Anne Rice recently started a fascinating conversation with her decision to leave Christianity, while still maintaining her faith in Jesus.

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/30/anne-rice-leaves-christianity/?hpt=T2

To many people, Jesus = Christianity, which simply isn’t true. Mary did not call her son “Christ”; that is a Greek name unknown to a man whose real name was probably Yeshua. Paul, Constantine, and others created Christianity from the teachings of Jesus, modifying and adjusting as necessary to ensure that the Nazarene’s words fit the political and social needs of Greece, Italy, and other regions. When they quote from Paul at services on Sunday morning, they are quoting Paul, not Jesus. When Christians quote from the Old Testament, they ignore the New Covenant that Jesus proclaimed.

I abandoned Christianity after reading the Bible several times, when I saw that “Christians” often did not practice — and sometimes deliberately ignored — inconvenient teachings of their savior. I have great respect for Yeshua the Nazarene and his beliefs; they form a core of who I am.

Christianity is not unique in its divergence from the lessons of its originator. Buddha, Jesus, and other prophets would not recognize most “religions” that claim them. Adam Smith and Karl Marx would not be entirely copacetic with modern capitalism and communism, respectively. It is the sad fate of most original thinkers to have their words and ideas twisted and exploited by “followers” who seek power and profit.

I have found kindness and brilliance among Buddhists, atheists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Native Americans, Jews, Wiccans, and practitioners of eclectic belief systems. I have also seen hatred and darkness in all of those groups. So I judge people not by the labels they wear, but by their actions.

Thank you, Anne Rice, for starting the conversation.