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Twilight - 10/27/2009 5:37:15 PM
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pink_becca3
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Taking a close look at the popular ‘Twilight’ fiction series
In the dappled sunlight in the clearing of a meadow on the edge of a forest, 16-year-old Bella Swan’s heart races as GQ-model-handsome Edward Cullen draws near to her. Edward, in love with Bella, musters every ounce of self-control not to kill her. Killing’s his first instinct because he’s a vampire. This scene, a vivid dream of author Stephenie Meyer, sparked her imagination to write Twilight, the first book of a bestselling young-adult series.
The Phenomenon
From that original dream, Stephenie, a 30-something housewife and mom of three young boys, has birthed a four-novel series that has sent teen girls and women of every age swooning over the star-crossed love story of Bella and Edward.
The series has certainly appealed to a wide audience, but just because everyone’s reading it should you? Despite the series’ surface appeal as a romance, it communicates many messages that are contrary to the Christian faith, and that’s something you should not be filling you mind with.
Truth and Relationships
God created us as relational beings, and girls in particular are to be relational (Genesis 2-3). We tend to focus on relationships, but sometimes we make and idol out of them or fantasize over our desire for a relationship with that “perfect” guy. No guy can ever live up to the way Stephenie portrays Edward. He’s the fantasy creation of a women writer.
Bella’s obsession with Edward is wrong. She’s even willing to become a vampire herself so that she can “live” forever with Edward. But how can a human ever be yoke to or be in a serious relationship with a vampire? And what’s dangerous about Stephenie’s series is that the reader, too, enters into Bella’s obsession with Edward.
If we believe in God and believe the Bible guides how we live our lives, then we know our highest priority is our love for God and out relationship with Him. God should be the driving force of our lives and not a guy, no matter how attentive, respectful, cool, and loving he appears to be. The “Twilight” books don’t communicate God’s truth about relationships.
The “Twilight” series also teaches unbiblical attitudes toward authority. Bella doesn’t respect her parents. She loves them but they come across as clueless and out of touch with what’s going on in her life. Edward sneaks into Bella’s room every night to sleep next to her and Bella lies to her dad about it.
Talking About God
Every part of culture (books, movies, music, art and fashion) communicates the belief of the writer, musician, designer or director. The “Twilight” series is no different. It conveys specific beliefs about God. Statements about God and salvation are peppered throughout the story in a subtle way. Are they biblical?
Good and evil in Twilight. Edward and his family are supposedly a different kind of vampire. The Cullens think that killing humans is wrong. Even though they thirst for human blood, they abstain and instead hunt bears and large game for their blood.
Stephenie’s story communicates that even though Edward is technically an evil being- he is, after all, a vampire- he tries to be good by not killing humans for food. But can an evil being ever be “good”? If he repents and reforms his ways- Beauty and the Beast anyone?- yes, but the vampires in this series do not. They remain vampires.
Good and evil in the Bible. The Bible teaches the opposite of what “Twilight” does about goodness and salvation. Human beings are sinners. We cannot know God apart from faith in Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. Romans 3:22-24 states, “This righteousness from God comes is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Many people believe that when they die, God will allow them into heaven because they tried to live a good life and do good deeds. That is basically what the vampires of this series do; they believe that by doing “good” deeds (e.g., not killing humans), they can be saved,
But the bible clearly teaches that no one can be redeemed by good deeds. It’s only through faith in Christ that we can enter heaven into the presence of the God. Yes, the “Twilight” story is only fiction. It’s not the Bible, but Christian readers need to be on guard to discern is spiritual statements in books, films or music match the truth of God’s Word.
An Entry to the Occult
The final book in the series, Breaking Dawn, makes a hard turn from romance into horror and occult. Bella and Edward get married and have sex.
In one extended, very disturbing scene, Bella dies and is transformed into a vampire. She gives birth to a half- human, half- vampire baby, which tears its way out of her belly with torrents of blood.
What Do You Believe
It’s easy to think it’s no big deal to see the latest hip movie or read the books everyone else is reading and not pay attention to what those media are saying.
We’re to love God with every fiber of our beings, and that includes loving him with our minds (Matthew 22-36:38). We need to think about what fills out minds. Does it reflect biblical truth? The “Twilight” series does not. Just because the culture loves these books does not mean you should. As the scripture tells us “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you should be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
Article from Brio December 2008
By Melanie M. Cogdill is the managing editor of the Christian Research Journal.
