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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No, it's familiar because it is a common tactic liberals use when they don't "like" an argument but cannot refute it. Thus, they resort to personal attacks.
Keep it up. It speaks so well of you.
We are really receiving a terrible education these days...Twilight does not give heed to fables, fables taught a lesson.
“C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories -— now classic Christian allegories”
Not by my definition of “Christian” - what’s yours? Mine is “a little Christ”.
Can you see Jesus curled up with an occult novel? Would he say to the twelve, “Hey, guys. I read this really cool book about this fantasy place called Narnia. You oughta read it, too!”.
can you see Jesus sitting in his pj's in front of his computer posting on FR?
i meant to add, can you see Jesus curled up with any kind of novel? what kind?
Yikes! That brings back some bad childhood nightmares.
I liked this part of the same review:
“I’m going to try to condense my irritation with Bella into a series of points:
* She’s ridiculously clumsy, which is meant to be a fault, is passed off as charming, but basically just gives her an asinine reason not to run so Edward can save her.
* She “falls in love” with Edward within weeks of knowing him, and after a couple hundred pages, if he even mentions leaving, she hyperventilates and acts like her world will freaking collapse. Stalking is illegal in all 50 states, Bella.
* Whenever Eddikens so much as barely brushes his lips with hers, she either tries to rip his clothes off (natural) or her heart stops beating and she passes out. The girl hit the floor so many times in this book she put Giles to shame.
Which brings me to Edward. Angsty telepathic vampire Edward. While we have very little clear idea what Bella looks like, we get to hear about Eddiken’s gorgeous, transcendental face and body over and over and over again. He’s impossibly frustrating because he’s been crammed with so many character traits, depending entirely on what the author wants him to be like at the time. He calls himself a monster and thinks he should have died all those years ago, but then totally lords his awesomeness over the mundane humans. And he is awesome. Lest you forget it, he’s even awesomer than the rest of his vampire family at everything.
But the worst part about Edward is how he treats Bella. He is initially attracted to her because her smell is particularly attractive to him (okay, I’ll bite) and because he can’t read her thoughts. (Trust me, Eddikens, I’m lookin’ right at ‘em, and there ain’t nothin’ up there worth wondering about.) He knows he’s a danger to her (woe!) and tells her straight off that it’s better if they not be around each other (sorrow!)...and then he proceeds to hang all over her! He berates himself once every few pages for putting her in danger but never has the guts to fix the matter because he “just can’t stay away from her” and “[she’s his] life now.” *wretch*”
“I can’t see Jesus
changing the batteries in
His Bluetooth wireless
mouse, nonetheless I
will continue using my
Bluetooth wireless mouse.”
You’re not paying attention at all.
#1 There’s no such thing as Narnia
#2 Jesus said there’d be false Christs, and we’re not being disappointed.
A little Nabokov, anyone?
The definition of Christian is a follower of Christ.
I have no idea if he’d enjoy a good book.
Christ did speak in allegories, on purpose, in fact, so the method has been in use for a long time.
Humorless dour Christians like you do more harm to the spreading of the Gospel than anything I can think of. Who would want to be like you? A miserable, sad, person.
“Humorless dour Christians like you do more harm to the spreading of the Gospel than anything I can think of. Who would want to be like you? A miserable, sad, person.”
Huh? What? Who are you talking about? I gather that you’re casting me in a preconceived mold of something you heard or read about. Your description doesn’t fit me.
You have yet to discover the joy of a direct relationship with God in Christ Jersus. Once you do, you will put away your fiction because the reality is so much better.
The joy of the Lord is my strength. It can be yours, too.
“You have yet to discover the joy of a direct relationship with God in Christ Jersus. Once you do, you will put away your fiction because the reality is so much better.”
So God doesn’t want us to read fiction stories?
That’s is perhaps the dumbest thing I’ve ever read.
“So God doesn’t want us to read fiction stories?”
You read whatever you want to read. I’m not God. If you want His direction, ask Him. And read His book.
I do read his book. Every day.
Reading fiction does not interfere with that, any more than playing with my children.
Abortion. Drug abuse. Rampant promiscuity. The majority of Americans spiritually illiterate. Suicides. Depression.
All this going on, and the best you can do for the Master is to post that you don’t like vampire stories?
With all respect, Pastor, Jesus’ last orders for His people was to go into all the earth and make disciples of all men. Everything we do should directly flow from that order. With all due respect. I don’t see how this could possibly relate.
I’m glad to hear it.
Thanks Tera, but the standard of christian discernment and teaching has everything to do with the problems you cite, for the church is the only valid witness to the society plagued by these problems, and an idoloatrous and badly compromised church is an anemic witness.
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