Vampires anyone?

kk well i read almost all the bks in da series (im in da middle of the fourth one) and to answer ur first question, i like the romance in the books (even if its a bit unrealistic...tht bothers me a little actually...) and i also like some of the adventure tht happens (even if its even more unrealistic...tht also rly ticks me off...) im not sure how to answer ur second question tho....but ill b rly interested about coments from other ppl...i think its pretty important to knw wat he thinks bout them so please ppl....comment

i haven't actually read any of the books but i've been hearing some things from both a Christian and a non-Christian perspective.

from the Christian perspective, i've pretty much been hearing the same things: don't let your kids read this series.

from the non-Christian perspective, i've been hearing the exact opposite.

from my perspective: i think it depends because if your not a Christian and you don't know what God thinks about all this, it's so easy for you to get caught up in it all. of course, that's not saying that just because you are a Christian you should go out and buy all the books. if you are a Christian, you just have to really be careful and know when too much is too much.

When someone first told me to read these books I wouldnt do it because I looked at it and all I saw was vampires. After a few other people told me to read them I finally picked one up to see what the big deal was. I got hooked. I've read them all and I cant wait for the movie to come out. I love the romance and adventure in the books. There isnt a dull moment and the author can take you to the brink of despair in the book, where you think nothing is going to work out and its all over, to joy, where you find out everything has worked out in a way you hadnt expected.
As to what God thinks of them, I think we need to look at other things too. For example, do you really think God just listens to Christian music? I'm not saying you should listen to all music, but it doesnt have to be Christian or Country. God doesnt just see the surface of the song, but the feelings and meanings behind the songs. I think its the same with these books. It has vampires in it, but its not about sucking blood and killing people. Its about true love, however unrealistic it is portrayed in the book. And underneath the whole story line, is a message of hope. Hope of the future, hope of a life after death, hope of love, hope of being better than any stereotype there may be about you. In the book, Carlisle's father was a preacher, and Carlisle says he has never seen anything that would disprove God through all his years of living. He hopes for an everafter. Even for him and his family. Even Edward hopes for an everafter. When he almost gets himself killed in the second book, and thinks he is dead, he thinks he is in heaven. All of that family does its best to fight the stereotype its been given. And I think as Christians, we need to do that too. THere are too many stereotypes about us. We are not meant to be good little boys and girls who do everything we are told. We are not meant to be the reserved, quiet kids in class that never go out and "party". (there is a difference in partying too. But I wont get into that. If there is beer and drugs. Dont go.) We are meant to be warriors that stand out and speak up. We are meant to "rejoice when they rejoice, mourn when they mourn". Following GOd isnt about always being happy. But finding the Joy in your suffering.
That got a little off subject so I'll conclude with, I personally think GOd is very fond of Stephanie Meyer and her books.

1. I have read all the books in the Twilight series. What I like about the books are that they're so different from other books; they draw you in. I also like the whole storyline with the vampires and all that. However, this became a problem for me.
2. When I started reading the series, I was completely hooked. I read new moon (the 2nd book which is about 550-600 pgs) in 7 hrs straight. I only stopped to go to the bathroom. I didn't eat, I basically didn't do anything but read. At that time, I suddenly got 5 people telling me the exact same thing: that I need to stop reading the books (all in 1 day). So based on that, I think that God might not approve of the series... I'm not exactly sure...

I am a Christian- Jesus Christ is my lord and Savior. :) (Thought I'd preface with that :D) And, I have read the books. I don't believe anything I read, I just see it as some fun fiction. It's when young girls start to read these, and then believe in vampires/werewolves/ all this magical stuff that doesn't exist. But if we keep in mind that the serees is merely fiction, then I don't see too much harm.

I read all the book. I thought they were great. I think if you know right from wrong which most Christians do then I think they are fine. The author of the book is morman and I think she does a pretty good job of keeping the books clean. I also think that not spending every second of the day reading them is probably a good idea. Don't forget to keep your eyes focused on God, that's all he really wants.

I've read all of the twilight books. I personally loved them and can not stop talking bout them. Even tho the women who wrote these books is mormon i think it is okay to read these books. You dont have to believe everything she writes. Its also good to get a perspective on God from what she says. Nothing in the books is targeted to hurt christians in any way. She does mention God in the book, but in no way was in offensive to us christian. I think in the same way Harry Potter came out, is the same way this will develop. Its not real and thats what it comes down to. I've read the books and i'm still as strong of a christian even after reading them.!

it is a really innocent love story but there's like a really filthy underneath.

I haven't read the books but one look at PluggedInOnline.com's review made me never want to read a page. Aside the fact that vampires originate from the Occult, which God clearly states is wrong, what about the morbid content and some sexual content?

I'm very curious to see what you guys have to say about it!