Here is an article about Twilight from Brio. I know that a lot of girls really like the books and movies so I just wanted to post this.
< Message edited by pink_becca3 -- 10/27/2009 5:46:06 PM >
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RE: Twilight - 10/28/2009 4:20:04 PM
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mollypear
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I've read the books, and I also know a little more than the average person about the Mormon people (Stephenie Meyer is Mormon), and it's kind of weird how some things in her book come from her faith.
1st similarity- getting to heaven by deeds- is what Mormon's teach
2nd similarity- polygamy (granted, in Eclipse it was just a 'story' of the Quileute tribe, but she got it from her own 'spiritual' background).
3rd similarity- Mormon's believe that there are basically three stages of heaven, and every bad (bad meaning murderers, rapists, etc.) person outside of their own faith goes to the lowest heaven. This is where Stephenie Meyer gets Bella's argument of 'You're still going to heaven, Edward, even though you've killed lots of people and drink blood like someone in a cult'.
4th similarity-the Mormon's believe that through child-bearing, they become like gods. Bella becomes a supernaturally strong and beautiful vampire after having Renesmee.
Get my connections?
I learned about the Mormon's through a school presentation, and after that I was shocked and realized just how closely those books relate with Stephenie Meyers background. People need to beware of these books-this is Stephenie Meyer sucking people in and sending messages and sharing her faith. My friends and I once thought these books were great, and we didn't mind all the weirdness of them because it was so interesting to read. I didn't mind these books either, until I learned more about the Mormon religion, and though they say they're Christian, the more you find out about them the more you realize they are not.
What scared me was I talked about it to a girl I go to school with, who is a Christian, and she just shrugged and said the books were cool, so Mormonism must be cool too. This was even after the presentation. As I talked more and more with people, most of them didn't seem to care. That is not a good response, especially for Christian teenagers! (Though it's a common response...) Those people need our help!
So yes, even though the books are well written and great stories, people should stay far away from them, because they do influence the lives of Americans. If you don't think they have that much influence, I dare you to google twilight. It's huge.
My advice? Just stay away from those books. Don't buy them. What with the movies coming out, they are spreading enough, and we as Christians need to let the world know that those books, and the Morman religion that influenced them, are no good.
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RE: Twilight - 10/30/2009 11:37:37 PM
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pink_becca3
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I have never read the books or watched the movie but I never even thought about it but after I read the article I knew that I didn't want to. My bff's sisters and her sister's boyfriend liked the movie and my bff was horrified (because she had read the Brio article) so she showed them the article and sent it to some people and after they read the article they decided that they weren't going to watch the movie anymore or read the books.
I didn't know that Stephenie was a Mormon and I had no idea what Mormons believe. I don't really know anything about the author except that she wrote the books.
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RE: Twilight - 11/1/2009 2:02:08 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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I have read have all of the books, have seen the movie, and even own two twilight shirts. i see nothing wrong with it at all. its just a book. i love to read, books are my life, aside from music of course. but its harmless. i personallly love it.
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The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/2/2009 2:10:24 PM
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mollypear
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quote:
its just a book
Just be careful, please. Know what's right. Isn't the Quran just a book? Isn't the Torah just a book? Aren't the Harry Potter books just books?
This world is full of sin, and because books are of the world, they can contain sin. My point: be very careful.
quote:
i personally love it.
I actually like the books too. That doesn't mean they're good, because I've been corrupted.
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RE: Twilight - 11/2/2009 5:59:16 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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its fictional..
it is make believe. its not like vampires really exist and they really sparkle.
as i've said before
its like talking cars and flying dogs and fairies that sprinkle pixie dust.
yet no one seems to freak out over those.
_____________________________
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/2/2009 6:01:05 PM
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pink_becca3
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jesusXXjunkie
I have read have all of the books, have seen the movie, and even own two twilight shirts. i see nothing wrong with it at all. its just a book. i love to read, books are my life, aside from music of course. but its harmless. i personallly love it.
