| Resources
to aid your Understanding |
| |
The forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest: "Edward
is nothing like any boy [Bella has] ever met.... In no time at all, they
are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance — unorthodox
because Edward really isn't like the other boys. He can run faster than
a mountain lion. He can stop a moving car with his bare hands. Oh, and he
hasn't aged since 1918. Like all vampires, he's immortal.... But he doesn't
have fangs.... And he doesn't drink human blood, though Edward and his family
are unique among vampires in that lifestyle choice."[1]
The author receives the
message: "Bella and Edward were, quite literally, voices in my
head. They simply wouldn't shut up. I'd stay up as late as I could stand
trying to get all the stuff in my mind typed out. ...it's been a true
labor of love, love for Edward and Bella and all the rest of my imaginary
friends..."[2]
Wall Street Journal: "'Twilight' has targeted the collective
soul of teenage America, and will surely have its way."[3]
E
mail from concerned
parents: "I have
seen lots of Christian girls reading this and other books by Stephanie
Myers. They are so evil! My daughter tells me that most of the girls
at the Christian school are reading
them." Another parent
wrote, "All the girls at school are
reading those books. Yes, it is a Christian school."
If my goal was to undermine Christianity, incite
rebellion against parents, eradicate Biblical values, and spread moral chaos,
I would urge teens to read the Twilight series. I would prompt them to
immerse their minds and emotions in the dark, emotional whirlpool of sensual
occultism. And I wouldn't warn them of the consequences.
Of course,
my real goal is the opposite: to expose this assault on Biblical faith
and to equip potential readers with information that enables them to resist
the temptation to join the collective journey into the mind-changing realm of
the occult. The following points show the raging spiritual war
that's sure to intensify in the years ahead.
1. VAMPIRES & WEREWOLVES
are rooted in pagan cultures around the world.
The various
historical expressions of these mythical
creature were dreaded, blood-thirsty
manifestations of evil spirits. Linked to darkness, they were viewed as
supernatural creatures of the night. Today's more familiar forms were shaped
through folklore, fairy tales, and memorable villains such as
Count
Dracula. Both were re-imagined in more humanized forms through
the Harry
Potter books and Anne Rice's
popular Vampire Chronicles.
But they're not benign. Bella's passionate
love for the mysteriously handsome Edward may be fiction, but the
obsession felt by teenage readers who "resonate" with Bella is very
real! Young super-fans (Twilighters) identify with her plight, sense her
fears, and "feel" her passion. They love the story because it arouses
strong, unforgettable emotions -- the kind of enchanting thrills that can best
be shared within the peer group, not with parents.
In the process, they also learn to crave the
mystical, paranormal stimuli that belong in the forbidden realm God calls
evil. Knowing well our human inclinations, He warns us to shun all
forms of real or imagined occultism:
"...have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those
things which are done by them in secret."
Ephesians 5:11-12
"For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And
what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with
Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement
has the temple of God with idols?... Therefore 'Come out from among them and
be separate,' says the Lord." 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
2. Fantasy and imagination can
transform beliefs and values more quickly than reality. Many of our readers
defend their love for occult entertainment with this standard justification:
"I know the difference between reality and fantasy." But it doesn't matter!
Know it or not, persuasive fiction and virtual experience can change minds
and plant lasting memories more effectively than actual
experience!
Popular fantasies, with their boundless thrills and
unforgettable images, bypass logical thinking. Their subtle suggestions face
little conscious resistance. Designed to stir feelings and produce strong
emotional responses, they create new
realities in today's "open" minds! As Harvard Professor Chris Dede,
a global leader in the development of education technology programs, wrote,
"Sensory immersion helps learners grasp reality through
illusion."[4]
But what kind of "reality" will "learners" find
through illusion? And how do those illusions shape their lives? These
Scriptures give us a clue:
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs
23:6
"...they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in
the imagination
of their evil heart..." Jeremiah 11:8
"Jesus said, 'You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You
shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman
to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Matthew 5:27-28
"Do not be deceived. ...he who sows to his flesh will of the
flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap
everlasting life." Galatians 6:7-8
3. God tells us to "abhor what is evil" and "cling to
what is good." (Romans 12:9) When today's youth
love the emotional thrills of popular occultism, they are desensitizing
their hearts and minds to its evil. They are turning God's truth upside down.
And they -- with a little help from the marketing industry -- are already
turning America's values upside down. It all fits the plans of our globalist
leaders and that old serpent
in Genesis.
"You
can only have a new society," wrote Marilyn Ferguson in The Aquarian
Conspiracy, "if you change the education of the younger
generation."[5]
That process demands that people reject God's wise
boundaries and "abhor" what He calls good. That change is well
under way![6]
"You love evil more than good...." Psalm
52:3
"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for
light, and light for darkness.... Woe to those who are wise in their own
eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" Isaiah
5:20-21
4. Twilight's feel-good occultism brings "cognitive
dissonance." Committed
Christians (in contrast to cultural
Christians) face a form of mental and moral confusion when confronted with
incompatible values. Since Twilight's worldview clashes with Biblical
Truth, readers are forced to make a choice: Will they heed home-taught values
or the tantalizing message in the books and movie?
Many choose compromise. This moral
"dissonance"
prompts Christians to modify their values in order to resolve the conflict.
After all, they don't want to lose their friends or their group's approval.
Yet the only way to God's victory is willingness to take a stand on Truth --
whatever the cost.
"...the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because
they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they
will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But
you, be watchful in all things..."" 2 Timothy 4:2-5
5. The consequence of compromise
is a new belief system.
