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. For--
"The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9
Since the beginning,
human nature sought alternatives to God and His guidelines.
Spiritual deception gave rise to vast occult belief systems and
unceasing manipulation by the forces of darkness. Thus pagan
sacrifices -- a devastating corruption of God's perfect plan for
His people -- became the norm in all parts of the inhabited
world. These notes may help explain God's ban on "fellowship
with... darkness...[and] idols," including blood-thirsty
vampires.[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