It isn't just a book. Books effect how we think and what we think about. A lot of people think that Harry Potter is just a movie. (or a book) The Bible teaches the opposite of what “Twilight” does about goodness and salvation. Human beings are sinners. We cannot know God apart from faith in Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. Romans 3:22-24 states, “This righteousness from God comes is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
The article made me think about other stuff I was watching. How it affected what I was thinking. Books and movies are made to make you think a certain way, act a certain way, and see things a certain way.
The Twilight books are trying to make you see things a certain way. Now a lot of people think that vampires are ok because of the books. Even if the author of the books didn't have a certain reason for writing the books, the devil did and was using someone so he could deceive people and make them think that something is ok (like vampires) when it isn't and totally goes against the bible.
Did you read the article I posted? If you didn't will you please read the whole thing. I like some stuff that I shouldn't but I have to decide not to watch them and do the right thing. Have you prayed about it?
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RE: Twilight - 11/2/2009 6:17:13 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pink_becca3
It isn't just a book. Books effect how we think and what we think about. A lot of people think that Harry Potter is just a movie. (or a book) The Bible teaches the opposite of what “Twilight” does about goodness and salvation. Human beings are sinners. We cannot know God apart from faith in Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. Romans 3:22-24 states, “This righteousness from God comes is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
The article made me think about other stuff I was watching. How it affected what I was thinking. Books and movies are made to make you think a certain way, act a certain way, and see things a certain way.
The Twilight books are trying to make you see things a certain way. Now a lot of people think that vampires are ok because of the books. Even if the author of the books didn't have a certain reason for writing the books, the devil did and was using someone so he could deceive people and make them think that something is ok (like vampires) when it isn't and totally goes against the bible.
Did you read the article I posted? If you didn't will you please read the whole thing. I like some stuff that I shouldn't but I have to decide not to watch them and do the right thing. Have you prayed about it?
vampires dont exist.
they never have.
and they never will.
i also see nothing wrong with harry potter.
if people are convinced that vampires and werewolves exist and that a 13 year old boy waving a wand around is real
then they aren't stable enough that they should even watch anything at all.
and yess i have prayed about it.
and twilight does not bother me.
neither does it bother my parents who have worked actively in the ministry for 25 years, when i convinced them to watch the movie with me.
_____________________________
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/3/2009 3:51:52 PM
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mollypear
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Here's the thing: You know it's not real. Your parents know it's not real. Some people don't, and they're the ones I'm worried about.
I know a girl who can't be home alone, can't go to dark rooms without lots of light, and gets nightmares about monsters. You would expect that from a five year old. This girl is my age (16). And Christian.
There was a story in the news a long time ago that a woman started her house on fire because she tried to do a spell (or something to that effect) she found in a Harry Potter book. People are influenced.
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RE: Twilight - 11/3/2009 5:50:29 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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so...
if im stable...then whats the issue with reading the book?
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The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/13/2009 10:39:56 AM
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Tarox
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mollypear
There was a story in the news a long time ago that a woman started her house on fire because she tried to do a spell (or something to that effect) she found in a Harry Potter book. People are influenced.
Should we abolish the stories about King Arthur? Merlin's a wizard after all.
People who build up theologies based on movies or books are a rare breed IMHO. I don't think that woman burned her house down because JK Rowlings wrote an evil book. I think that woman was either disturbed, or really missing something in her life. She chose to make an idol out of something and burned her house down. People want something in their lives, and if they don't get Jesus, then they'll make just about anything else try to fit in that hole.
The golden calf in Exodus- are cows evil? Are statues of cows evil? No. Willfully making something else the object of your worship, or building religion on something that isn't God, that's what's bad.
The best books are once that immerse you, create a vivid picture of the wold they're in- that's why LotR, Narnia, Twilight, and Harry Potter are all popular (along with other elements of good story telling). But that doesn't mean they're bad, and if a person takes it too far, the blame rests on that person.
However, if God is telling you to keep anything out of your life as an act of obediance to Him, do it. No book is worth jeopardizing that, and good for you for doing what God wants in your life  . Just know that we don't all have those same convictions.
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RE: Twilight - 11/13/2009 2:10:48 PM
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mollypear
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quote:
Should we abolish the stories about King Arthur? Merlin's a wizard after all.
That depends. Are they history books on Merlin? Twilight is purely fictional. Besides, there are no records that I know of that people were trying Merlin's spells besides Merlin.
Have any of you heard of the teens now biting each other because of the Twilight series?
quote:
I think that woman was either disturbed, or really missing something in her life. She chose to make an idol out of something and burned her house down. People want something in their lives, and if they don't get Jesus, then they'll make just about anything else try to fit in that hole.
That is exactly what I am afraid of. Those people should not be reading those books.
And cows are not evil.
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Willfully making something else the object of your worship, or building religion on something that isn't God, that's what's bad.
That's what I'm getting at. But my question is this; if you know something you do or eat or read will cause people to become interested in the book, and take the book literally or use the book the wrong way and sin, why would you do it?
Am I just arguing a losing cause?
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RE: Twilight - 11/16/2009 12:48:58 PM
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Tarox
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mollypear
if you know something you do or eat or read will cause people to become interested in the book, and take the book literally or use the book the wrong way and sin, why would you do it?
Am I just arguing a losing cause?
But I don't know that reading a book will cause people to take it literally. I think people that do that are in the extreme minority, and I for one don't have people like that in my life. I have a variety of friends, but none of them come anywhere near the level of instability and foolishness that trying to turn your life into Harry Potter or Twilight.
I think that when a spiritual leader tells a group of Christians "Don't read this!", while he may be acting out of genuine concern, he's expressing an underlying distrust and insecurity in their faith, maturity, and stability. It's insulting.
My point was that even if they don't read Twilight or Harry Potter, the really unstable kids (who do need help and guidance of the kind in the above paragraph) are going to seek out something to preoccupy themselves. They'll search high and low to find it, because they need filled. Crusading against Harry Potter and Twilight is like trying to cure the flu with tissues: it seems like it helps, but it doesn't tackle the real issues and it doesn't make them go away.
If you have a friend who seems like the type to get into this, then yes, be a good friend and advise them against it, and abstain from it yourself, that's very Biblical. But it just isn't a necessary thing for most people.
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RE: Twilight - 11/18/2009 2:41:32 PM
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rae_of_light
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I have a few issues with Twilight.
The Bible clearly says not to drink blood. Twilight glorifies this practice, and it doesn't matter that it's not human blood that the "good guys" drink.... Biblically, it's still wrong!
Bella has an unhealthy obsession with Edward, a dangerous guy. She feels that life is not worth living unless she has her boyfriend, and she is willing to sell her soul to be with him. A lot of really young, impressionable girls are reading these books, and what they are being shown is that it is normal and right to make your boyfriend your whole world, even if he could seriously hurt you.
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot! The books are not well written. At all. I work at a library and a bookstore, and the books are somewhat of a joke in the literary world. Somebody get Stephanie Meyers a thesaurus!
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I don't need to swear to get my point across
I don't have to change who I am to be cool
I don't have to drink to have a good time
...And you're asking me what MY problem is?
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RE: Twilight - 11/19/2009 7:50:48 PM
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MrFribbles
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OK, so, I'm not a teen anymore, but I was not too long ago. If my post gets removed, I'm cool with that.
quote:
Bella has an unhealthy obsession with Edward, a dangerous guy. She feels that life is not worth living unless she has her boyfriend, and she is willing to sell her soul to be with him. A lot of really young, impressionable girls are reading these books, and what they are being shown is that it is normal and right to make your boyfriend your whole world, even if he could seriously hurt you.
This is the first legitimate reason I've seen for a Christian (or anyone with common sense) having a moral objection to Twilight, and I think it's a good point to bring up. What are these books teaching the young folks if not, "Make romantic love your god!"? Many people, regardless of age, do foolish things in the name of romance already. Is it wise to allow an obsession to grow when such poor role models are the ones being obsessed over?
Of course, the same could be said of the myriad of romantic comedies in the theaters and movie stores, so remember to be careful. It's important to have a universal standard about these things.
Oh, and I really like your signature, rae.
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"To the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sun is really a sun; to the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sea is really a sea."
-G. K. Chesterton
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RE: Twilight - 11/20/2009 9:20:01 AM
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jesusXXjunkie
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technically...edward has the same obsession with her. he was the one that was going to kill himself because he no longer had her. its not just a one sided thing, here. its more identifiable with bella because its from her narative point of view.
and i cant believe im talking about this as if its a real situation. as if some girl somewhere is becoming obsessed with her vampire boyfriend and is willing to give her soul for him...
its just a book. if you dont like it, dont read it. but you shouldn't put your convictions on other people.
