TA TALKS BACK: BANNING TWILIGHT? - A CHRISTIAN MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE
TA member ifellhard read yesterday’s TA talks back about Banning Twilight and wanted to share her opinion:
As I was working on a reply to yesterday’s TA Talks Back “Banning Twilight” thread by Shaelana, I found that I had more to say than I first thought. I got a little fired up and I want to comment on schools banning the books as well as attempts by any others who wish to do the same.I can understand school administrators not wanting kids bringing the books to school as outside reading material, as they are quite a distraction. If I had these books with me “back in the day”, I know that Trig, French, Physics, or Biology would have been the last thing on my mind and I’d be working hard to sneak a peek at the Cullens during class instead of listening to the teacher. (As an adult reader, I had laundry and dishes piled up for days and my kids ate food that didn’t require cooking while I read the books.) That’s one thing, but the outright banning of “Twilight” because of the content makes as much sense as banning something like “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. If you ban “Twilight”, you might as well ban “Romeo and Juliet”…they actually go through with a double suicide in that story! Teenage suicide is a significantly bigger threat than fictional shape-shifting wolves and vampires roaming the woods of the Pacific Northwest!
I am a religious Christian woman and strongly disagree with the banning of any book – whether it’s being done by schools, churches, or any other group. God gives me free will and a wonderful mind to discern right from wrong and good from evil. He has also graced me with common sense. Simply reading a love story where a few of the characters are supernatural, mythical creatures is not a problem, nor is it a threat to my soul. The people wanting to ban these books need to realize that the real problem is when someone tries to translate fiction into reality and actively seek out things that go against the tenets of their faith and the norms of society. If someone were to try to practice a “vampire diet”, that would be a serious problem. Swooning over the words that Edward says to Bella…not so much. I will guarantee you that most of the people who desire to ban “Twilight” have never even cracked the pages of the books. They most likely base their assessment on what they’ve heard through the grapevine – rumor and speculation at best. This is not a piece of literature that denounces God nor does it seek to undermine him or society. It’s just a story. In fact, I have seen my minister’s children reading these books and most of the women in my Bible study have as well.
I see many messages in Twilight very consistent with my faith. The most glaring is not succumbing to temptations of the flesh. This applies to Bella and Edward for their desires prior to their marriage (abstinence) and to the Cullens for their thirst for human blood (temperance). We don’t see the kids in the Twilight Saga doing drugs or drinking alcohol. There’s no rampant sexual promiscuity with any of the other characters. How wonderful is that message today where you can’t go through thirty minutes of television programming without some kind of sexually suggestive message making its way in to your home? I think that young people today need more positive messages about not giving in to every temptation that comes their way.
We see Bella’s selfless acts for so many people throughout the story - willing to sacrifice herself to spare her mother’s life. She was constantly worried about Charlie and even Jessica, Mike, Angela, & Ben as newborn vampires hunted her down. She even apologized to Edward for the way that her blood tempted him. Although Bella is not very religious, she does live by The Golden Rule of treating others the way that she would like to be treated. She treats everyone with respect and kindness - even when they have been less than kind to her (e.g. Lauren). For crying out loud, the girl even cooks and cleans for her parents. Again…there aren’t many examples of kids like that on today’s TV programs.
Another great message is that we will all be dealt bad things in our lives and we are called to rise above them and make the best of what we’ve been given in this life. Carlisle’s story is great for making this point. He found a way to exist as a vampire without taking human life and to do good things in the world. He has taught his family to do the same. The Cullens live together as a true family and not just as a coven of vampires. Their bonds of love bind them intensely close and demonstrate a very functional family dynamic in a society where the divorce rate is astronomical, parents are absent, and children are killed and molested by their own family members.
We also learn that gaining immortality in this Earthly realm is not necessarily a good thing. We know that Carlisle was very lonely and needed a companion (just as Adam was alone and God gave him Eve because he knew that mankind could not live a solitary existence). Rosalie’s story tells us that immortality comes with a price – never changing and being unable to have children is the cross that she must bear.
A message of faith is also woven throughout the Saga. We know from the conversations that Bella has had with Edward and Carlisle that they are concerned for their souls and have strong beliefs in whether they will or won’t have an afterlife. Carlisle has kept the cross carved by his father for hundreds of years. If he didn’t still have a belief in God, he wouldn’t have kept it all that time. Edward repeatedly tells Bella that what he is isn’t natural and that he should have died in 1918 and that he will not end her life and put her soul in jeopardy. He wants to be with her forever, but sets aside his selfish desires and is content with the time that he can spend with her in her natural life.