My teenage daughter (16 1/2) really likes these books. She loves Jesus and has a great walk with Him, and I am very proud of her. So, I decided to read these books that she likes so much to see what they are like (I usually only read Christian fiction). I am on the third book, Eclipse, and I do want to know how it ends. I see them as relatively clean (for a teenage audience), although the main girl character makes it clear she would do more physically with her boyfriend if he was willing. I think that if we have daughters reading these books we need to have conversations (casually is fine) about how unrealistic the romance and love portions are. The main characters fall deeply in love right away and at that point their relationship consists of him being angry with her and her just thinking he is gorgeous. Not much to base a long term relationship on. The other discussion we must have with our daughters is that this girl is so excited by the danger in this relationship. And in her case the danger is life threatening. And her boyfriend, Edward, is extremely controlling and possessive with her. Yes, this is fiction, vampires and werewolves don't exist, but many young girls in our real world get caught up with dangerous, over controlling guys. The girls think this is a loving relationship initially yet can easily turn abusive.

I think with many things in our culture, we just need to be involved and on top of what our kids are doing, reading and seeing. I would certainly not want my 12 year old to read these books, but they were fine for my older one because she is very grounded.

I remember when I was about 8- I was hooked on Harry Potter. People would think it was phenomical- I just sat in a chair with my big book and read. Silently. I'm not sure if I should read Twilight or not- a lot of my friends are reading it and saying it is the best book in the world. I can personally go into depth of all of the things that are wrong with that statement- but I won't.
The picture for advertising the movie is strange- all of the characters, standing in seemingly a black room. This puzzles me. It doesn't seem like an exciting, fun movie to watch- it portrays darkness, horror, sort of a scary movie. Of course, I don't know anything about this since I haven't read it. But my main question is: Should I? Would God approve?

I skimmed the Twilight book. I also looked up vampires online. If you read about vampires on Wikipedia,they are demonic. It says, ..."vampires are revenants (I looked this word up in the dictionary; it means, "one that returns after death or a long absence") of evil beings, suicide victims, or witches, but they can also be created by a malevolent spirit possessing a corpse or by being bitten by a vampire." It also said, "Vampirism also represents a relevant part of modern day's occultist movements." In Deuteronomy 18: 10 - 12 God says that any form of occultism is detestible to Him. I think this includes entertainment. We must be careful to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

I am an adult who loves the Lord and am trying my best to teach my young girls to love the Lord. I have read all four of the twilight series. I absolutly loved the books because of their clean romance and the action adventure.
Now the tough question. Should my thirteen year old get to read this?
I have mixed feelings about this. First of all the book stays pretty clean until after the wedding. The only thing that bugs me about it is the obsession and allure that you feel from the characters. As an adult who loves Christ I can handle it. As a teen who is newer to a realationship with Christ I just don't know. I think it is very important for us Mom's to talk about this stuff with our teens. Our hope would be that they can put it all into a fiction category in their minds.
How does God feel about them? I'm not so sure that he wants these images in our young teen minds. He understands reality of life though. I know he can direct us mom's in dealing with these thoughts and issues with our teens. As you can tell this is a very hard question to answer. I know once we get to be with Christ we will never have these worries as parents again!!
So while we are here on earth we can only turn to him and pray, pray, and pray some more about the decisions we make. He is an awesome and loving God and wants to be the leader in all things. Even about a series of books we might read.

Like most normal people, when I first heard of these books last year, I thought they sounded really dumb. Vampires? Come on. The image we get is of a pale person with dark hair, scary-looking with a cape and fangs saying "I vunt to suck your blood!!"
But my friends that already read them thought they were amazing books, so I decided to give them a shot. Before I read them, I hardly read any books. Especially because in school, the teachers like to make you read boring books about war.
I knew I liked adventure, romance and comedy, but I didn't know that could exist in something as boring as reading books-until the Twilight books.
The good vampires don't even "vant to suck your blood!" And that's kind of the basis of the series. I was fascinated and intrigued and though I wasn't exactly obsessed, (because I would do other things within the time I read them [like a week]), I wanted everyone I knew to read the books as well. I go to a private school, and it has about 500 people for junior high to highschool. But I could see everyone getting into them (mostly girls. When I finished the series, I grew hungry for more. There was another series going around too.
Karen Kingsbury- a wonderful Christian author with amazing books. They actually grew me much closer to God. So now that I'm into Christian books also, including Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker (with the most creepy books ever), I look back and see that the Twilight books "got me into reading again"-leading me to Christian books, leading me to God. Now those "vampire books" might not be the best books God wants his children to read, but for me,personally, He might have used them to help my walk with Him. And now I feel there's not alot to be scared of!!
I like books alot, because I realized that they take you away from the every day troubles we face and can help us learn from other's mistakes. These books might teach us things like not being stereotypical to people we don't know. Books can also make us feel like we're taking part of a wonderful adventure within our boring and routine-centered lives.
As long as you don't idolize the books, or the amazing characters, I don't think there's alot wrong with them. The author tries to support good morals, there's mild cussing, and the creep factor is probably a 2 on a scale of 10. Anyone from ages 14 and up could like these books who enjoy mysteries, action on the edge, complicated romance, and humor that will make you fall out of your chair.
Just because you see that the books include vampires, that doesn't mean you can judge what you think they're all about.

I must admit, when I first heard of the series, I was a bit wary. Really, I mean it has a black cover, an apple like the one Satan gave to Eve, and vampires. However, I decided to read it with a friend of mine who's also a Christian. We decided if things got too much, we would just stop. We totally loved it. The suspense, the adventure, the pure and compelling love saga...Edward Cullen is the perfect gentlemen; most girls, including myself, adore this fictional character becuase he like that prince charming we've always dreamed about in the movies. Sometimes, though, I feel guilty, and sort of cheated, because I know that the "Edward" character doesn't really exist. As in, no man can ever really live up to those expectations. That's where Jesus comes in. This book made me realize that only Jesus can satisfy my heart and love me unconditionally forever and ever. Only Jesus can be my true prince charming and be the hero of my love story. I feel like I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak if I have my hopes up for a guy like Edward, even Jacob (lol). Jesus is the one who has captured my heart, however, I still believe these books are fun, exciting, and harmless if you keep the right perspective.

I am a mom. My daughter is 12 and in middle school. She is currently finishing the fourth book. We are Christians, we accept Jesus as our Lord & Savior. My daughter is active in her youth group and the Lord is present in our every day lives.

Because of her solid foundation of Christ, I have no problem with her reading this series. She knows the Divine Truth and she understands the book is fiction.

I am only thrilled that she is actively reading. She reads rather than surfing the internet. She reads rather than playing on the PS3. She reads rather than watching TV.

We also discuss what she reads. These books are not bad. I believe that being a proactive parent also helps.

i've read all the books and don't care for them much but i see why people love them. i think so many people are way to wrapped up in the book. its and ok story but there a lot of bad things in in, manly sex, and many things that go against the christian believe (vampires warewolves ect). if you do read these books i think the main thing to keep in mind is its just a fiction book to read for fun, dont take it to serously.

I read the 1st book just to check out all the hype - why everyone was reading this series. I'm not into scary stuff and at first I was glad that the book didn't really take the blood and guts turn. It is a well woven story, I'll give the author that, but the level of provativeness made me blush. Even though it is not about sex (in the first book)the way Edward talks about smelling her and being hungry for her was disturbing to me. The relationship that is portrayed is nowhere near safe or pure. Although a great read, I can't go on with the rest of the series and maintain purity of mind and stand on the values I believe. I heard that Scholastic would not put the 4th book on their bookfair because of its graphic (sexual stuff) nature (even though I think they are married).

About the Twilight Series, I did read the first book, and I think you should definitely write about it. I know it wasn't what God wanted me to be reading, especially after I started to read the second one. I stopped reading the series then...although ppl may not think its that bad, its not what my focus needed to be on (boyfriends etc.)...but I really do want to know your opinion on it...

I haven't read these books and I'm not going to in the future. The way girls my age have idolized them has totally turned me away from the idea of reading them. I've heard my friends opinions on the books and they just don't sound like books that I want to read. A friend of mine broke up with his girl-friend because she was comparing him to Edward Cullen. Another friend of mine said that in real life, Edward would be considered an abusive boyfriend because he is over possessive. I have heard so many girls say he is the perfect gentleman, but is he really? compare him to other fictional "perfect" gentlemen, like Jane Austens characters Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley. To me, they were as perfect as men can be, but they were fictional. Jesus was and is the only REAL perfect gentleman and I think these books distract girls from him. I LOVE reading, but I think these books would become an obsession that could take the place of God in my life. Seriously, the way some of these girls worship Edward Cullen is sickening. Unless you have a strong growing relationship with God, you shouldn't read this because they take your eyes off jesus. If you do have a strong relationship with God, then why read them? There are SOOOO many amazing books out there that don't play with a girls emotions, are written much better than these books, and they have amazing stories also.

Personally, I've never really read these books except for a fleeting glance, so I'm technically not exactly quite qualified. (wow that was long and winding... :P)

Anyways, I am a Christian, and I just don't like vampires.I know plenty of people that do, but they're like my worst nightmare. Literally. I dont know, but from what I've read, it gets a little dirty, and I don't like stuff like that anyways. And then theres the vampires and werewolves; I'm not exactly a big fan of those. As you can tell.

Personally, I avoid stuff like this and probably will not read it. I enjoy stuff like Narnia and the Dragonkeepers series, which alludes to the Bible. (The dragonkeepers series by donita k. Paul is the most awesomest series ever and trumps Twighlight by far. You don't get that icky feeling when your reading it. It is literally a CHRISTIAN series. I look for stuff like that. Sorry about going off track here, but I push the series wherever I go. My attempt to get it made into a movie.)

As to what God thinks of it, I personally think the Holy Spirit was telling me something when I first saw it and got that really icky feeling.

Thats about it. Now go google dragonkeepers!!! :P

I havent read the books, but everyone says they are fantastic. I am refusing to read them because I dont want to be so obsessed to where I cant put them down. I want to use this time to talk with God and read my Bible. Im not saying dont read them if you want to and can control yourself, but just think about balancing your relationship with Jesus and other things such as this book.

