications became real. I found myself in a realm in which the beauty I saw around me was intimately connected in every way with the justice, the wisdom, and mercy, and the love of God.
Her testimony continues, and it is beautiful and beautifully Catholic. The book is also excellent, but is it a novel and does not pretend to be anything else. It tells the story of the seventh year of Jesus' life as it might have been, accurately portraying life in the Middle East at the time. It shows a Jesus who is undeniably God but is not quite sure what that means. It also shows a people living in fear of Roman soldiers, bandits, and revolutionaries. It draws on various writings of the time, including the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, to weave a very compelling story. Also, the appendices include a listing of some of the historical references she used to recreate life in Judea 2000 years ago, and it's worth the price of the book for those references and her testimony alone. (I paid just over $5.00 for the paperback.)
If you are ready to have your notion of Jesus and the life he lived challenged, I recommend Christ the Lord Out of Egypt. It is not for those who wish to imagine Jesus on a pedestal, but rather for those who would rather think of him as both very human and very Divine.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Credo Catholic
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| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1268 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon May 28th, 2007 12:41 pm |
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| Rick, I just came across this posting and I found it at just the right time, I'm almost finished with the book I'm reading and will be heading to the bookstore soon. I am finding it harder and harder to find good fiction that is not offensive and that will enlighten me more regarding the catholic faith. I have not read Anne Rice before because of her past subject matter. But I would like to read a good story of the life of Jesus as a youngster!
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Mon May 28th, 2007 04:15 pm |
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Credo Catholic wrote: I have not read Anne Rice before because of her past subject matter. But I would like to read a good story of the life of Jesus as a youngster!
I had not read anything of hers either and when I first grabbed it, I didn't see her name. (God's providence, because I wouldn't have picked it up if I knew she wrote it.) I can't wait for the next installment, due in the spring of 2008.
Her official web site is a unique study in contrasts. It includes information about her husband's paintings, her Vampire Chronicles, New Orleans post-Katrina, links to EWTN, reviews of Catholic books, and Easter sonnets by John Dunne and Gerard Manley Hopkins, with sacred music (Ave Maria sung by Gerald Stroop) playing in the background. She also has links to six pages of reviews she wrote at Amazon.com (The Works of Josephus, Sacred by the Irish Tenors, The Reformation {a history}, etc.)
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Credo Catholic
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| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1268 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon May 28th, 2007 05:16 pm |
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CajunRick wrote: a unique study in contrasts.
You can say that again. What a curious place to visit!
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Br_Carlo
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tyler, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 150 |
| First Name: | Br_Carlo (Vince Brach) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Episcopalian, CATHOLIC |
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Posted: Tue May 29th, 2007 08:10 am |
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God's peace. Anne Rice is such a towering intellect and superb writer that her return to the Church must rank as one of the most astonishing conversion stories of modern times.
I am still a fan of Anne Rice's spooky stories (at least, of the less erotic ones; Ms. Rice always seemed to be pulled backwards into the openly pornographic books she wrote under a pseudonym). In her own accounts, Ms. Rice acknowledges that she was working through many issues when she wrote her earlier novels. Her coming-to-faith account in Christ the Lord reminded me of my own experience, especially where she realized that no matter how smart you think you are, there comes a point where you must trust God to be God.
Let's remember to thank the Lord that Anne Rice has come home, and pray that her books encourage curiousity about and faith in Christ wherever they are read. Blessings, ~Br_Carlo~
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catholic
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 15th, 2007 |
| Location: | Dublin, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Paul | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Non-Specific Protestant -> Catholic (Latin Rite) |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 11:32 am |
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CajunRick wrote:
Credo Catholic wrote: I have not read Anne Rice before because of her past subject matter. But I would like to read a good story of the life of Jesus as a youngster!
I had not read anything of hers either and when I first grabbed it, I didn't see her name. (God's providence, because I wouldn't have picked it up if I knew she wrote it.) I can't wait for the next installment, due in the spring of 2008.
Her official web site is a unique study in contrasts. It includes information about her husband's paintings, her Vampire Chronicles, New Orleans post-Katrina, links to EWTN, reviews of Catholic books, and Easter sonnets by John Dunne and Gerard Manley Hopkins, with sacred music (Ave Maria sung by Gerald Stroop) playing in the background. She also has links to six pages of reviews she wrote at Amazon.com (The Works of Josephus, Sacred by the Irish Tenors, The Reformation {a history}, etc.)
I was unfamiliar with Anne Rice, until a Mormon threw her name out as an example of a Catholic who publicly refutes Church teaching.
Her web site has been recently updated http://www.annerice.com/. It is painful to read:
And much as I am horrified by abortion, I am not sure -- as a student of history – that Americans should give up the right to abortion.
____________________
"A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching."
Gilbert K. Chesterton
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pam
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| Joined: | Sat Nov 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 113 |
| First Name: | Pam | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Former Non-denominational Bible Church |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 12:33 pm |
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This is an abbreviated quote from Anne Rice's statement. The letter on her website is worth reading to fully understand her position.
