Posted on 08/18/2009 11:43:02 AM PDT by pastorbillrandles
Twilight - Giving heed to fables…
By: Pastor Bill Randles
Why “Twilight” is spiritually fatal, and what it shows us about the state of
Christian youth.
“…and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:4)
If someone would have told me 25 years ago, that one day a popular series of “vampire romance” books would be accepted and promoted by evangelical ministries, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it. That’s why I was shocked to read this article by Christian documentarian and researcher, Caryl Matrisciana and Paul Villanueva, http://carylmatrisciana.com/x2/content/view/81/1/ which documents the glowing reviews of the occult book series by evangelical publications such as: Campus Life, Focus on the Family, Christianity Today, Christian Teen, and Christian Stay at Home Moms Magazine. All gave glowing testimonials, and some even suggested that the "Twilight” series could become the basis for Bible discussions and studies!
My purpose isn’t to merely echo Caryl Matrisciana and Paul Villanueva's excellent article, exposing the occult roots of this book series. Rather, I have a burden to show you why I believe that this literature could have a completely soul deadening effect on those who are fascinated by its dark vision.
First of all, consider what the ‘vampire’ myth really is - nothing less than an obscene parody of the precious gift of God - which is eternal life through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and by the gift of His blood, offered to God for us. To God blood is sacred, those who drink it are an utter abomination to Him, because of what blood represents. We obtain eternal life by accepting in faith our share of the offering of the blood of Jesus, termed precious by God, ”…As of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:19)
In the pagan myth, ‘vampires’ are those who obtain ‘immortality’ by sucking other’s blood. The ‘immortality’ they gain, is literally a damned existence. They live in the night, they cannot endure light, they feed on the blood of innocence. Far from just a harmless thrill, Vampirism is the basis for all sorts of pagan spiritualities. Blood drinking and blood sacrifice is an everyday reality among animists all over the world.
The vampire fable is nothing less than an all out assault on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider this, a young person can go to a theater on a Saturday evening and vicariously fall in love with a vampire, and his 'coven'(family), and then go to church on Sunday morning and partake of the Lord's supper. That same person on Saturday evening could conceivably root for a girl to forfeit her own mortal soul, to be the lover of a vampire, and the next morning go to church and eat the bread and drink the cup of eternal life! Can one eat at both the Lord's table and the table of demons? Did you know that this book series was 'given' to a Mormon woman in a dream, and that she was visited in a subsequent dream by the vampire figure?
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” (I Cor 10:21)
Ah but Pastor it is only a movie! Lighten up! But this is more than a movie - it is a pagan myth which is a perversion of the only Gospel that can save us. The movie presents vampires as being attractive, in fact so attractive that the young lady in the story is willing to become a vampire to be with her lover. In order to be with her vampire lover, she submits to being an eternally damned soul! This movie skillfully plays on the emotions in such a way that the viewer pulls for the mortal young woman to be with her “lover”, a 110-year-old vampire in the form of an attractive and well-mannered teen.
What the popularity of this film, even among evangelical youth, says about the state of the church is that we have forgotten what we once knew very well. That is, you can’t fill your mind with all of this paganism without injuring your relationship with God. We used to know that it is very possible to “lose your soul”, to so jade ourselves by constant, undiscerning exposure to worldliness, that we render ourselves unable to pray, to hear the Word, or to live for God.
We once knew that to voluntarily expose ourselves to blasphemy and sexual sin - not to mention something as blatantly spiritual as Vampirism - was something to be shunned, avoided, that it was soul deadening, and injurious to our Christian walk.
Another thing the popularity of this movie shows us is the loss of the sense of the sacred among Christians. I believe in gospel liberty. We don’t need Christian guru’s telling us what books not to read and what movies to avoid, we have the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Paul warned the Christians in Ephesus, to:
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
Where is the sense of the sacred? The idea of the sacred is that there are some things in life that are ‘other’, they are above us, they are not to be ‘profaned’, for they are above us. For example, marriage is sacred, so is sexuality, as well as life itself. The purity of children is to be held sacred, that is why there is a special warning to any who would cause them to stumble.
The Gospel itself is sacred. I believe that “Twilight” is a direct assault on the gospel, an obscene parody of the good news of salvation, the salvation we obtain by partaking of the precious blood of Jesus, offered as a sacrifice for us. Jesus is the one who has brought “life and immortality to light” through the Gospel. I don’t believe it is possible to read or enjoy “Twilight” without spiritual defilement.
Of course we must remember, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…for the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins.” (I John 1:7-9)
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The wife an I vacationed in WA state last week and the signs and stuff around there were the first I had heard of this.
I am a little disturbed by the fact it’s getting good reviews for apparently some religious application, but I have to say, otherwise, I don’t have a problem with it.
Fantasy isn’t evil, and I grew up reading a series of fiction books on magic etc. Didn’t make me a witch, but at the same time, I would be rather disturbed if churches thought they would be good ways to teach Christ!
First, have you read the books?
Romance novels, no matter who the characters are, should not be read by tweens and teens.
They distort “love”.
Love is not huge explosions and tingling. Love is waking up to morning breath and dirty socks. Love is working with your spouse towards a common goal.
I won’t even let my girls read “Christian” love stories.
...or figured out that this is a VANITY... and not news/activism...
So which house do you belong to at Hogwarts?
I agree with your premise, fantasy is just that,fantasy. However attempting to derive spiritual truth from vampirism is itself a sign of the utter spiritual bankruptcy of much of contemporary evangelicalism.
You could say the same about “Lord of the Rings” or “Beowulf”. Should we ban those as well?
How about this: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!
Twilight is the Lord of the Rings for girls and young women and I still don’t see why they are so fascinated by it.
mark for later study
My daughter rented Twilight a few weeks ago. I saw about 45 minutes of it. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING.
Missing Bela Lugosi. Now THERE was someone who knew how to play a vampire.
1. I am a serious Christian.
2. I am not worried about books like this or Harry Potter or whatever, assuming one’s child is aware of the difference between fantasy and reality and a generally well-balanced person.
3. Fantasy stories (including science fiction) are useful for allegorical purposes. C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories -— now classic Christian allegories -— are filled with witches, magic, and even a nasty vampire or two at the end. Obviously, like any secular tool, this can be used to a bad end (the Golden Compass, for example, which pushes atheism).
That’s why parents should read the books.
4. These books are generally moral, much like the Harry Potter books. Good vs. evil. That’s a good thing.
5. The one issue I have is that consorting with evil spirits is a real thing, and not to be toyed with. To the extent a child is silly or stupid and decides from reading Twilight books that it is “OK” to go piddle around with “real” witchcraft or paganism, that’s a bad thing. Again, this falls under the category of parents knowing their children. If a child is that stupid, it’s not the book’s fault, it’s the parent’s fault.
I am not calling for the banning of anything. I am merely calling attention to the need for discernment among christians, and observing that The Vampire myth is an inversion of the christian gospel.
I figure I read them as a teen and turned out just fine. It’s important to realize (and for us as parents to teach) that fiction/fantasy is just that. Be it books, tv, movies, even the news ;)
As for Twilight, 3 of my kids have read the books and all have seen the first movie. I’ve also read the books and saw the first movie.
Good points, I am actually directing my comments to parents as well as to young readers.
not entirely.
I was adamantly against my 13-year old daughter reading this series and seeing this movie. After many of her Christian friends read the books and saw the movie, I spoke to their parents about it. I was told that I was being ridiculous about it because the girl in the book waits until she’s married to have sex and because there is some discussion in the book about whether or not these vampires have a soul. The book leads you to believe that by drinking only the blood of animals rather than humans that these vampires are “good” vampires and have a soul.
I caved and let her read the books. I regret not going with my gut. The Spirit was telling me no. I let other Christian parents convince me that I was being stupid.
If anyone else out there has second thoughts about letting their children read it, I recommend that you follow your first instinct and avoid the books and movie. If you have already caved, at least sit down and have a long discussion with your teen about the issues of sex before marriage, risking one’s soul to gain the earthly love of another, and the concept of “living forever” in a state separate from God.
You’ll thank me for it.
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