{"id":1645,"date":"2012-11-16T01:30:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-15T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/?p=1645"},"modified":"2024-09-03T17:02:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T22:02:49","slug":"twilight-of-the-idols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=1645","title":{"rendered":"Twilight of the Idols"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is not about Nietzsche\u2019s book\u00a0\u201cTwilight of the Idols<\/a>,\u201d or Wagner\u2019s opera G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0 It is about the Twilight<\/a> movies on the eve of the release of the fifth and final episode, \u201cBreaking Dawn, Part 2<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen the first four movies.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t read any of the books.<\/p>\n

I read an article<\/a> yesterday about \u201ca disturbing trend forming among teenagers who have become obsessed with the \u2018Twilight\u2019 movies \u2013 they are turning to real occult groups and even participating in bloodletting practices.\u201d1<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 In a scene in the fourth movie, \u201cBreaking Dawn, Part 1<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0the heroine Bella drank chilled human blood through a straw and found it not bad, kind of good actually.\u00a0 If that inspired young people to occult practices I am sorry, but I\u2019m also convinced that not-Twilight (the apparent\u00a0point of the article) would not have saved them.<\/p>\n

In that scene Bella did whatever it took to bring her baby to term, even at the cost of her own life, while the sensible money was bet on aborting the fetus.\u00a0 Even her husband Edward, a vampire, was angry and frustrated with her over it.\u00a0 But Bella had expressed a willingness to lay down her life<\/a> for someone she loved from the opening voiceover of the first movie, for her mother, then Edward, then her baby.\u00a0 I was so caught up in the story at the time I was willing to overlook and even chuckle at the \u201cduh\u201d moment when (in a house full of vampires) the only one who recognized that a half-vampire-half-human baby might be thirsting for human blood was the werewolf Jacob, who, except for a treaty between his tribe and the Cullen vampire clan (or coven) and his own love for Bella, was a mortal enemy and one of the \u201cnatural\u201d predators of vampires.<\/p>\n

I should probably mention that the Cullens were \u201cvegetarian\u201d vampires, meaning they only drank animal blood, not human.\u00a0 It was a little like a human being living on tofu alone, according to Edward, but more suited to the ethic of this particular \u201cfamily\u201d of vampires.\u00a0 Dr. Cullen, the patriarch of the family, was an MD who served as the town doctor in Forks, Washington.\u00a0 As he stitched up Bella\u2019s arm after a mishap, she looked down at all her blood and asked him, \u201cHow do you do it?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYears of practice,\u201d he replied grinning.<\/p>\n

What was a subtle undercurrent in Bram Stoker\u2019s<\/a> novel and more overt in Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s<\/a> film adaptation<\/a> is also true of the Twilight series.\u00a0 It is about sexual desire and repression, though Edward is the only Victorian in the story (Edwardian more precisely). \u00a0What makes Twilight discomforting, frustrating, maybe even offensive, to men is that male sexual desire is not the joystick that makes the world go round.\u00a0 While female sexual desire personified by Bella is an open-hearted giving and sharing of herself, male sexual desire personified by Edward is a life-threatening blood lust, or a violent rage seething just beneath the skin of the shape-shifting Jacob.<\/p>\n

Bella was irresistibly drawn to both of these bad boys, though it was fairly clear that she didn\u2019t really love Jacob \u201clike that.\u201d\u00a0 And here is another sore spot for boys and men.\u00a0 How dare a young woman not love \u201clike that.\u201d \u00a0What kind of love is that?\u00a0 And it only gets worse.\u00a0 Their swordsmanship was not the thing that made these traditional movie monsters the good guys.\u00a0 Apart from Edward\u2019s cooler than ice and Jacob\u2019s hotter than fire good looks, the only thing that made them good guys is that they restrained, suppressed and sublimated their violent sexual desires. \u00a0They found other ways to love and care for Bella.\u00a0 Edward used a little bit of force and a lot of romantic persuasion to keep her a virgin until their wedding night.<\/p>\n

The \u1f10\u03b3\u03ba\u03c1\u1f71\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1<\/a>, erroneously translated self-control<\/em>, that is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit2<\/sup><\/a> which flows through those who trust in Jesus Christ was not mentioned in the Twilight movies.\u00a0 Edward and Jacob restrained themselves by their own willpower, their own inner \u201cgoodness,\u201d never mind where traditional movie monsters find inner goodness.\u00a0 But I seriously wonder if we as parents really teach and trust the \u1f10\u03b3\u03ba\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1 that comes from God when it comes to our own children.\u00a0 Or do we put our faith in the gezerot<\/a>,3<\/sup><\/a> the rules we make up to keep them chaperoned, never alone, never having an opportunity to exercise the \u1f10\u03b3\u03ba\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1, or the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness or gentleness, that are the fruit of their relationship with Christ?<\/p>\n

