30 Days of Thankful--Day 22--I'm thankful for Twilight.

Every knows I'm a complete Twi-Hard. And I'm the pastor's wife. I have absolutely no problem with either of these things--they are compatible in every single way in my personal spiritual walk. In fact, I checked my oldest girls out of school to go with me to the premiere. My pastor husband teases me, but he doesn't care either, like when I had a Twilight party at the parsonage where me and the girlfriends watched the first three films back to back on a Saturday night.

The book series is incredibly moral and good in its entire storyline, unlike the popular Disney movie, Tangled, which I think is the most morally irresponsible, repugnant film ever marketed to children. I'll compare in a moment.
 

Twilight is a coming of age story about a girl who is new in town. She happens to fall in love over the course of time, with a boy who is a vampire. Now, on the negative, we have some lying and she has a boy in her bedroom--both absolute no-no's. But there's no cursing, no drinking, no drug use, no partying, and no sexual activity in the entire series.

Discussion Number One:

There are no such things as vampires or werewolves. If you in any way think that there are, you have issues that are so big you probably need to seek medical attention and get medication. I'm serious. There's also no Easter Bunny, no Santa Claus, no Narnia. There are no fairies, no Peter Pan, no Tinkerbell, and no "good" pirates (they are by definition thieves, murderers, looters, rapists). There are no talking bears with furniture and porridge. There are no talking ogres or pussycats who wield swords. There are no talking chipmunks or garden gnomes or toys that come to life when your back is turned.

If you participate in any of those things, you are committing the same "sin" of Twilight using vampires as the fairy tale vehicle through which to move the story. Same exact deal--it's make believe. Because VAMPIRES DON'T EXIST. Shocking, I know, but still true. See, you want to pick and choose your make believe characters when they suit you. Beowulf, anyone? The Velveteen Rabbit? Ahem.

(Fairy tales also include every Karen Kingsbury novel ever written, The Chronicles of Narnia. Peter Pan. Watership Down, Toy Story, etc.)

Mark Driscoll

Discussion Number Two

If you quote anything by Mark Driscoll to argue against Twilight, I know exactly where you stand in your spiritual walk. He is a foul-mouthed borderline heretic. He's nauseating and not a Godly man or Godly example. I'd be bad careful who I quote and follow, because you discount your argument using that man's opinion (or quoting Joel Osteen).

Spiritual Lessons From Twilight:

1) Die daily to your sin.

One of the mainstays of the story is that the Cullen group of vampires (who don't exist)  who aren't related, but are drawn together by a mutual agreement to live a different, morally righteous lifestyle are supposed to, by their very nature, kill humans to live (much as we kill and eat animals to live). They don't. They have made a conscious, deliberate decision NOT to live this way, and although it is completely against their natural desires and drives, they die daily to that desire and live as "vegetarians" only living on the blood of animals.

Doesn't that sound like anything you know...a group of non-related, like-minded people who deny themselves and their base nature and instead decide to follow a higher path...hmmm...it'll come to me I'm sure.

2) Self sacrificing love is the only kind of love there is.

Throughout the story, everyone of the Cullens, Bella, Jacob, and Edward all put aside their personal desires and wants for the needs of others. Continuously. Multiple times in different ways. They all seek to meet the needs of others first and foremost even if it costs them something personal. If I start listing examples, I'll never finish. Bella sacrifices her life for Edwards. Edward leaves Bella when he thinks it's the best thing for her to keep her out of danger. Jacob leaves when he thinks he might hurt Bella. Bella puts her own life on the line about five times over the course of the series to protect those she loves. Hello? There is no greater love than this that a man sacrifice his life for his friends? Hello?

3) The love interests wait until marriage simply because it's the right thing to do.

Well, I'll be. Name ONE non-Christian book that has been read by MILLIONS of young ladies that ENCOURAGES ABSTINENCE AS THE ONLY WAY. Go on. I'm waiting. And the MAN is the dominant, deciding factor in the fact that they wait until marriage.

4) Abortion is NEVER a choice. It's murder.

When Bella becomes pregnant AFTER THE MARRIAGE AND HONEYMOON, she is physically in danger of losing her life and yet she chooses NOT TO ABORT and sacrifices her own life, literally, for the baby. Hello? Tap, tap, tap! Is this thing on? Name ONE secular, popular book that preaches this. One. (I'm still waiting for your answer in number three...)

5) If you don't like it, just don't participate.
I have no problem if you don't want to wear pants to church on Sunday morning. I don't think it has to do anything with my spiritual walk, so I don't care what you wear or what I wear. I don't care what version of the Bible you are toting, just bring the Word with you when you come, and if you don't have one, we'll get you one free of charge. I don't care if you want to argue Santa or not, just let me and my house do what is best for us. (The deal that it's 'lying' doesn't fly at our house--I'd better not ever hear you singing that song in front of me and then use the word "wee wee" instead of penis you LIAR! Because there is no such thing as a "wee wee". (See how stupid this argument sounds?)

6) If you haven't read it, shut it.

If you didn't vote, I don't care about your opinion. If you haven't read the books, ditto. Just go on your merry way and leave me alone with my little joyful moment. Or do you want to post on Facebook that Santa's a fake and the Easter Bunny is dead too?

Contrasted with Lessons from Tangled, the Popular Disney Movie from the Pit of Hell
I hate this movie. I think it's spreading propaganda of the worst possible kind and through a cartoon, so that it appears innocuous, making it dangerous.

• Your mother is your number one rival in beauty and relationships.
• She wants to steal your moments.
• She's a witch.
• She wants to keep you locked up and prevent you from having autonomy or making decisions on your own.
• Only your biological parents love you, not your adoptive parents.
• It's okay to sneak out, disobey your mother, go off into the woods with a boy your age who you KNOW is a thief and a liar and gang member, spend the night with him in romantic circumstances, lie to people along the way, break the law numerous times, because you are trying to have an adventure, and that's what really counts.
• You should be romantically involved with a thief and a liar in the first place.
• You should listen to him over your parents, because he LOVES you. (ahem) 

If you own this movie and call yourself a Christian, you should get up right now and toss it in the trash and go get you a copy of the book Twilight where the girl waits for marriage, chooses a boy with good intentions who lives exactly like he says he does. A book where the boy is attempting to deny his sin nature daily and live a righteous life, who formally introduces himself to the daddy and brings the girl home for dates where they spend time with his family, who waits until marriage. A book with a strong pro-marriage, pro-family, pro-life agenda.

Yeah, I can totally see why you think that stinks.