_____________________________
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/20/2009 2:01:29 PM
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MrFribbles
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quote:
you shouldn't put your convictions on other people.
This isn't a matter of putting convictions on other people - it's just sharing concern of what kind of impact these books may have on their readers.
_____________________________
"To the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sun is really a sun; to the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sea is really a sea."
-G. K. Chesterton
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RE: Twilight - 11/20/2009 3:24:07 PM
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Tarox
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MrFribbles
quote:
you shouldn't put your convictions on other people.
This isn't a matter of putting convictions on other people - it's just sharing concern of what kind of impact these books may have on their readers.
I think certain books get blacklisted for this kind of treatment though. There's tons of books that would be worse for people to read, but books like Harry Potter, Twilight, and DaVinci Code get targeted. It just seems like an example of Christian culture in the US being reactionary to mainstream fads, of being reactive instead of active.
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RE: Twilight - 11/20/2009 4:27:21 PM
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MrFribbles
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quote:
I think certain books get blacklisted for this kind of treatment though. There's tons of books that would be worse for people to read, but books like Harry Potter, Twilight, and DaVinci Code get targeted.
I completely agree with this. If you'll notice, I said, "Of course, the same could be said of the myriad of romantic comedies in the theaters and movie stores, so remember to be careful. It's important to have a universal standard about these things." And that's just one genre where the dangerous obesession with romantic love can be seen. We should bemoan the unhealthy relationship habits of Bella and Edward, then pop in, say, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days because we think it's such a great movie. Or pick up a "Christian Romance" novel, where everything is picture perfect, even the conflicts. If we're going to disagree with one, we have to disagree with them all.
_____________________________
"To the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sun is really a sun; to the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sea is really a sea."
-G. K. Chesterton
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RE: Twilight - 11/22/2009 3:22:54 PM
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pink_becca3
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Of course vampires don't exist. People have this idea that drinking blood, killing innocent animals to drink their blood is ok. They think well Edward is a really cool guy so if he is a vampire he must be ok. All vampire must be ok. I mean he doesn't kill humans for their blood only animals! Yeah right! (Or does Edward kill people? I don't know!)
We all agree that drinking blood and casting spells on people is wrong, right? Then why watch a movie about vampires and witches (demonic stuff) when you know that that stuff goes completely against the Bible. If it's for entertainment there are plenty of other good movies with good morals to watch. Why watch a movie with a bad moral? You know the saying whoever you hang around with you will start acting like? Well it is the same thing with movies and music. When you watch Twilight you start to think about it all the time. In Philippians 4:8 it says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things". Is Twilight or Harry Potter true, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Do really have a clear conscience after you watching or reading that? When I know that I shouldn't be watching a movie, I might feel like I really want to watch that and it isn't really that bad. But deep down I know that God is telling me that isn't a movie I should be watching.
Would you eat something that had a little bit of poison in it even if it looked good? It wouldn't kill you or even make you Really sick. It would just make you a little sick.
After watching Twilight people actually think that it is okay to drink blood. Human blood or animal blood that is just evil!
When people write about witches and other evil stuff they usually become a witch or talk to a witch to write about spells and other stuff. So do you want to read a book that a witch wrote? Even if she wasn't a witch she would have had to talked or read something pretty evil about how people do that.
The obsession with anything besides God is wrong! People have such an obsession with Twilight and Harry Potter even Christians. It is taking their focus off of God and is setting it on ungodly things.
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RE: Twilight - 11/22/2009 6:44:21 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pink_becca3
Why watch a movie with a bad moral?
so the bad moral would be that its okay to love a vampire?
if an unstable person even is convinced that vampires are real...they aren't. as we all know. so whats the harm? they're not going to make vampires exist.
_____________________________
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/22/2009 6:45:56 PM
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jesusXXjunkie
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pink_becca3
You know the saying whoever you hang around with you will start acting like?
i'll start drinking blood and being incredibly attractive and sparkly?
_____________________________
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
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RE: Twilight - 11/22/2009 10:46:48 PM
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coolgirl1994
Posts: 27
Joined: 8/18/2009
From: Spare Oom
Status: offline
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Okay, think about all of the things you see in high school relationships. Alot of these teenagers are joined at the hip. Yes, Edward and Bella have problems, obsessing over each other, but doesn't everyone have problems? None of the guys in the books are exactly portrayed as perfect, Edward is too overprotective, and Jake has anger-management problems. Stephanie Meyers does express her beliefs subtly in her books and they are wrong, but freedom of press, people! Plus, this could be a great witnessing chance, explaining to people why those beliefs are wrong. No one is forced to believe what she says, and alot of christian authors do the same thing. Ted Dekker writes with alot of his beliefs woven into the text, with so much relating to the Bible it's like hitting you over the head with it. She puts some good stuff in her books, too, like Edward wanting to not have sex with Bella.
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ORIGINAL: rae_of_light
The Bible clearly says not to drink blood. Twilight glorifies this practice, and it doesn't matter that it's not human blood that the "good guys" drink.... Biblically, it's still wrong!
Twilight doesn't glorify the practice of drinking blood, and the Cullens only drink animal blood because if they didn't, they would hurt the humans that they live around. They drink blood as little as possible, only enough to keep them from hurting humans. The only time they actually go into detail about it is Bella's first hunting trip.
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ORIGINAL: rae_of_light
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot! The books are not well written. At all. I work at a library and a bookstore, and the books are somewhat of a joke in the literary world. Somebody get Stephanie Meyers a thesaurus!
Meyers is kind of trying to not have the best writing style because these books are geared towards teenagers. I mean, not that she's trying to dumb it down or anything, but for a teenager, Twilight is easier to understand without much thought compared to A Tale of Two Cities.
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Life is a maybe,
Death is for sure,
Sin is the cause,
Christ is the cure.
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RE: Twilight - 11/23/2009 11:26:40 AM
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Tarox
Posts: 642
Joined: 2/18/2009
Status: offline
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ORIGINAL: pink_becca3
Of course vampires don't exist. People have this idea that drinking blood, killing innocent animals to drink their blood is ok.
No, it's not ok to drink blood, but yes, it is ok to kill animals to live. Ever eat a burger? You can't claim moral superiority to a fictional vampire who kills animals for blood when you pay people to kill animals for meat.
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All vampire must be ok.
No. That's sort of the point of the main family of vampires in Twilight: they could go with their nature, they could be like all other vampires, and kill humans to live. But they take the high road, they eat what is less physically satisfying, because it's morally correct. It's an excellent lesson for Christian teens struggling with sex: abandon the desires of your body for the sake of doing what's right.
Twilight teaching a Godly lesson, and using vampires to do it? How about that 
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We all agree that drinking blood and casting spells on people is wrong, right?
In real life, yes.
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Then why watch a movie about vampires and witches (demonic stuff) when you know that that stuff goes completely against the Bible.
Here I have to nitpick. If the movie was about the practices of witchcraft or blood drinking or something, and sought to glorify those practices, you'd have a better footing. But that's not what Twilight and Harry Potter are about.
If someone made a movie about your life, would you say that it's a movie about America? If America was an evil topic, would it still be ok to watch the movie about your life? Yeah, because America is the setting. You happen to be an America (assuming, sorry if you're not) but your life is more about your faith, friends, family, and the things you deal with than it is about America.
Harry Potter is about a kid who finds out he can actually cast spells. Is the focus of the book about spells? No. The books are about his friends, his family, the things that go on is his life, and his issues with the guy who killed his parents. Magic does show up, but it's a tool, a novelty. Harry Potter glorifies and encourages Magic about as much as a book about your life would glorify and encourage physics and math.
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Why watch a movie with a bad moral?
It's another topic, but most movies with "good morals" are just bad. Facing the Giants, while I'm sure tons of Christians love it, it just a cheesy, poorly done, miserably predictable disaster of a movie. Creative storylines, unpredictability, all the wholesome things that make movies good- they don't show up in Christian or rated G films, and I reserve the right to watch movies that are suitable and well done. (The contrast of this is the original Saw movie- it is well done, excellent from a strictly proffessional sense, but I was really convicted to stop watching those movies because they really are bad. I felt burdened after watching them, and so I've stopped watching those, and a lot of horror films since)
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When you watch Twilight you start to think about it all the time.
Unless you've seen them, I don't think you can really make this claim. I saw it the other day, and while I think it pretty cool, I'm over it. I don't want to be a vampire, a wearwolf, or in a relationship with either. Life is going on as usual.