At any rate I took a vacation day next week to see the final episode of the Twilight saga with my daughter.\u00a0 That may make me a bad parent to some.\u00a0 But my daughter is twenty-one now.\u00a0 She will see it whether I take her or not.\u00a0 Edward moved up a notch in Bella\u2019s father\u2019s estimation when he learned that Edward was \u201cold school,\u201d meaning Bella was still a virgin.\u00a0 I admit that my daughter\u2019s boyfriend, though he seems like a nice enough guy, has moved down a notch since he doesn\u2019t have the heart to see the movie with her.\u00a0 My twenty-year-old son will see it with his girlfriend, though I imagine he will find something to complain about afterward.<\/p>\n

I expect to be disappointed by the end of the series.\u00a0 No amount of good works redemption will satisfy me.\u00a0 And I don\u2019t think Bella, Edward and Jacob will turn to faith in Jesus Christ.\u00a0 My daughter, who has read the books, has already said she is curious how I will react to the end of the story.\u00a0 So a few dollars and a couple of hours spent sitting in the dark with her buy me another opportunity to speak my mind to her receptive heart.\u00a0 I pray that God will grant me the grace, the wisdom and the words to say to a young woman who has been moved so by a story of an eternal love that is more than sexual desire.\u00a0 And it makes me wonder whether millions of other women have actually been moved by occult bloodletting practices or because God has put eternity<\/em>4<\/sup><\/a> in their hearts<\/em>.5<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Oh yeah, and I\u2019m curious what happens next to Bella, Edward and Jacob, too.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Addendum<\/b>: September 3, 2024<\/span>
\nTables comparing Ecclesiastes 3:11<\/a> in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Ecclesiastes 3:11<\/a> in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

<\/a>Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Tanakh)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (KJV)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NET)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\nHe hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\nGod has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Septuagint BLB)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u03c3\u1f7a\u03bd<\/a> \u03c4\u1f70<\/a> \u03c0\u1f71\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1<\/a> \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd<\/a><\/b> \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u1f70 \u1f10\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u1ff7 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f77 \u03b3\u03b5 \u03c3\u1f7a\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b1\u1f30\u1ff6\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f14\u03b4\u03c9\u03ba\u03b5\u03bd \u1f10\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u1f77\u1fb3 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f45\u03c0\u03c9\u03c2 \u03bc\u1f74 \u03b5\u1f55\u03c1\u1fc3 \u1f41 \u1f04\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1 \u1f43 \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd \u1f41 \u03b8\u03b5\u1f79\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c0\u1fbd \u1f00\u03c1\u03c7\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bc\u1f73\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f73\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n\u03c3\u1f7b\u03bc\u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1<\/a><\/b>, \u1f03<\/a> \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5<\/a><\/b>, \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u1f70 \u1f10\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u1ff7 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f77 \u03b3\u03b5 \u03c3\u1f7a\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b1\u1f30\u1ff6\u03bd\u03b1 \u1f14\u03b4\u03c9\u03ba\u03b5\u03bd \u1f10\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03b4\u1f77\u1fb3 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd, \u1f45\u03c0\u03c9\u03c2 \u03bc\u1f74 \u03b5\u1f55\u03c1\u1fc3 \u1f41 \u1f04\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03c9\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1, \u1f43 \u1f10\u03c0\u03bf\u1f77\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd \u1f41 \u0398\u03b5\u1f78\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c0\u1fbf \u1f00\u03c1\u03c7\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bc\u1f73\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9 \u03c4\u1f73\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NETS)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (English Elpenor)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

He made everything fine in its right time, indeed, he granted eternity in their heart so that they should not find the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\nAll the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
The Soul<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Twilight Revisited<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to Antichrist, Part 5<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to Torture, Part 2<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 13<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 6<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n

1<\/sup><\/a> Read more at ‘Twilight Breaking Dawn’ Leading Teens to Bloodletting, Vampire Covens?<\/a> by By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter, Monday, November 12, 2012<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2<\/sup><\/a> Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

3<\/sup><\/a> GEZERAH (pl. Gezerot)<\/a>, By: Solomon Schechter, Julius H. Greenstone, Jewish Encyclopedia<\/a> online<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

4<\/sup><\/a> Septuagint<\/a>: \u03b1\u1f30\u1ff6\u03bd\u03b1<\/a>, a form of \u03b1\u1f30\u03ce\u03bd<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

5<\/sup><\/a> Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is not about Nietzsche\u2019s book\u00a0\u201cTwilight of the Idols,\u201d or Wagner\u2019s opera G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung.\u00a0 It is about the Twilight movies on the eve of the release of the fifth and final episode, \u201cBreaking Dawn, Part 2.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen the first four … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1162,1160,1161],"class_list":["post-1645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-section-two","tag-ecclesiastes-311","tag-movies-breaking-dawn-part-1","tag-movies-breaking-dawn-part-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1645"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24953,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645\/revisions\/24953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}