Ladies I have a question for you Twilight lovers out there. I was asked today by the mother of one of my Young Life freshman girls if I had an opinion on the Twilight series and what I thought about them. I have actually been wondering for myself as well. Now I really want the opinion of my other fellow Christian women on this one. Would you let your 14 year old teenage daughter read these? I want to hear your take also as a Christian reading them as I know so many of you are.
Thanks in advanced! I know you all will be so helpful!
Thanks in advanced! I know you all will be so helpful!
10 comments:
I love that you lead YL--that made up a big part of my teen years!
Anyways, I am never a fan of banning books. I am a big fan of parents discussing with kids/teens why some books are great reads, but shouldn't be instruction guides for their lives. I'm of the mindset that blindly leading kids through Christianity without allowing them any exposure to non-Christian ideas (like Harry Potter, to use another culturally relevant example) only causes problems like rebellion and curiosity. Kids need to know WHY they aren't good influences without making them a taboo (and thus inherently more appealing to kids) topic. The thing about living a Christian life in todays world is that we aren't segregated from reality. And personally, I would rather have my kids learn those lessons and have those discussions and exposures in my own home, with me, than when they are off on their own.
I guess it's a lot like obedience--you can teach a kid to follow the rules of God, but if they don't know why they are following the rules and what purpose they serve, they are far more likely to stray.
Just my two cents :)
Here's my input, but I've neither read nor watched yet so please keep that in mind. I do know that they were penned by a devout Morman mother, and are a big hit among the Morman families I know (who are the most Christ-centered people I've met). I'd suggest some Google searches about the series and the author? If you use the keywords Mormon or LDS in there somewhere, you may find some more insightful info? Hope that helps!
Xoxo,
Lulu
I just called my 20 year old brother and asked him. He hasn't read the books, but he saw the movie last night. He said it's similar to Harry Potter (meaning some parents would be WAY against it), but he said it has more "mature" themes and situations (I guess sexual?). I think d.a.r. has a great point though. I would ask the parents how they felt about HP. If they didn't let their kids read those, they probably wouldn't want them reading these either! Hope that helps!
My friend is a 10th grade teacher and she said all her students had read the series already and they begged her to read it. I think I would probably let my girls if I had any!
DITTO to what d.a.r. said...I do not agree with several aspects of the book (I have even done blog posts about them), but I would not stop my kids from reading them. I would simply explain that these books are not necessarily good as instruction...treat them as a work of fiction.
I'll second d.a.r - these books are beautifully written and really, I'm all about having kids read just about anything they can get their hands on. They are "young adult" books so they are appropriate (no terrible language, sex scenes, etc.) Personally I found them interesting and a great read.
Okay, I was thinking about this a bit more and wanted to add: when my mom was trying "reign me in" a bit with what I was reading (I read a LOT and several grade levels above my age) she would read the book with me. Then we could talk about it. This way, she was monitoring what I read without disallowing it. And, if there were things she was concerned about, we could talk about it. It promoted conversations that were uncomfortable, but also created a really neat bond between us!
Maybe you could suggest that to the concerned parent?
I have read the books (and love them). They are categorized as young adult books. It is a love story, but it is kept pretty tame. I would let my 14 year old read them. I was brought up in the church and knew the difference b/t right and wrong, truth and fiction. I don't think a young girl that was brought up in the church is going to see this as anything other than fiction. Of course it is always up to the parent. I would suggest that the mom read them. I think both mother and daughter would enjoy the book. I know lots of strong Christian women who are big fans of the book.
Here is a link to a Christian author: Vicki Courtney, she touches on the subject and also gives a link to Focus on the Family's review of it. http://virtuealert.blogspot.com/2008/11/lets-talk-vampires.html
It is so funny that you just posted this. I am in the middle of the final book, Breaking Dawn. As I was reading tonight, I was thinking about how incredibly censored the author is when dealing with sex. There is NO sex before marriage in any of the books. There is NO blood and guts, and there is absolutely not one cuss word to be found. Tonight I truly asked myself the question, "would I be ok with a teenage daughter reading these books" my answer is absolutely YES. compared to the crap that is out there in TV, movies and music (I kissed a girl and I liked it??? I mean, come ON!!!) I think the Twilight series is refreshing and safe for any teenager.
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