SCL

There is a Christian vampire book out – but it has no real conections to Twilight. Check out "Shade" by John Olson. Really good book.

not gonna lie, i totally saw books with titles like "finding redemption in Twilight" etc etc (i don't think that's the exact title, but i promise you, it was just as cheesy and just as good. like a great plate of nachos). shame on you, mainstream christianity. shame on you.

I've only seen one other comment on here mentioning this fact, but these books are written from a Mormon worldview. The portrayal of abstinence/morality, being with your spouse for eternity, the concept of the some of the vampires trying to save their souls (if they have them) by doing good works and hoping that it gives them a better shot…if you know much about Mormonism it is very clear (my husband used to be Mormon and in-laws still are–and are obsessed w/Twilight btw). I have read the books and seen the movies. I enjoyed them, but am not obsessed, and I have seen several grown women allow this to screw up their views of men and relationships. If i had a young daughter i would NOT let her read these for that reason–teens don't need any more reason to be moody and co-dependent!

Enjoyed this list of "20 Unfortunate Lessons Girls Learn from 'Twilight'" from wired.com…. I think there's a lot of truth in this list, even though written for fun…. and why I told my daughter she couldn't read the book (after I read it first to know what I was talking about)….

In the spirit of speaking truth to diamond-skinned power, enjoy this list of unfortunate lessons girls learn from Twilight. (The list operates under the principle that any grownup female who embraces Twilight’s junior-high dreck temporarily sacrifices her “woman card.”)

1. If a boy is aloof, stand-offish, ignores you or is just plain rude, it is because he is secretly in love with you — and you are the point of his existence.
2. Secrets are good — especially life-threatening ones.
3. It’s OK for a potential romantic interest to be dimwitted, violent and vengeful — as long as he has great abs.
4. If a boy tells you to stay away from him because he is dangerous and may even kill you, he must be the love of your life. You should stay with him since he will keep you safe forever.
5. If a boy leaves you, especially suddenly (while telling you he will never see you again), it is because he loves you so much he will suffer just to keep you safe.
6. When a boy leaves you, going into shock, losing all your friends and enduring night terrors are completely acceptable occurrences — as long as you keep your grades up.
7. It is extremely romantic to put yourself in dangerous situations in order to see your ex-boyfriend again. It’s even more romantic to remember the sound of his voice when he yelled at you.
8. Boys who leave you always come back.
9. Because they come back, you should hold out, waiting for them for months, even when completely acceptable and less-abusive alternative males present themselves.
10. Even though you have no intention of dating an alternative male who expresses interest in you, it is fine to string the young man along for months. Also, you should use him to fix things for you. Maybe he’ll even buy you something.
11. You should use said male to fix things because girls are incapable of anything mechanical or technical.
12. Lying to your parents is fine. Lying to your parents while you run away to save your suicidal boyfriend is an extremely good idea that shows your strength and maturity. Also, it is what you must do.
13. Car theft in the service of love is acceptable.
14. If the boy you are in love with causes you (even indirectly) to be so badly beaten you end up in the hospital, you should tell the doctors and your family that you “fell down the steps” because you are such a silly, clumsy girl. That false explanation always works well for abused women.
15. Men can be changed for the better if you sacrifice everything you are and devote yourself to their need for change.
16. Young women should make no effort to improve their social skills or emotional state. Instead, they should seek out potential mates that share their morose deficiencies and emotional illnesses.
17. Girls shouldn’t always read a book series just because everyone else has.
18. When writing a book series, it’s acceptable to lift seminal source material and bastardize it with tired, overwrought teenage angst.
19. When making or watching a major feature film, you should gleefully embrace the 20 minutes of plot it provides in between extended segments of vacant-eyed silence and self-indulgent, moaning banter.
20. Vampires — once among the great villains of literature and motion pictures — are no longer scary. In fact, they’re every bit as whiny, self-absorbed and impotent as any human being.