I am looking forward to the day that I can share the Twilight Saga with my own daughters and they can fall in love with a fictional gentleman and his wonderful family just as I did and we will discuss all of the points that I’ve mentioned. God bless Stephenie Meyer for such a fantastic story that spans the generational gap! We will have an open dialogue where we can relate it to what they have been taught in church over the years. It is my responsibility to use every opportunity that I can find as a teachable moment. If I am to be afraid of a book like “Twilight” jeopardizing my daughters’ souls, then I have not done my job as a Christian mother in teaching them.
Talk Back to us….what do you think?
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well said
i love it. this should be published and distributed, haha.
Very well said!!! I too am a Christian and nothing is more important to me than my relationship with God. I spent years being a very lonely person and not believing in myself and thinking myself to be “too weird” and I felt like I was defective. I spent those years praying and praying that God would help me to be a good person and that I would find friends and that I would be the woman He made me to be. I sincerely believe that God used the Twilight saga to answer those prayers. Since I read the books in May of 2008 I have found some of the most amazing friends and people I now consider family, and I wouldn’t have met them without TA, and I wouldn’t have found TA if I hadn’t read the saga. I now accept myself as I am and don’t care if people think I am weird or anything. I love myself (not in an arrogant way) and I didn’t know how important that is. Twilight has also helped me to reconnect with my best friend that I’ve known since 2nd grade. The list of blessings and answered prayers I have gotten from Twilight is so long, and it continues to grow. A few months ago I was thinking about how much Twilight has given me, and how many prayers have been answered through it and I started laughing. I looked up at God and said “A book series about vampires and werewolves? That’s how you choose to answer my prayers? Wow, you really DO work in mysterious ways, Lord!!!” And He truly does. There is nothing about the Twilight saga, or the Harry Potter series for that matter, that is anti-God or anti- Christian or anti-religion. In point of fact, I’d say they are both the exact opposite of those things. I will forever be grateful, to both Stephenie Meyer and God for the Twilight saga and all that it has done for me and continues to do.
This makes me smile. You are absolutely right about everything.
Thank you so much for your article, like Christy said what you wrote should be published and distributed to all THOSE groups that are trying to ban the books Twilight and HP.
It is nice to hear that not ALL religious, Christians, god fearing, folks, etc… feel the same as some of THOSE individuals, as you said:” People who desire to ban “Twilight” have never even cracked the pages of the books. They most likely base their assessment on what they’ve heard through the grapevine – rumor and speculation at best.
So ifellhard , I think you article should be published in the newspaper and handed out to all churches on churches on Sunday !!!
Well done.
Wow, I really think this should be published in magazine and newspapers. It is wonderfully worded and I agree that those who are banishing this wonderful series have probably never even cracked the books open yet. I just do not understand where they are getting all of there information from saying the books are immoral and not good for our teens. Maybe if someone from these organizations can explain specific parts in the books that are so bad, I might be able to either understand it better, or explain to them how they are not interpreting it correctly, because after reading all four books several times, that is the only conclusion I can come up with is that if they have read the books and are still coming up with these ideas of it being bad for our youth, then they must be interpreting it the wrong way.
MAJOR KUDOS on this article!!! This hits the nail on the head perfectly! I wish this could be printed in large, bold print and given to all those who think the book series should be banned.
If you don’t think it’s appropriate for your children, then don’t let them read it. It’s our responsibility as parents to do what we think is best for our children. Nobody should be trying to force others to see things their way.
I’m the proud mother of 3 who’s ages range from 17-7. I’m proud to say that after multiple readings by myself & my 17 year old daughter, I’ve finally convinced my 14 year old son to read the books. He’s just as hooked as we were. (Of course he’s Team Jacob, but that fine!! LOL) My 7 year old daughter also loves the movie & enjoys having me read to her from the books. Adults forget how much young children understand. When I read things to her from these books, she reminds me of that each and every time.
I think we should all take the time to thank Stephanie Meyer for writing something that has so wonderfully brought many families together!
Very well put. there are a lot of good messages in the books, i also noticed the lack of drugs, alcohol, or sex and was very pleased that they did not exist within the covers.
This is such a beautiful article, everyone is right, this should be published and distributed. If I hadn’t read the series and I saw this, I would run and get the books in a heartbeat.
So strange how something as beautiful of a story like Twilight can be all twisted around. I believe it’s all the negativity in people’s thinking, they fail to see all the values the story has to offer.
I can’t even begin to tell what Twilight has done for me. I will say this, for someone like myself who has been going through a tough time in life, Twilight gives me a reason to laugh and hope and believe that whatever life tribulations I’m going through at the moment, that there will be a better day tomorrow and after. There’s always a way to be happy, even when you think your situation is quite hopeless. All it takes is some faith, just like Carlisle exemplifies. Twilight has reminded me that there is good in everything (even a dark creature like a vampire, metaphorically speaking)if we just choose to look hard enough for it.
