For those not in the know, Anne Rice is a born-again Christian and writing Christian literature.
Strangely enough, though, her recent post on the elections, being Pro-choice – although believing in the unborn child’s right to life, being a democrat, etc.. is a pretty compelling read. It shows a right amount of ambiguity, complexity, and sympathy.
Also, if you have time, you should read her own apologies for her older works. I’ve always been aware of the strong influence of the church (growing up in the church and fascination with transcendence and martyrdom) as she was growing up. In fact, I would agree with her that her Vampire chronicles is completely relevant for Christianity in terms of having a flawed protagonist and their hope and search for redemption. (I wasn’t TOO impressed with Interview and HATED Queen – maybe the movie was terrible, because the book was blah, too. Didn’t see it. I did REALLY enjoy Body Snatchers. It was very compelling with many mind/body philosophical problems. I GUILTILY LOVED the Mayfair Witch series, though. Loved the Witching Hour.)
Again the infatuation with the abortion issue… so acute in the USA, a country of both extreme atheism and christianism. The mainstream or general conceptual framework surrounding politics and religion is long defunct. Laicity is either a religion or a misunderstood concept that actually masks a religion (often of humanism).
I’m fed up with any argument that can’t distinguish between the separation of state with a church, and that of politics and belief. I’m fed up with the French analysts equating the Left with progressive thinking and the Right with conservative thinking. I’m fed up with anyone who is okay with a reactionary nationalism engaged by a minority but not okay with an initiative nationalism engaged by a majority. I’m fed up with idiots who can’t see that both a tribal-like system of pseudo self-governance and the brain is a sort of government of similar imposition as that of a federal government. So many idiotic conceptualizations that keep confusing the argument. And out of this, the best thing that can be said about someone is that they are “sincerely ambiguous, lost, perplexing, and thus realistic”. And I like that appreciation, of the confused and lost nature of human cognition.
But I think we can afford being a little more lucid about how to conceptualize politics and religion, freedom and equality, society and individual…
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