Wow… To be honest after reading all these comments my only feeling is 'pick your battles' it just seems to me that this is a harmless FICTIONAL series. And yes maybe people who are too young to differentiate between fiction and reality should wait for a few years before they read it but seriously, aren't there more important things to get up in arms about! I don't think it comes from the devil at all. I think its creative and interesting and that God gave us all the ability to be creative. And yes I think the self destructive behaviour in New Moon IS something that alot of young girls can relate to as is the depression. And as someone who has struggled with depression it is actually refreshing to see such a realistic depiction of someone else going through it without it being judged or her being forced to snap out of it. And without it resolving itself. Maybe she DOES have dependency issues and is mal-adjusted but thats part of her charm – shes NOT perfect and she does NOT have it all together – and that is OK. I grew up as a missionary kid so a book that gives the message that its ok not to be perfect is fantastic.
Just my thoughts though.

People have listed a lot of good points, good food for thought.

My personal experience, reading the Twilight books, and seeing them as a teenage girl: They are addictive. I found myself sucked into the story, despite the fact that
1) I knew it was poorly written
2) I despised Bella, the heroine of the story and
3) I knew it was highly unrealistic. (And not just the fact that you have vampires and werewolves running around–simply the whole relationship Bella and Edward have.)

The biggest thing that I noticed after reading the series were these feelings of unhappiness with not having a boyfriend and loneliness that I know that I didn't have prior to picking up Twilight. Granted, I never read anything remotely close to a romance novel before Twilight, but still. It made me feel pretty worthless after realizing "hey, there is no gorgeous, perfect guy obsessing over me…". Sad, but true. I don't like it (having those feelings, that is). As others have pointed out, realistically even people in relationships should not expect this relationship that they have–it is neither healthy, nor true.

There was stuff I liked about the books–Edward's chivalry, wanting to protect Bella, waiting for sex until marriage, etc. But in my opinion, those themes can be better explored in better literature–stories that don't throw in a bunch of crap with a few golden nuggets of goodness.

I don't think it would be "un-Christian" or what-not to read them, but it should be done with an air of caution. Which I doubt many of Twilights' readers –impressionable teen girls– are reading these books (or anything for that matter) with caution, which is why I wouldn't exactly recommend them.

I saw it and posted my review of it here.. http://www.thewardrobeandthewhitetree.com/2009/11...

ughhh please people resist the trend. for the love of all that is good in the world. RESISTANCE!

Interesting. I read the original Interview with a Vampire book and thought the best part about that book was a glimpse of (dare I use the word…) reality of what it would be like to live forever. That it would actually be tragic and terribly boring. To watch everyone you know die. To learn all there is to learn. That death would be a relief. I think we all want an escape from the difficulties of this world and Twilight is just the latest thing to get our attention.

I don't pass judgement on anyone who reads these books. I read all of them. I saw the first movie. Haven't seen the second though I probably will. I have a love/hate relationship with the series– it is badly written and yet (like so many have already said) still quite addictive. In fact I am sending all four books to my friend in Oregon soon to get the books out of my possession in case I am tempted to read them again. Yes– I liked them. But I don't think they are very good for my soul… There are some good morals in the stories but they present a QUITE unrealistic (and more importantly, UNHEALTHY) view of romantic relationships. I have a wonderful husband who cares for me and protects me. But NO man can measure up to Edward, because he is portrayed as a God figure in Bella's life. That is all.

I resisted as long as I could, but then some good friends (from Bible study) brought me the first 2 books after I had my Gallbladder surgery last week and I'm almost done with the first (I've been told not to watch the movies till I'm done with the books). Oh well, good read for the most part.

Seriously, the content of these books is appalling. How can we as Christians expose ourselves to the occult through reading stories about characters who use sorcery like that White Witch and ….. oh, wait. D'oh!

Now that I've gotten the sarcasm out of the way… Hello, I am a Christian woman, married with 3 children, and I have read Twilight. (now everyone say hello to me). Like so many others who work w/ teen girls, I just wanted to know what they were so excited about so I could have a relevant conversation with them. But I found myself liking the story more than I expected. When I read the second book, I found myself saying "Oh! Look who learned how to write a little better!" My bottom line about this series is this: yeah, it has vampires and werewolves and teen angst and unrealistic sexual situations (nod to you, Nick the Geek). BUT in the end, I was gripped by the characters and their tragic flaws and the struggle to be unselfish in love verses self-serving… etc. I think so many people like it because it is a good STORY. And part of our image-bearing nature is that we love a good story. God's Word is full of good stories, which are actually just one big story. God is a story-teller, and He has given that gift to humans as well. I could go on, but this post will get long enough as it is.

