The moon was full and the night was full of strangely moving shadows when a lone howl cut through the late night darkness. An answering cry was heard, closer this time. Shivers went up and down my spine as I wondered, was it a pair of vampires on the prowl, or perhaps a couple of werewolves out for a midnight snack? Nah, it was probably a coy-dog looking for mice and moles!
Lately I took some heat for posting a link to an article on Facebook entitled, “Top 20 Unfortunate Lessons Girls Learn From Twilight”, from the website “wired.com”. The article posed 20 different lessons that girls in particular take away from the Vampire and Werewolf thriller now in theaters. The arguments are totally non-religious, just basic psychology and sociology. In many cases they are simply common sense! The movie and books encourage the obsession many females have with the ‘bad boy’ and everything that goes along with it. Would you want your daughter lying to you, spending time with someone who engages in bad behavior that could hurt or kill them? It is amazing to me how many teen girls and even adult women are drooling over the hunks in these movies in an almost obscene manner. Most guys I have heard look at the phenomena with disdain and perhaps even a little jealousy.
I look at the 'Twilight' series and take note that nowadays vampires and werewolves are becoming more and more regarded as simply a fantasy subculture where there is good and evil, a microcosm of the human race. The evolution of this concept of a superhuman, supernatural subculture is fascinating. Viewed through the lens of Hollywood, the early films about vampires and werewolves regarded them as tortured beings, cursed and damned. They were evil, even if sometimes unwilling victims. 'Nosferatu' in 1923 showed an ugly and thoroughly detestable vampire. Lon Chaney was the epitome of evil when in his werewolf form, but as a human was an object of pity. Dracula as played by Bela Lugosi in 1931 was plain evil with no trace of good. As the mid-century approached the role changed. Frank Langella in 1979 changed the genre by portraying Dracula in a romantic light with his victim Lucy. The Anne Rice novels further evolved the character of the vampire, while films such as 'A Werewolf in London' changed the character of the changeling wolves. The 'Underworld' series of movies and brought together the two races in a different way. This culminates today in the 'Twilight' series of books and movies.
A couple things to keep in mind, here. Werewolves and vampires are two fantasy races of what were originally conceived as embodiments of demons and demonic forces, hunting humans as prey. They are fantasy creatures, not real. However, spiritual warfare is very real. Those forces who oppose God will try anything to keep our focus off our spiritual condition and off God. The progression here also indicates the increasing fascination with a culture of death, seen all around us and in many ways, but is maybe most easily seen in Hollywood productions. Not only this, but our distinct human tendency to reverse the order of things become plain. Simply put, what was once called evil is now called good. What was good is now evil.
It is a sign of the times, I guess. It has always happened, and frequently happens in sub-cycles, too. The question is, do we recognize it? Or do we pass it off as the ravings of a few conservative religious nuts who don’t like movies and fantasy (which, by the way, I love both)?
So, is this a real evil, like a vampire or werewolf, or simply a coy-dog howling in the night?
“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God”. John 3:19-21 (NIV)
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