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Is Twilight or Harry Potter true, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy? Do really have a clear conscience after you watching or reading that?
YES! YES YES YES! Harry Potter praises the qualities of friendship, faithfulness, learning, nobility, justice, and family. It is a wholesome book that I hope my kids will love when they're born and growing someday. I feel great about it because it is both well written and about excellent things. As for Twilight, I can't say those same things, but it's an enjoyable storyline that's honest about how a lot of teens are when they're in a relationship. New Moon is a story about trying to do what's best for the person you love, and how dificult that can get sometimes. As much as we need stories about how wonderful the world can be, it's good to have some that show you that things can get messy, and that you need to work through it. Twilight is ultimately for romantics, and as He showed on the cross, Jesus is a hopeless romantic - well, not really hopeless, since He is the hope, but it's a phrase - for all of us.
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After watching Twilight people actually think that it is okay to drink blood. Human blood or animal blood that is just evil!
When people write about witches and other evil stuff they usually become a witch or talk to a witch to write about spells and other stuff. So do you want to read a book that a witch wrote? Even if she wasn't a witch she would have had to talked or read something pretty evil about how people do that.
I think you've been misinformed. It's day 3 after watching New Moon, I'm still completely free of the desire to drink blood. After years of exposure to Harry Potter, I've never cast a spell, tried to burn anything in a cultic ceremony, and I still condemn real life vampirism and witchcraft. That's a place where you and I can agree- it is very real and very evil.
JK Rowling isn't a witch, and I don't think she interviewed witches for accuracy. It seems to me that she made a lot of the magical elements up. It's just human creativity, a gift from God, creating a template, a way to convey the morals i mentioned above.
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The obsession with anything besides God is wrong! People have such an obsession with Twilight and Harry Potter even Christians. It is taking their focus off of God and is setting it on ungodly things.
I agree with you here and praise your committment. There are a lot of people who get a little too crazy about things. I don't mean drinking blood crazy, just, you know, gotta get to the midnight opening or they'll sob, gotta have all the posters, etc. You face a very real threat when you take an interest in - well, anything - that it will replace God. But a prayer, some discernment, and a pinch of maturity are what help most peple enjoy these things for they are - movies and books, completley fictional, that have some intersesting things to say about the human condition.
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RE: Twilight - 11/23/2009 2:31:59 PM
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Noddi
Posts: 49
Joined: 11/10/2009
Status: offline
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I am a fiction fan in general so its hard for me not to like harry potter/twilight. It really breaks my heart that a few obsessed fans can spoil such a wonderful literary and cinematic experience. I am well aware that there are more that 'a few' fans of these franchises but I am only referring to the few obsessed ones who take it seriously enough to internalize it and those who cannot see that its not real. Those few are the ones that give the movies/books a bad name. The movies and books themselves have done nothing wrong. They have been promoted as fantasy and fiction with no double meanings or enticement in to the occult.
If you do a little research you will find that vampires are not actually based in the occult but on the historical figure Vlad Tepes who's atrocious and blood thirsty ways inspired the IMAGINATION of Bram Stoker to create the incredibly fictitious creature of dracula. The vampire is as occultic as a zombie is. Neither are delightful for children to watch, but both are harmless as they are completely fake and purely fantasy in every sense.
As far as witches in harry potter go, sure witches are occultic... technically. But the harry potter witches are witches in the same way that playboy playmates are a correct representation of women. They are technically women but there is nothing real or remotely authentic about the things that make us attracted to them. In the same way the witches in harry potter are so far from the occultic witch its basically comparing apples to oranges. If the characters were call Hobble and nobbles instead of witches and wizzards i believe a lot of parents would drop there issues with harry potter and never even think to jump to the conclusion that Hobbles and Nobbles could even be remotely like the occultic witches that could possess our kids and tempt them from Christ.
People desire fantasy and escapism, even/especially children. That is why the movie industry booms. Imagination is a gift from God that should be used and enjoyed. CS Lewis created a very similar fantasy world using his imagination and it even includes witches and magic. It is not the fantasy that is evil, only our sinful nature that could make even a bible verse out of context the work of satan.
Lets lay blame where it belongs: with a society that breeds fanaticism and obsessions; and a sinful nature that will taint even the purest of intentions.
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BOYAKASHA!
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