Well, I haven't read the book, but I don't plan on reading it anytime soon. Or ever. Just the cover makes me shiver. I don't like weird stuff like that at all, I won't even watch Pirates of the Caribbean.
I just don't like the idea of vampires and girls being in love with vampires and I don't know...it just seems a little sketchy to me. I don't like to think about trash, which is the opposite of what I DO like to think about--heaven and eternal fellowship with my Abba Father.

Okay, I'm going to say straight ahead what I think about the books. I don't like it, and I don't believe that God approves of it.

I have never read the books, but when I saw some of my schoolmates (especially the younger batch) get really addicted to the series, I wondered and so I did some research.

What I found, I did not like. I tried to read (not the first book, but the third one - because it was the one I saw) and I had scarcely gone a few chapters when I stopped. I couldn't take it. I didn't want to continue.

While most teenagers will say that the series is perfectly harmless, I urge you to think again. There's this principle that goes "Garbage In, Garbage Out." What you read will take effect on your life, sooner or later.

I think God isn't pleased with the books because of the story line and the characters. Vampires and werewovles have always represented the evil side, the enemy's servants...and here we have a vampire who is said to be "good." Also, there is such immorality in the story.

Is it true that Bella and Edward (according to my research) committed premarital sex? How can God be pleased with that?

Psalm 101:3 - "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes..."

i have not read the books b/c i get creeped out REEAALLYY easily, and my mom said that were a litte creepy b/c he loves her yet he wants to suck her blood... i don't have a problem with the whole vampires thing b/c im not the type of person who believes everything she hears. i didn't want to read them mainly b/c of all the provacative comments i've heard it addresses. many of the other people that commented said that these books talk a lot about sex and how the main character wants to get physical with her boyfriend. i believe that no matter how "grounded" you are, it is never a good idea to purposefully drag yourself into temptation. I also believe that God doesn't want young Godly girls to be reading something that talks about a fantastical "true" love b/c their relationship is mostly based on how physical they are. a lot of my christian friends have read these books and they have loved them, but i (most likely) will NEVER read something that is so focused on sex.

I haven't read the book yet but my "friend" is reading that book and she said that it was really good! I looked at it and thought, "HMMM" and to me it looked like a book with alot of different meanings. I went to the library and looked at all the other series they looked ok. I picked up,Twilight, and read the back of the book. Not exactly what I wanted to read. They are love stories first of all and I am not a big fan of those types of books. Also they are about vampires and blah blah blah! I am a very strong christian. I grew up in church as a pastors daughter and I don't believe in this kind of stuff. No offense to anyone that does because I have alot of friends that do Halloween and read these kind of books. They aren't exactly what I would want to read. God probably wouldn't want me to read those kind of books either. You have to understand that Satan is tempting you to read this and it flows through your brain. Eventually it will ruin your lifestyle and seperate you from God. This is what I think about it and no offense to anyone that does read these books or does Halloween.

i read all the books in the series & i could not put them down!
i can see how some of the parts in the book could be a little border line with God, but alot of the struggles in general are struggles teenage girls face everyday
the romance and just unconditional love between edward & bella made it all worth reading, although yes, it definitely gave me a new unrealistic standard for guys, it made me obsessed(:

When i first heard about this series i thought it would be the last thing i would ever read. Come on, Vampires? But after talking with my friends and attending several Christian seminars, i felt like i had judged it without any knowledge of the books(just like i had done with the Harry Potter books), also i felt like i was getting out of touch with my non-Christian peers who couldn't seem to stop talking about these books. For those reasons i read them. And i LOVED them!
Books are sometimes hard to evaluate. almost every book i've read has something wrong with it, but that doesn't mean i throw it out. i learn from it and take the good with the bad. I count it as entertainment and time well spent learning the practical art of novel writting.
Twilight has both negative and positive elements. Overall i find it a clean book and one appropriate for OLDER teens. I think most teens should read it or atleast be familiar with it to discuss it before nixing it.

im not allowed to read the books

HI
I am 15,.I have finished Eclipse
and i LOVE the twilight saga!
they have really inspired me to accept people for who they really are.
and if you truly read these books through the glasses of Christ you can reflect how the vampires(Edward, Alice, Esme ect..)
really reflect our sinfull nature. You see them fighting temptation of thier nature and they succeed!!! we can use this as encouragement to fight sin and the devil in our daily walk with CHrist. Now so far in this saga i have seen many pure things in Edward he respects woman in thier purety. He is very set on sex AFTER marriage, and i think that is very inspiring for young men and women today. Nowwhen it comes to the obsession of these books you DEFINATLY NEED SELFCONTROL. Now i confess that i read theese books to 12 @ night and since i am homeschooled i read a chapeter before i picked up my English. But i did have enough selfcontrol to refrain from getting addicter. So my advice is if you read this book put on the glasses of Christ with a great attituse of purity. And do NOT forget SELFCONTROL!