And lastly, adding one more proof that Twilight has bridged a generation gap, this is the first time in my 33 years that I actually have something fun in common with my mother! =)
Very well said ifellhard! I too am a christian but I also try to keep an open mind about things. I know EXACTLY what you mean about people who have never cracked the books nor have any intentions of doing so and yet condemn it because it is about vampires and werewolves. It’s really sad too because the book does hold a lot the same values that they believe in themselves and they are the ones who are missing out on a really good series.
Very well said! Ive personally faced this issue about Twilight at the private Christian school I taught at. I tried to give the book to the 18yr old daughter of another teacher (the girl was a daycare aide with me) and she had issues with it! Basically called it trash. But I never once hid my love for the books. I believe that is just as bad as not having the open mind about them!
Eventually many of the 7th and 8th grade girls read the books and knowing I am on a Twilight site would always have questions for me about the movie and the actors but a TON of questions about the books and what everything meant! We had many good discussions about life, love, guys, sex before marriage, all of the issues you can think of we talked about them. And especially since I taught a home economics/life skills class, some of the those topics are at the heart of what I taught and it was a really great way to connect with the kids. I even had a few discussions with the guys that stemmed from a Twilight question!
There are just so many things in this world that send kids in so many wrong directions in life that to bash something like Twilight that gives them another perspective on things is just wrong. So what that the main characters are mythical creatures? The heart of the story is a young girl trying to make her way in life and deal with love and all its complications. How much more relateable can you get then that?
And can I add that I personally now know a lot of teen girls that before Twilight barely picked up a book that now constantly have their noses in books and are always on the lookout for more good stuff to read? That in and of itself makes Twilight a good thing! What HP did for kids, Twilight has done for teen girls and their sisters and aunts and moms and grandmothers and…..all of us!
As a christian girl n a complete twihard….i totally agree with u!!!!!!
I so agree. And I’m twelve. Banning Twilight has no point, whatsoever. In school, it’s not really all that distracting, as far as my experience goes. Most everyone I know who has read, and likes the series, have been able to stand keeping their books in their lockers until literacy, when we’re encouraged to read them. I think a lot of people are just flat out taking this too seriously. And that whole…blog, I guess, you wrote seriously sounds like some big professional opinion. It really could be published in a magazine. Anyways, great article, I agree with all the concepts. Peace!
~Me
Great article. As a Christian myself, I absolutely love Twilight and the entire saga. Why would you ban a book if you’ve never read it? A few months ago, my Brio magazine had en entire article about how bad the books were and that Breaking Dawn in particular was part of an accult. Excuse me? Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon and has her beliefs written all over the books as the article above wonderfully states.
totally well said!! you are so right! thank god you wrote this article! somebody had to speak up eventually!
Banned?? I think it should be required reading for all of the above reasons. Where else can you get all those morals and values wrapped up in a wonderful “can’t put it down” story? Along with all the accolades stated the one that got my attention was the lack of profanity in the stories. Phrases like “Holy Crow” or “Crap” could have easily been replaced by other four letter words much more common in today’s society.
That’s the problem with extremists, imposing their views onto everyone else, like there is one right way, and all others are wrong.
It shows an arrogance and blatant disrespect for anyone else’s rights or lifestyles. There is more than one way to interpret the many holy scriptures of the world and more than one way to live.
You live your values and let me live mine, then I will consent to let you live yours. THIS attitude shows respect for the rights of others.
Thank you so much for this very wonderful insight. l have received alot of flack from my christian family for my love of the Twilight saga, l do not openly discuss my adoration for the books with them, yet l have been made to feel almost ashamed of my fascination of the stories. lt hurts to feel like l would be shunned from my church and god for simply being taken by these books. but after reading this article, l now feel that l might be able to hold my head high when someone tempts to denounce my relationship with jesus christ!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
thank u so much for finally speeking out about this. i fully agreed with evething you said.
Hello to everyone!!! Sorry if my english its a little weird. This is my share about this matter. When I started reading the book I totally fall in love with them, but one day I was whith my brother and my husband, my husband was joking about this, he told my brother that I was crazy because I was totally obssessed with Twilight and that the story was about a vampire, well my brother told my mother and my father they are Christians and my mother gave this speech that I should be reading the bible and not this thing because this kind of books involve the evil and everything etc, etc, well I was mad because neither my mother or my brother knows what this story is about, they just jumped to the idea of vampires killing each other or having sex or something its totally wrong, I fell in love with this story because the love story its BEUTIFUL, I dont know about you but I as a mom hope that my daughters find a true love like this, that its not envious, selfish, I really hope that my daughters find a love that take care of them, love them wiht all their strenght. I want to thank you for this note I think I been hoping to hear from a Christian perspective about this matters, becase sometimes it worries me that Im doing the wrong thing here. And thanks TA for posting all kind of perspectives.