Last edited on Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 12:37 pm by pam
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Darlene
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 868 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 04:12 pm |
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While I may be personally disappointed in Ann Rice's decision to support Hilary, I won't take the liberty to judge her Christian walk. We are all at different places in our journey of faith. We are each being changed into His likeness, "from one degree of glory to another." Some of us have more understanding, more light, more knowledge than others. I do not possess many of the views that I espoused even 10 years ago because I have grown in my walk with the Lord Jesus.
Pesonally, I do not think either party, Democrat or Republican, holds the answers for many of the problems we are facing in this country. I am at a crossroads. I don't know who I am voting for, or if I am going to vote at all. I am so disappointed in the political process and the candidates. Furthermore, I am not looking to the government, the politicians or any party to answer my deepfelt needs, either physical or spiritual.
Darlene
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 05:51 pm |
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catholic wrote: I was unfamiliar with Anne Rice, until a Mormon threw her name out as an example of a Catholic who publicly refutes Church teaching.
She does not refute Church teaching. In fact, she completely agrees with it.
The Church tells us that we should not vote based on a single issue, but on how a candidate's overall policy addresses gospel values. Ms. Rice states that as the basis for the reason she supports Ms. Clinton for president. She also indicates (while not stating in so many words) that the election of a pro-life president will not result in an end to legal abortions in the United States, and she is correct. Reagan couldn't do it, Bush couldn't do it, and another president couldn't do it. A pro-life amendment to the Constitution would do it, but the president has no role in amending the Constitution. Otherwise, the best we could hope for would be a return to pre-1973 laws leaving it up to the states, most of which would still vote for legalized abortion.
So in the abortion battle, the election of a president is almost irrelevant. The two leading candidates today, Clinton and Guliani, both support legalized abortion. Those candidates leading in both parties at this time are at best ambiguous on the issue.
Ms. Rice apparently believes a Democrat for president is the best alternative in providing for the poor, improved health care, etc. Especially after the debacle of Hurricane Katrina, I have to admit that the Republican disaster response was much worse than it was during the Clinton administration (although Clinton never had to deal with a disaster of the magnitude of Katrina).
I look at the same issues and I don't come to the same conclusion as Ms. Rice. Still, she has presented her case and it in no way violates Church teaching. She has presented a reasonable case for her decision to support Ms. Clinton in spite of her pro-choice views. And that is her right both as a Catholic and as an American.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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catholic
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| Joined: | Mon Jan 15th, 2007 |
| Location: | Dublin, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 34 |
| First Name: | Paul | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Non-Specific Protestant -> Catholic (Latin Rite) |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 06:54 pm |
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Please read the linked article:
http://www.priestsforlife.org/elections/ratzingerletter.htm
All six paragraphs of the letter plus half of the footnote make it clear that Catholics who support abortion by voting for pro-abortion candidates are cooperating in evil and may not receive Communion.
The second half of the footnote addresses cases where a person who opposes abortion could cast a vote for a pro-abortion candidate, in the presence of "proportionate reasons." The single sentence of the Cardinal simply applies a standard Catholic moral teaching about "remote material cooperation." Again, this is a brief reference to terms that carry centuries of reflection by Catholic (and other) ethicists.
It would be a mistake to interpret this teaching to mean that all issues are equal, and that a voter can choose a pro-abortion candidate because they don't like the pro-life candidate's position on capital punishment or war. Cardinal Ratzinger, in the same letter, stated, "Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia.
Abortion is intrinsically evil and not something anyone has a "right" to. Ms. Rice is struggling to create a straw-man to justify her voting for a pro-abortion politician.
I don't want to enter a political debate. That both major parties have problematic candidates as front runners is irrelevant. One wrong does not excuse another.
____________________
"A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching."
Gilbert K. Chesterton
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CajunRick
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
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Posted: Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 07:18 pm |
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catholic wrote: It would be a mistake to interpret this teaching to mean that all issues are equal, and that a voter can choose a pro-abortion candidate because they don't like the pro-life candidate's position on capital punishment or war. Cardinal Ratzinger, in the same letter, stated, "Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia.
Abortion is intrinsically evil and not something anyone has a "right" to. Ms. Rice is struggling to create a straw-man to justify her voting for a pro-abortion politician.
I don't want to enter a political debate. That both major parties have problematic candidates as front runners is irrelevant. One wrong does not excuse another.
I completely agree and don't want to start a political debate either. In Ms. Rice's case, she is a Democrat and before she can vote in a general election, she will be presented with a choice of candidates in a primary. Since every Democrat is pro-choice, the abortion issue alone cannot be used as a determining factor. To quote from the letter mentioned above:
An example of the "proportionate reasons" that would justify voting for a candidate who approved of some abortions would be the case when the only two candidates able to win an election were both in favor of abortion. It is morally permissible to vote for the one who supports fewer abortions than his opponent.
In this case all of the Democrat candidates have repeatedly stressed their pro-choice positions.
Again, I do not want to start a political debate. I have stated repeatedly on this forum that I could not vote for Ms. Clinton if she was running unapposed. But I do believe that, given the choices she is facing, Ms. Rice has made her decision within the confines of the Church's teaching. And of course, anyone else is free to disagree. However, if we are going to have a discussion of the moral issues involved in choosing a candidate, whether we discuss Ms. Rice's decision or not, it should be in the proper forum. This is not the right place for that discussion.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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