I've been noticing a lot of people saying that vampires are demonic beings or the undead bodies of suicide victims and whatnot. So I feel that I must say that for 1) vampires are NOT real and 2) in these books, the vampires went from human to vampire simply because they were bitten by other vampires. How can we say that reading books about vampires is wrong when vampires can be anything we want them to be simply because they are not real? Honestly, I believe that these books gave me a better idea of how a relationship should be, because they made me want to wait to find that "special someone" instead of dating other guys just because it sounded like fun. I know that no relationship would ever be like Edward and Bella's, because it is FICTION, but it at least gave me an idea of what I want out of a relationship.

So for me, the romance is what really got me addicted to these books.

I think that God would approve because the vampires actually even mention Him and how they hope to go to Heaven even though they have made mistakes and are considered Satanic beings.

This is in reply to Alyssa C.

1. Bella and Edward did NOT have premarital sex.

2. Vampires and werewolves are FICTION, and in this book, the werewolves are definitely good, and the main vampires refuse to suck anyone's blood because of the immorality of it. Because vampires and werewolves are fiction, we can make them be whatever we want them to be. So why not eliminate some of our monsters and turn them into heroes? Do we really need more unneccessary fears to keep us up at night?

Also, a lot of people have been commenting on the covers of the books, and I am going to tell you all right now that the cover of the original book (Twilight) is supposed to represent the infamous apple of Genesis (the one that Satan uses to tempt Eve).

After reading all the comments I am proud of many the wisdom of some of the girls and mothers and concerned for the others.
My daughter is 15 and all her friends are reading these books at her school. I have been teaching her about worldviews and the fact that ideas have consequences. There is this misguided philosophy among kids in this age group, especially girls, that they can ingest all sorts of ideas and philosophies and it will not affect them. They can play with fire but they won't get burned. That is a dangerous mindset for a Christian.

Young girls especially are vulnerable to things related to romance and relationships and will justify things that they normally wouldn't tolerate in order to cling to those ideas. I have said it before, and I believe it to be true, that romance books for girls are what pornography is to boys.

The comments about how reading questionable popular books like these because they generate interest in reading is as unbiblical as the defense that boys looking at unwholesome photos of girls generates an appreciation for God's creation of women's bodies. The "ends justifies the means" is the oldest trick in the book for the enemy of our souls.

Our culture has gone wrong in this idea of dating and relationships between boys and girls in the first place. The idea of a teen age girl having a boyfriend or reading about a girl with a boyfriend is foolish.

Like I tell my daughter, dating is just divorce practice.

Young girls have to come down off their pedestal and realize that they are novices in spiritual battles. That they are not the spiritual giants they think they are. That they do not have a "strong" relationship with God at their age, that they can and do fall and therefore they should be on guard. The thinking that they have a strong relationship with Jesus and therefore are strong enough to ingest worldly things betrays the fact they don't have a strong relationship with Christ, because they would hate what Christ hates. They would not get as close to the line of sin as possible and protest that they haven't crossed the line yet.

On the other side, young girls who are committed to chastity and purity must guard against the "Jesus is my boyfriend" mentality. Jesus does love you, but it is not a romantic, American pop culture type of love. Look forward to a true romantic relationship with a good man who tries to live like and be like Christ.

Remember, don't trust your heart. Also remember Americans have idols too, they are not statues of stone or gold. For many young girls Romance and Entertainment are idols.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Hi Emily, I am a youth minister's wife and mother of a 15 year old girl. I have not read this series of books nor has my daughter. My perspective comes from working with teen girls for 20 years.
The biggest problem I have with books like these, Harry Potter and others is the fact that when you are reading, you are opening your mind to the ideas in these books. I'm not saying that reading these will make ppl go out and want to become vampires or practice the occult. What I believe it does do is lessens your ability to discern evil or it reduces your reaction to it.

The example I use is it is like being in an environment where you hear cursing all the time. Eventually you are going to be less offended or less affected by the profanity and begin to think "it's not all that bad" or "everybody is talking this way". The more you allow the images or language of darkness (which I believe vampires represent) into your mind, the less you will think of them as being evil or dark. And other things will begin to seem "not that bad" or "it's just fantasy". But if it's not real, then how is it going to help your walk? Will others (friends) who cannot separate the fantasy from reality be sucked in because you read the book or encouraged them to read it.
For me the bottom line for my own family has always been, if there is a chance that we could get caught up in something that would pull us away from our walk with God or lessen our ability to discern truth, then, why go there? There are so many great true Christian fiction books that are available for all ages. Why not focus first on God's Word and then look for books that will sharpen that focus and encourage you in your walk with Him!

I have not read the books and have no desire to after reading the 26 comments above.

I believe that we should be Christians who do what the Bible says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:8-9.

Are these books filled with things that are true, noble, pure, and lovely? They sound the opposite to me. A lot of people seem to think that it is O.K. to read this kind of stuff because it is fiction. I don't agree. There are many wonderful books that we can read, so why waste time on a series that does not live up to biblical standards.

i read the books and i thought they were good except the last one had a chapter in it that i skipped. i read every book twice and then i realized that they really were pretty much all i was thinking about and so i stopped while i was in the middle of rereading the fourth one because i felt like i shouldn't be reading it anymore. the first book was ok, then in the second book and the third book when they start talking about "it" but never doing "it" i thought "it'll end soon" and it did, but then they got married and went into WAY 2 much detail and that is the chapter i skipped. i just kept flipping pages waiting for the dialogue to start again. i feel really bad about reading it and i am never going to reread them again

Ok, I have read all 4 books and I think there are some definite pro's and con's to this series from the Christian perspective...