This is quite well-written! I, too, am a christian twilight fan, and the banning of the series (even just on a household-to-household basis) has been a hot topic among certain religious factions in my area. my mom and i have both read it, and see nothing wrong with it. a number of my christian friends have read it and, to some extent, fallen in love with the series and/or its characters. i fully agree with this article, and say thank you to its author!
Sigh of sweet relief! As with everyone else I completely concur… I found God again and again in Twilight. I did not like how Bella said she didn’t need Heaven but as a 17 year old - what does she know? That’s the arrogance that the youth have and so normal…she changed her tune by Breaking Dawn anyway and tried to prolong life. Speaking of..the books are prolife all the way from anti abortion to anti murder. Every young girl I encounter who is or has become an avid reader of Twilight I remind them that although the books are a wonderful read, some of Bella’s decisions, and Edwards too, are not that smart (ie…life risking decisions and lying). I have also found that when talking about Twilight with people on the street, I can link the conversation to what God calls His people to do and how Christians should be - like the Cullens and the Quileute wolves - self sacrificing, non-judgmental, honest….
Last comment - my mom read the first two books and declared that it made her uncomfortable (that feel of I-can’t-put-it-down!) and that is was anti-Christian. She also made the comment that it was occult-ish. I asked her why and she gave a list of reasons - girls seem to put so much time into it, it’s all they talk about, all they read…. I interrupted and said, “How old is this girl you are talking about?” She said “23.” “Do you think she feels accepted by people in general?” “No.” “Mom, Twilight fans accept each other no matter what. When we see each other we come close to embracing at times and there’s an immediate connection. If Christians were to embrace when they greet and accept each other, well, wouldn’t that be nice?” She got real quiet but there is something to say about Twilighters. The Cullen vibe gets in us. Bella’s compassion compels us. The Quileute tribe even reminds us that everything is important in life.
Thank you for writing this eloquent and well-thought out opinion. You’ve got the issues that people have laid out and examples from the book to back up the integrity of the Saga. Well done.
Very well written. I am eighteen years old and my father runs a bible study in our home every Monday. One of my long-time friends who is now a mom and wife, came one night and saw that I had been reading it. She asked me, “isn’t that book about vampires?” and I nodded…she then proceeded to tell me that she feels like vampires and werewolves and the whole idea of them sounds very anti-christian and that I shouldn’t be reading it. I kept my mouth shut and handed her the first book to read. She looked at me and without arguing, took it home and after three weeks, she came back with it. She then told me that she would like to borrow the other three so she could continue reading, because it had captivated her and it was NOT like any other vampire book/movie that she had ever seen before. She read the rest and apologized to me for speaking out before she knew what she was talking about and we had a good discussion about how many people (christians, catholics, others) would get the wrong idea about such a great book. I agree that instead of banning these books, people should be encouraged to read them! They promote literature, morals, education (going to college), family, and other amazing things that the world is forgetting! I love this book because not only can I have a great time escaping into a mythical Forks, Washington, but also because I feel like I can relate VERY WELL with Bella and her life struggles. And I know for a fact guys can easily learn some very very great traits from Edward and even Jacob! How to treat women respectfully, and how to deal with issues when you make wrong decisions. It’s such an amazing series, and people should know about these books!!!
well put! i agree with wat other people have said as well. it wud b a miracle if u cud get the kids in my skool to read a book out of thier own free will and let me just say that Twilight was that miracle! mostly the girls were reading them but now i can see that guys are reading them too-maybe they r curious about wat has us girls so hooked and have sparkles in our eyes everytime the name Edward is mentioned! lol! well besides that i have no more to say other than i completely agree with wat u say. In fact they even get married and they even show signs of religion through Carlisle’s Father’s cross and everything! well ok so here is my final say- WAT THE HELL ARE U THINKING ABOUT BANNING TWILIGHT FROM SKOOL??!!! IF THEY BANN TWILIGHT FROM SKOOL THEN I AM MOVING!
I wish I could share this with my Christian friend who has been “poo-pooing” me on the VERY Christian undercurrents to the Twilight Saga. Of course, she laughs in my face about reading the books no matter what I say . . . and I really feel sorry for her. Sorry that she won’t know the wonderful joy that these books can bring.
Poor gal. She doesn’t know what she is missing!