I wrote this after seeing the movies, Twilight and New Moon with Hannah and Sadie. I had been holding out for so long, not wanting them to see the dramatic teen blockbuster: here are my thoughts, for what they are worth...
Speaking of movies, we finally allowed Hannah to see “Twilight” and “New Moon.”
These two movies, based on a book series were very disappointing to me as the mother of five girls. The message of the undying love of the main character< Bella toward the Hero, Edward was sappy, unrealistic, and just plain wrong. Here I am, trying to teach my girls about self respect, inner contentment about who you are, without needing a young man to make you feel pretty, special, or unique and here comes the blockbusting hit of the century, “Twilight.” All the girls love Edward and seem to be sucked into the unrealistic message of another person completing you!
It’s pretty funny; how the young men out there HATE this series, just don’t get it! I received that info from my daughters! Why do they hate it? Because they fear the girls will see that and expect a dying, obsessive love like the vampire, Edward!
Okay- Girls, I am not a book reviewer so I will stop except for a small realization I had in regard to this series.
Something has been nagging me for months about this series, as Hannah has been completely obsessed with reading the first two books, then begging me to be allowed to read the third and go to the first movie. I have listened to the Christian reviews, secular reviews, even our pediatrician had an opinion on why I should not allow you girls (Hannah and Sadie) to read the books, or see the movie! The nagging continued and I began asking myself, “Why, what is wrong with it?”
Here is my small realization: Our world can be a very phony world. Culture portrays love and relationship in such an unreal way that we grow up expecting something that doesn’t really exist. When people let us down, because they have not met our needs in some way, we leave them and move on to the next friend, the next boyfriend. The whole movie, about Love, was based on a feeling. In one scene, Edward tells Bella He will not change her into a vampire because He doesn’t want her to lose her soul and Bella responds: “Who caress about my soul, I don’t care about my soul if I am without you.” Oh, really?
I know what your thinking Hannah, well that’s silly, it is just a movie! Oh really? Well, that attitude permeates society everywhere you look! Oh, who cares about church, God, eternity, I am into excitement, living in the moment, having fun! I’ll think about eternity when I am older. I will think about my consequences to my decisions later! While Bella is pursuing a relationship that will lead her to ultimate damnation, she throws her whole future away without much consideration. The fantasy is more alluring than the reality of her boring life. It is better to leave those that truly love her for a fantasy. I would call that an evil that dates back to the beginning of all life. I had the realization that this is satan’s design-pull us out of the wonderful story God is writing in our life and give us a false story, something that looks exciting, but leaves us without true joy, peace, or eternal implications. Often u see kids AND adults settle for a false reality, when God is offering so much more: HIS story, a great story, where HE wants to do great and mighty things but we settle for the phony, the fantasy, and ultimately the mediocre.
As your mom, I pray you girls will recognize the counterfeit. You will see satan’s ploy, laugh and turn away from the ridiculous counterfeits satan puts out there. Where he tries to draw you away from your true calling, and abundant life in Jesus Christ, which is far more exciting than anything satan could come up with. Believe it to be true, a life lived sold out to Christ, a heart guarded against the schemes of the devil is ultimately a blessed life, not always easy but blessed. Twilight? What a cheap substitution of the real deal, the real romance, Jesus, and the redemption available to us all!
Hold out for the Real deal!
Love, Mommy
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