What I really want to point out is this: There actually IS a series of books – by an excellent & talented Christ-following author – that uses elements of intense, seemingly unrealistic romance ("soft porn" as some here have called it) similar to that found in Twilight. It's much better written and appeals to a wider audience. There's some wicked awesome… uh, I mean … redemptively awesome action, a gripping plot, AND a love story that falls into the category of make-me-cry-for-a-good-reason-not-like-Nicholas-Sparks-sick-and-manipulative-romantic-plot-"twists".

Check out Ted Dekker's Circle Series – Black, Red, White, Green. The main character is introduced to a "pure" world where men have to woo women in the Great Romance by pursuing them, fighting for them, defending them… all that good stuff we ladies love about sparkly Edward. The author very clearly identifies this Great Romance as a mirror to how God woos us as a lover would. Incredible story-telling that you simply cannot put down.

Watch out though… the series does have evil bats that are suspiciously similar to vampires. But there are nice bats, too, so that makes it ok.

I very much enjoyed the Twilight books and I find it amusing how people get their knickers in a bunch over "mediocre writing" and so forth, as if we are all busy reading the greatest wordsmiths of all time. It's not great writing, but she spins a compelling story. The writer IS a Christian and if the story isn't specifically Christian, it is certainly concerned with fallenness, what it means to have a soul, and the conflict between base appetite and love. Boy, if any book ever screamed "abstinence only" it's this one. She makes absolutely certain Bella and Edward don't consummate their love until they're married. There is also a definite pro-life message, since Bella chooses to bear a vampire/human child that nearly kills her, over the protests of Edward, whose impulse is to abort it as an aberration. So in my opinion you don't need a Christian vampire novel, 'cause you already got it.

After having torn through the books like they were heroine I vowed never to read them again and sold them to the half price book store. As much as I like them as soon as I went back through them I started having some issues. Bella and Edward are really just in a co-dependent and frankly, destructive relationship. My fiance left me and my world marched onward. Rather then three months of blank pages there would have been three days. And then I took a deep breath and kept writing. I have a problem with thirteen year olds thinking their world is going to end along with their relationship. It doesn't.

Now I'm comparing Dracula to Twilight and the way they both treat the female leads for my Women's Literature class.. The similarities of Twilight to the repression of females in the Victorian era portrayed in Dracula is really pretty amazing. Three generations of feminism seems to have created a generation of girls who long for traditional gender roles.

I was at FCA that night, and I just want to say that those people that went to see New Moon missed out. I was laughing out loud. Plus, I went to see it the next night. I mean, why can't there be room for both?
p.s. 4-evaaaa. hahahah Awesome.

I haven't read these and I probably won't, but it's not because I think they're evil. I think there's a lot of room to explore theological (or psychological or sociological or philosophical) ideas using vampire lore as a vehicle–it has a versatile and suggestive history. For instance, vampires would actually be a GREAT way of fictionally exploring domestic abuse. But Twilight just doesn't happen to sound interesting to me.

Now, Dracula, THERE'S a good vampire book. The Harkers rock hardcore, and Keanu Reeves should never have been allowed to play Jonathan Harker. Wish that all that crud with the Cult of the Feminine (languid and inherently pure femininity, linked with a kind of helplessness) hadn't worked its way in, though. Mina Harker did not have "the mind of a man," just because she was wicked smart, thank you very much.

Whoa, cat, I hadn't read your quote yet! Well now you actually make me want to read Twilight to make the comparison. I wonder if the whole repression of women thing in these examples of vamp lit has something to do with the symbolism of vampirism? (Not to high jack the thread with English conversation or anything . . . Sorry.)

I'm a teenage girl, and all my friends LOVE this series! It seems like they are blind that the series is about an abusive relationship. Nick the Geek, PLEASE talk to your teenagers about Twilight! Because I have never heard anyone in a church adress this issue before. It seems like everyone's terrified to mention it!

Hey, im dedicated christian, and i tell you what, ive read all four books! and loved it, but its fun and enjoyable fiction, eternal life with god, or eternal life on earth without food and without many things? and blood? id choose eternal life with god

My atheist sister went totally off the books when she decided that they "must" be sponsored by the Mormon church or the True Love Waits people. I don't quite see these books as a light in the darkness myself though.