"These books are so addictive -- kind of like drugs," wrote a visitor. "If
they can captivate Christians who should know better, just think what they can
do to non-Christian readers."
She is right. Like addicts,
Twilighters learn to crave more and more of the same genre -- or something
even more shocking and sensational. The only belief system I know of that can
support such sensual and spiritual cravings is today's "New
Spirituality"[7] rising out of the channeled messages of
occult authors like Neale Donald
Walsch, Marianne
Williamson and Barbara Marx
Hubbard. Promoting counterfeit gods and practices in the names of
"Abraham," "God" and a false "Jesus," they complement the original lies of the
serpent.
Driven
by winds of change, the faith and values behind America's success are fading
fast. Filling the vacuum is an amoral, power-seeking, thrill-addicted ideology
that clashes with everything we have treasured in our nation. No wonder we
face social and moral anarchy. But our God still reigns! He continues to be a refuge for those who
seek Him!
"... in the last days perilous times will come: For men
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God....
And from such people turn away!
"...all
who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil
men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But you must continue in the things which you have learned..." 2 Timothy
3:1-14
6. Redefining evil. Few Twilighters see their new passion as evil. After all,
Edward is a relatively "good" vampire, isn't he? Though he lusts for Bella's
blood, he restrains his craving. Other vampires (and some of the
werewolves) in the saga are downright murderous, but he's a good guy! Isn't
he? Besides, the story has spawned a noble mission.
According to an
article titled "Twilight fan knows it's not just vampires who need
blood," college freshman,
Kayla Urban, is "obsessed with vampires." She is also a blood donor "fixated
on a blood drive" in her county. To her, the blend of "vampire-loving
Twilighters and the need for more blood donations seemed a logical
match."[8] Hers is a noble mission, as are many collective service
projects these days. It all depends on who sets the standards for right
and wrong -- God or man! While
God's standard is like an anchor in a storm, man's values shift with the
winds.
"The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9
When the blood
is drained from man or mammal, life ends. In the Old Testament
sacrifice (now replaced by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ), an unblemished lamb died in the place of God's people. Its substitutionary
death served as atonement
(paid the penalty for sin), bringing redemption. For a limited time, sin had been purged,
forgiveness granted, and the sanctified person could joyfully return
to God's holy presence.
In contrast, pagan
rituals often involved human sacrifices. The demonic forces behind
Moloch,
Baal and other "gods" would demand human blood. A beating heart
might be cut out from a living sacrifice, its blood drained into a
bowl offered to the blood-thirsty "god" by those who hoped for future
favors. Others would drink human blood to obtain the strength of their
victims. (See
Modern
Missions) The
gruesome Hindu goddess Kali -- with her serpent hair, necklace of
skulls, and long bloody tongue -- reminds us of man's timeless delight
in death, cruelty, serpentine symbols, and the dark forces of evil.
The cold, pale, blood-thirsty
vampires of the past were expressions of those captivating forces.
Today's more flattering models make them all the more
seductive.
Human sacrifice is
forbidden in the Bible. In fact, God warned His people repeatedly, "do
not eat the blood, for the blood is the life." But His people didn't listen. So when
they began to copy the cruel child sacrifices of their pagan
neighbors, God "raised up" the armies of Babylon to conquer the land
and exile its people. (See Blood
and Judgment)
The self-giving death of
Jesus Christ (God's holy, "unblemished Lamb") differs radically from
those pagan sacrifices. He willingly gave His life as our atonement
then rose victoriously from death -- thus trading the old temporary
solution to human depravity for an eternal redemption. Freed from sin,
believers are joined to Him by His Spirit -- a glorious gift granted
to those who love, trust and follow Him!
“I call
heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose
life... that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His
voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life...."
Deuteronomy
30:19-20 |
7. God's way to peace and
victory. When we choose to
follow His ways, He gives us a heart to love Him, spiritual eyes that can know
and love His Word, the comfort of His presence, and a confidence in His
constant care -- no matter what happens around us. Twilight's deceptive
thrills are worse than worthless when compared to the wonderful riches our Shepherd
promises those who will turn their backs to evil and walk with Him.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things
are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—think
on these things." Philippians 4:6-8
Endnotes:
1. "The forbidden fruit tastes the
sweetest" at www.fanforum.com/f14/twilight-2-forbidden-fruit-tastes-sweetest-62826868/
2. "The author receives the
message" at www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html
3. Wall Street Journal at http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122722557296045953-lMyQjAxMDI4MjI3MTIyMjE1Wj.html
4. Chris Dede, "The
Transformation of Distance Education to Distributed Learning. While this
and other papers by Professor Chris Dede focus on education technology, it
emphasizes the value of sensory immersion into synthetic environments as a
tool to mold minds by instilling a programmed perception of "reality."
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwitr/docs/distlearn/index.html
5. Marilyn Ferguson, The Aquarian Conspiracy (New York: J.P.
Tarcher, Inc.,1980): 280.
6. For example, "Transforming the
World by Subverting the Church" at www.crossroad.to/articles2/006/conspiracy3.htm
and "Why hate
crimes laws would ban Biblical Christianity" at www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/hate-crimes.htm
7. http://www.crossroad.to/charts/new-spirituality.htm
8. http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/33865639.html
Provided
by Berit Kjos
If
you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but
have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you
need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal.
He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the
joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk
of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If
you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come
to realize His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and
want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do
so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior,
you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as
if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the
Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually.
If
you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation
Page now.
Finally,
we would love to hear from you.
You
can contact us by mail or email.
God bless you.
Subscribe to our email updates and messages from our editor
by entering your email address below
Return
to:
