Twilight Follow Up

I wanted to post a follow up regarding my previous post about the book Twilight.

At the time I posted this, I was considering reading the book to understand what the hype is about, but the more I research the book, the less I want to read it. Yes, it is fiction. And yes, if we are teaching our children between good and evil, they will know the difference between fact and fiction.

However, personally, I don’t want to put anything into my mind that will cause me to stumble. And by stumble I mean cause even a momentary doubt or shadow to cross my mind. If I were to read this book, knowing full well that it is about vampires and written by a Mormon. I would be opening myself up to fall once again. This may seem harsh, but is it? Compare it to a Victoria’s Secret ad for a man who is tempted by pornography or to a piece of chocolate cake for a woman who is on a diet.

Satan’s strongest tools are persuasion and tolerance. Persuasion as in persuading a person that evil is not in fact evil (see Isaiah 5). Tolerance as in building up a person’s tolerance for evil. For example: “It is only an apple” (funny how that is the cover of the first Twilight book, isn’t it?) Or “it is only has one/two/three curse word(s).” This quote reminds me of a story I heard on the radio the other day:

Dad's Brownies---Great lesson!!
A father of some teenage children had the family rule that they could not attend PG-13 or R rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at local theaters. It was rated PG-13. The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family's church to find out what was offensive in the movie. The teens made a list of pros and cons about the movie to use to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it.
The con's were that it contained ONLY 3 swear words, the ONLY violence was a building exploding (and you see that on TV all the time they said), and you actually did not "see" the couple in the movie having sex - it was just implied sex, off camera.
The pros were that it was a popular movie - a block buster. Everyone was seeing it. If the teens saw the movie then they would not feel left out when their friends discussed it. The movie contained a good story and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense in it.
There were some fantastic special effects in this movie. The movie's stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It probably would be nominated for several awards. Many of the members of their Christian church had even seen the movie and said it wasn't "very bad".
Therefore, since there were more pros than cons the teens said they were asking their father to reconsider his position on just this ONE movie and let them have permission to go see it.
The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He said he could tell his children had spent some time and thought on this request. He asked if he could have a day to think about it before making his decision. The teens were thrilled thinking; "Now we've got him! Our argument is too good! Dad can't turn us down!" So, they happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request.
The next evening the father called in his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There on the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie then he would let them go to the movie. But just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.
The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good ingredients. They had the added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful chocolate frosting on top. He had made these fantastic brownies using an award-winning recipe. And best of all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of their own father.
The brownies only had one con. The father had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed the dough well - they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop and he had baked it at 350 degrees so any bacteria or germs from the dog poop had probably been destroyed.
Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the brownies which included just a "little bit of foreign substance" and not be effected by it, then he knew they would also be able to see the movie with "just a little bit of smut" and not be effected. Of course, none of the teens would eat the brownies and the smug smiles had left their faces. Only Dad was smiling smugly as they left the room.
Now when his teenagers ask permission to do something he is opposed to the father just asks, "Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?" (Copied from the following link:
http://www.rushonline.com/visitors/familyvalues.htm)

As one last example about tolerance, simply consider the difference in the shows our parents watched on TV or in the movie theaters compared with today's shows/movies. The topics that were such a big deal when Three's Company was shown on air are no longer even discussed thanks to the show paving the way for shows such as My Two Dads, Friends, or How I Met Your Mother.

Here are a few more links that you may find interesting:

For a fairly decent review of the first book by someone who has read it, see:
http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/book-review---twilight.php

This is the author’s blog about how she came up with the idea for the book:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html

This article is an additional viewpoint about Twilight:
http://bereanwife.blogspot.com/2008/12/twilight-praised-by-christian-groups.html

Which links to the following article from my last email (in case you didn't have a chance to read it):
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1311&c=1

This article is not about Twilight, but I thought it was a good article about discerning how a true work of the Holy Spirit can be distinguished from a false work:
http://www.gty.org/Resources/issues/611

In conclusion, I am quoting the following Bible passages to show a small portion of the Bible’s viewpoint on how Satan operates (please try not to take these verses out of context by applying them to Twilight – in that it is a work of fiction):

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4

so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

I would love to hear your viewpoints on this topic!