Last night, scores of people, mostly teen girls and over-obsessed moms, crowded local theaters for their latest Twilight visual delight. Eclipse, the third and most recent release in the Twilight Saga franchise, debuted at a record setting 4,416 theaters in North America and is estimated to gross anywhere from $150M to $179M in its 6-day opening weekend.
Despite the film’s fandemonium and unprecedented success, conservative critics argue that the nature of the books and films, especially the entangled romance in Eclipse, create an “epidemic of teen girls wanting to have sex with demons, werewolves and vampires.” Another source concludes that Twilight’s embedded spiritual narrative is “the image and likeness of God in you can be the image and likeness of a god whose characteristics are satanic, as long as you are a ‘basically good person.’”
So, what do you think?
Is the Twilight Saga an innocent tale of romance conveyed in a unique way or the fuel on an ever increasing spiritual downfall of today’s generation?
Yea, and Harry Potter leads kids straight to Perdition, too. Who cares if the major themes of the stories (Phoenix, White Stag, Resurrection) has a firm foundation in Christianity? Or, that the Harry Potter stories open children to something more than philosophical materialism (nothing exists but material world)?
CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien played with demons and magical spells, too.
I know the Twilight saga is not based on Christian themes, unlike what Rowling, Lewis, and Tolkien did. But, any series that extols and promotes not immediately getting in bed with your love interest has something going for it. And, it promotes a mindset of more than the material world.
Personally, I don't get or like Twilight. Yes, it provide a path to Evil (but so can Tolkien et alia). People who want to find Evil will find it one way or another.
Somewhere we have to trust the Gates of Hell won't prevail against the Church. We also have to accept that God can use anything.
Jesus saves.