PROS: As stated before, the books deal with overcoming stereotypes. Also, Edward has strong morals and REFUSES to have sex with Bella untill AFTER they get married. I think this is great, and we should follow that example. Also already stated is the fact that Carlisle's father was a pastor, and he believes in God. Also an ongoing question throughout the series is whether or not there is a heaven or hell. It isn't definitely resolved, but in all their arguments, it seems as if Bella is winning, and Edward is fairly convinced. Another pro is the fact that these vampires are very bent on being truly good and preserving human life.

CONS: Ok, as much as I LOVED this series, i am willing to admit that there are some factors that are less than desirablefor any christian girl to be reading. The book is definitely more of a romance novel, and as with any romance, there are mushy gushy scenes. I personally am fine with that. What I am NOT fine with is the fact that there are descriptions of sex scenes in the fourth book. Sure its totally fine that they are having sex, considering that they are married, but I don't think it was necessary (or appropriate) to go into the amount of detail that is given in this teen novel. There is technically nothing wrong with their sensualness, but it just isn't age appropriate to the audience this book is attracting. Actually, I think it's more about the maturity level and strength of the faith of the reader.

So, basically, I loved the series but The sensual scenes in Breaking Dawn were less than desirable. I think that because the movie is only about the first book it should be morally appropriate and personally can't wait to see it!

I agree with Susan. I think the sensationalism of topics like these lessens our awareness of the danger in them. Desensitization is a crafty tool. Personally, if something grabs everyone's attention with such intensity, I tend to think twice about it.

The one criterion I try to use when looking for books (I read A LOT) is whether it is going to help me.

Jesus said to do unto others what you would have them do to you. Confucius, a Chinese atheist philosopher, said Not to do to others what you would not have them do to you. It seems like the same thing. But what Jesus said is going from the positive side: do everything you can to help. Confucius went around that: if it's something you wouldn't particularly want done to you, just don't. forget positive action.

So if it's a book that isn't going to benefit me in a positive way, I try to avoid it. And something that "isn't bad for my age group" I figure it's something better left unread. Which is how I left Twilight.

i have also read all the books... and i was hooked also... i couldn't put them down. i was done with the first three and was waiting for the fourth one to come out. however, before i bought it (i had bought the rest), i read somewhere that it was pretty sexual. so i decided not to buy it. but, a neighbor who knew i liked the series bought it for my birthday. my mom allowed me to read the last one and when i showed her the parts that i thought would go against God's views, we discussed why they were wrong and why the author didn't really need to put that in there. i think that these books are ok to read as long as you understand what parts are wrong and why. i think it's a good idea to read them with a parent so that they can share their opinions as well.

i posted a comment before saying that i thought it depended on the type of person you were when trying to make a decision on wether or not to read these books, but i've changed my perspective. i really don't think you should read these books because the Bible says--i can't think of the exact scripture, but the general idea is--to guard your mind and heart against all things impure. vampirism and witchcraft are two things the Lord hates, i.e. impure.

as for myself, i have not read the books and don't plan to. but i do read a lot, and when i first saw the covor i thought it looked interesting. (when i look for books at the library the first thing that draws me in is usually the cover, which makes sense if you think about it). i never even made the connection between the cover and the apple that Satan tempted Eve with. but now i do see the connection and i think that's really interesting

i thought the books were great! it is actually the most checked out book at our school! all of my friends read it and they all love it also! i do agree with everything everyone else has said! i am christian and i do think some parts god would not approve! some parts r not that bad though!

I happen to love the twilight series i'm currently in the middle of eclipse and i think that the series is so good but i know that some parts of the books god wouldn't like which kinda sux cuz the books could really be a good series exept for some of the stuff in there. But the book are a very god and interesting i like the romance and the action

I think that just because you see that Twilight is about Vampires doesn't mean that it's non christian.
It's just like the fact that Harry Potter was considered bad.
It's FICTION!
God respects that we have our little fantacy moments!
I don't think he disapprooves of the books.
Twilight illustrates the fact that a vampire family is breaking free of the steryotype of drinking from humans and killing the innocent.
It shows that there is good in all of us and that we just need to bring it out and fight the temptantion just like the Cullens fight the temptation of human blood!
This is a book for every one... even us nice christians.
I think people have a steryotype about us that we're obsessed with rules and bossy and stuck up perfectionists (I've hear people say that!)
No ones perfect and we don't have to be mean to others about breaking rules because that would be called being a hypocrit!

I am a christian, I love Jesus but I am reading the series and it has me hooked. Even though there are vampires in it I think if you keep in mind the fact that it is fanasy then they are okay.

As a strong christian girl, I have no problem with this series. Of course when reading these books you do have to realize that nothing in this book is real. Vampires do not exist and most people's lives are nothing like this. Yes it does say in the bible that you should have nothing to do with the occult and other devil centered things, but this isn't what the book even talks about. There is no devil worshipping of any kind and its not like any of these characters sold their soul to the devil. These are people who against their will, were forced into a life that they never wanted. But they try the best they can to not be monsters and controlled by what they are, similiarlly to christians fighting against our sin. These books made me think deeply about God rather than get away from him. They my favorite series and they are a LOT cleaner than some books that are supposedly for teens. And who knows? Possibly you could only have this in common with a non christian and start a friendship with them and possibly lead them to God. All things are possible through Him. As long as you are keeping your eyes fixed on him he can you use you in unlimited ways, even through reading these books.

I've only read the first book so i can't say much but, what i can say is that the books really do suck you in. i personally really love the way the authour talks and writes. She is an AMAZING writter. but you definatley shouldn't obseess over it. when you obsess you put this book over the bible and ultimatley GOD. that turns into idolizing which turns into a major sin thus, taking a simple cute and fun just a book into a totally different level of wrongness. THAT is when God looks down and asks himself why all these girls are going crazy and that is when he isn't happy with it anymore.

My first thought- Be careful
Remember the wolf in sheep clothing?
What some may describe as "innocent", "mild" or "fictional" content baffles me at how it can be so tantalizing, intoxicating and exciting!
The influence of this movie and books has the hinting appearance of deception.
I think Susan said it best on November 12th.

I am a Christian and I have read the 1st 3 books (actually I just finished Eclipse last night). I have mixed emotions about them.
On 1 hand I think that the books are pretty good. Mostly cause I think that Edward and Bella are an extreamly good couple. I've liked the series so far but I haven't read the 4th book yet and I hear it's the worst (sexually wise). I've also heard that its the best book out of the 4 aside from that part. I'm still debating whether to read the 4th book or not. It is so hard not 2 cause you want to know what happens!
On the other hand I don't think the series are the best moral books on earth a person could read. I won't recomend them to anyone for that reason. If you havn't started reading them DON'T. If you have I think you need to just keep your mind from moving in 2 deep. If u are firm in Christ you should be o.k.

I've read the books last year, [excluding BD which came out this Aug].
They were good. Kept me entertained. I never did get too attached to them, or obsessed with the FICTIONAL character of Edward.
Nowadays, Twilight has just become a huge trend, and I hate it. Girls read the books, just because everyone else is, and then grow a strange obsession over it. When it comes down to the writing styles and plot, there is nothing special about Stephenie Meyer's works. I think it's safe to say Harry Potter is better.
I'm not sure about the fact of Vampires, and if it is God-friendly. I say it's okay to read them, just to know what the whole teen generation is obsessing about, as long as you don't join the Twilight clones.
Right now, this whole series just really bugs me.

i haven't read that book but my favorit book is Nancy Drew !!!!!!!!!

in my opinion it is just a plain fictional book hjust as harry potter was, ive read all of the series just as i would with another series. i dont worship vamipires and i dont think that that was the intentions of the book. lately people have been just about as worked up about this as they were about kids with harry potter. parents and teachers thought that wizardry and levitation was going to occur if the children so much as saw the book.... a tad bit obsessive. there's nothing wrong with A BOOOK.. not unless children start worshiping it and thinking that if they memorize it they will become vampires. and so far i havent heard of any cases of that.

Interesting blog.

As someone who works with students, the biggest concern I have with the books is not so much the fantasy characters, but what it does to the hearts of the female students who read them.

If I had a nickel for every teenage girl whose told us they (A) feel unworthy of their own great love story, (B) read books like this because they want to at least get caught up in someone ELSE's story, and (C) walk away from the books wanting that kind of love, yet feeling all the further from it, I'd have a lot of nickels. That's just not good for your heart.

i dont see what the apple has to do with the book....i havn't read the books yet tho...

O.K., first of all I'm not, I repeat not, going to put anyone down for reading these books.I've read the first one and watched the movie, so I'm not just throwing my opinion out there.Here's my reasoning:
1)The books are about demonic creatures. Some of you may crune in protest that the Cullens are "good" vampires, but can demons ever seriously become "good"?
2)Bellas obsessed. in case you don't know, there's a line between cycho stalker and in love. FYI, Bellas WAY over it. I mean, it's pretty bad when she claims that if she has him she doesn't need heaven.
3)It's unfair to guys our age. how many of you have innocently commented about how some guys never gonna be like Edward or your friend broke up with her BF cause he wasn't like Edward? That's just like when they're hooting about some Victoria's secret model and comparing you to them. how do you feel? it's unfair and cruel.
4)o.k., for you guys who haven't read the fourth book yet, don't. My friends have filled me in, so I'm doing you a favor. at the wedding Bella can't stand to be away from Edward for to long. then, on the honeymoon, their seemingly innocent relationship goes from cuddle on the couch to , gasp, more than cuddle in the bed.Finally, from the view of Jacob, Bella is changed into a vampire when she's dying as her human/vampire baby rips and shreds her stomach.
as you can see, this is a far fetch from Beauty and the Beast.

I started reading twilight without my parent's permission and i thought it was ok. My mom found the book in my backpack and read part of it, she told me that she didn't want me reading all the untrue, bad things that were in the book. Everyone that goes to my school are just hooked on the books. Personally, I am not very interested in the books and think that they are unrealistic and wrong just like my mom said. I saw the movie with my friends just the other day and thought that it was better than the book, but I still wasn't as into the series as everyone else I know. I think that if my parents, who are very strong christians, don't want me reading Twilight, then God doesn't want me reading it either. To me it isn't that big of a deal that my friends think my parents are overprotective and need to let loose, because if my parents didn't love me, then they would let me do whatever I want, and read whatever, I want and not coach me at all through my life. Actually, I'm kind of glad my parents chose for me not to read the Twilight Series, I still have the freedom of e-mail, my cell phone, having a boyfriend, and letting me have a curfew of 11:30. :)

I have read all the books and I have to say they are pretty good! Now I am a God is my heart and soul christian (I'm gonna say this now sorry for spelling) and I relized that these books are addicting and I would have to put them down because I started putting Twilight first and not God so it wasn't good for me. I am not a die hard Twilight fan because of this. (I would never be anywayz)
The love part of this book is very unhealthy. Edward is Bella's drug. I hate this is the book.
Ok thats what I have to say now.

I read every book besides Breaking Dawn because I don't want to read about sex. I am only 13 and I think (besides the fact that they are married) the cussing and stuff is wrong, they also use the Lord's name in vein. Plus my mom won't allow me to read the last book...lol.

Alright, this is my personal opinion, so I don't mean to offend anyone out there. I have read the first book, probably going to get the second for Christmas, and seen both of the movies, so I'm not coming out here with a random opinion.

1. Obsession,Obbsesion. Firstly, I for one love the series. I try not to get obsessed (read it all the time, only watch the twilight movie...) but I have to admit, it's hard. But then, if you think about it, isn't it easy to get obsessed with anything from t.v. to junk food to even things like reading or working out? I live in the south, so basically everyone down here is obsessed with football, so sometimes it's hard to turn off the t.v. and just pray or read your bible. So it's important to maintain a strong relationship with god while reading these (which I am guilty of slacking on), otherwise your going to end up like Bella, obsessed with vampires and werewolves.

2.Demons or Angels? The Cullens are "good" vampires, but how can a demon be good? I'm not saying that by liking Edward or by favoring the vampires you need to drop the book like a hot cast iron skillet and never pick it up again, I'm just saying that whenever the word "vampire" comes up, don't let a picture of sweet Alice pop into your head and imediantly chew out whoever's talking in a negative way.

3.Deadly Perfection. Everyone knows about the human guys in this book, right? Well I've always wondered why they always come across as annoying, while Edward is the image of perfection. In the first book, Mike is portrayed as an eager, hyperactive puppy while Edward is a dazzling gentleman. Now in the real world, Mike would probably be a funny, sweet guy while Edward would be one of the wayyyyy to quiet serial-killer types.Also take into account how every guy who even showed emotions (hey, Jacob cried and got mad just like the rest of them) were pushed aside for Edward. a.k.a. Mr. Prince Charming. (Oh, and girls, in real life someone like that would be as boring as un-buttered whole-wheat toast).

4.Living Nightmare. In the books, Bella has almost no reaction to finding out that her boyfriend is a vampire and her best friend is a werewolf. Now, let's have a show of hands for all who would be la-de-da-de-da, calm as can be about that.Now how about everyone who would go insane and probably get locked up somewhere? Yea, I thought so. I am sad to say that some girls that I know are so obsessed that they think that they're seeing vampires everywhere they go. It's quiet a scary thought actually, to be so trapped in these novels that, in your mind, the undead are,well, undead.

5.Nothing Special. Now, I think that the relationship between Bella and Edward is sweet at first, but things take an unexpected turn when Bella becomes obsessed with giving her soul away. Now that doesn't sound cycho at all, does it? It's one thing to love someone, nut to give up your SOUL?! Umm, excuse me, but the only guy worth that is NOT one that fights a desire to kill you. Cause his name is Jesus Christ. And how ironic that the only guy worth giving up your soul for is, infact, the one who made it. Funny how these things work, huh?

6. Jeckel and Hyde. Picture this: on one hand, this dazzling guy is super polite,charming, and is positively in love with you. Sigh. On the other, there's a guy who watches you when your asleep (he sees when you're sleeping, he knows when your awake...), follows you everywhere, and has a not-so-secret desire to kill you. Now, who do you choose to spend forever with? SURPRISE!!! You get both! That's right! A totally by-polar guy who's in love with his potential homicide victim: YOU! So dreamy, right?

In conclusion, I just want to say this: I'm not saying that you shouldn't read the twilight series, I'm not saying you should. It's al a matter of HOW you read it.