The Vatican Condems Twilight

Many Hollywood insiders often say that in show biz, "your nobody till somebody hates on you." The Twilight crew should feel validated this week. While Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, have been busy promoting the the release of Twilight around the globe, the Vatican has been busy preparing a statement condemning the movie. After reading the statement from the Vatican, Twitter got busy responding to the what it deemed to be the absurdity of it all.

According to news reports from ABC, CBS and Fox News, Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, of the Pontifical Council of Culture made the following statement: "The theme of vampires in Twilight combines a mixture of excesses that as ever is aimed at young people and gives a heavy ­esoteric element. It is once again that age-old trick or ideal formula of using extremes to make an impact at the box office. This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and as such should be of concern."

Tweets varied from laughter to mockery and anger after the statement became public. Twitter user @LizaExpatiating tweeted, "Why does the Vatican have an opinion about Twilight? Are there no bigger issues of moral depravity than a stupid teen vampire book?"

Tweets at the time of writing:

@notvforchickens "I cant believe the Vatican is slamming Twilight this is hilarious, Hypocrisy."

@allythenerd "Is it bad to find it funny the Vatican is saying Twilight is for devil worshipers? lol."

@Se7enSyn "Ha, the Vatican condemed Twilight, finally me and the and the catholics agree on something."

@stugots23 "So the Vatican condemned that new Twilight movie. Maybe i should give it a once over. Pro-protestant."

@chrisberez "The Vatican condemns "New Moon", but not for any rational reason such as the fact that "Twilight" sucks."

@knitmeapony "Hahaha: "Vatican condemns Twilight as "morally deviant". Because only sickos would even think about drinking human blood."

@LizaExpatiating "Why does the Vatican have an opinion about Twilight? Are there no bigger issues of moral depravity than a stupid teen vampire book?"


yeah, i'm actually rather pissed off about this. is there not anything else in the world for the vatican to worry about. seriously. what the HELL! you'd think they like it! the vampires BELIEVE in god... well at least carlisle and edward do! it promotes abstinence! it promotes life long love! it promotes good parenting! listening to classical freaking music! GOOD THINGS! yet they decide to condem it!? BULL SHIT! i am royally PISSED right now, and when i get back to school people had BETTER not ask me about this, because i will flip the hell out. condem war! sex! drugs! obama! i don't give a shit! something that's WORTH IT! because this is just BULL SHIT.

... You're getting a bit too angry about this, don't you think? The coin goes both ways here - get this angry about something worth it, not Twilight.

First, remember that vampires have been perenially associated with demons throughout history.

Second: While the book seems to promote abstinence, when you actually read into it they are discussing the sexuality of teenage girls and the issues they face leading up to the "First Time". As you know perfectly well, Edward and Jacob are both objects of Bella's affection throughout the series - she isn't looking for celibacy or a monogamous relationship. To be uncouth, she's looking to get laid. Outside marriage, this has traditionally been frowned upon by the Catholic church (and many other churches too, remember?). Add this to the fact that she's looking to have sexual relations with something that is either A) a demon (i.e. a vampire) or B) something that is not shaped in 'God's' image (i.e. a werewolf), and you should quickly be able to see that it isn't just something small and insignificant; it becomes very significant indeed.

As far as the Catholic church can see, as it has long been an institution which deals with sexual repression and celibacy, this book is going against everything they stand for in this regard; it promotes a healthy relationship in which sexual intercourse is not simply a goal or that elephant in the corner which is to be avoided completely, but something that forms an integral part of human social interaction. That's dangerous for the Vatican because they know that if this view is popularised (and rightly so, I will admit), they will have to accept it, change their own stance (which is something they have avoided like a moron avoiding swine flu) and make sure that they do not lose followers due to a simple bloodymindedness on their part.

Hence, the statement comes out. By trying to show the people of the world that they disagree with it, they are hoping to rally the support of like-minded people who believe that relationships begin after marriage. Whether this will succeed or not, we'll have to wait and see. Myself? I'm pretty sure it will fail, and life will continue just as it has since the Vatican shouted about Pullman's trilogy being about killing God.




Don't get so angry about it. There's no sense in it, especially on a board where people are inclined to agree with you... It comes across more as a tantrum about not getting sweeties in the supermarket...

In fact: do you remember that moment in Snakes on a Plane? You know, where Sam Jackson has everyone gathered together and they're all discussing what they're going to do about getting the snakes off it?

Then he stops them and shouts "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THESE MOTHERFRIGGIN' SNAKES ON THIS MOTHERFRIGGIN' PLANE!"

Dude... they're all agreeing with you. That just makes you look really stupid..

That is rather ridiculous, but the Vatican has been ridiculous for so long now...
And I think cousin is angry because she's a practicing Christian and she doesn't like being told that her love of Twilight goes against her religious beliefs...am I right, hun?

Well, on the one hand that's fair enough - I applaud you for making your own decisions (about some things, anyway) and choosing for yourself whether or not Twilight is a subject to avoid.

On the other, being a Catholic (if you are one) means you should take the Vatican's mandate as law. The Pope is the closest human to 'god', therefore should know the most about what's right and wrong in the world.

If you follow catholicism, anyway. Picking and choosing the bits of a religion you want to follow and want to ignore does not make you part of that religion; it makes you an individual who has her own set of beliefs about life and so on. Don't make the mistake of saying you're 'Christian except I don't --- ". Instead, say you have your own spirituality that happens to agree with Christianity on this, that and the other. I did, and I find it quite a lot more liberating.

i'm not catholic.

I never said you were, cousin. LaughingMan made a slight assumption. I used the word 'Christian' rather than Catholic, I believe.
Sorry if I put words in your mouth hun, I just know a lot of Christians who are a bit sick and tired of being told that reading Twilight and enjoying it makes them wrong somehow.

i know cousin! hahaha i was talking to him! and that IS why i'm mad!

but no. i'm not catholic. i've gone to a non-denominational church for most of my life. i DO go to a catholic college, but not because i'm catholic. they had the best history program in my area.

Oh ok! I thought for a minute that the cousinly mojo had somehow combusted!

hahaha that would be the worst thing ever! having our cousin-ly mojo combust! the horror!

I know, right!!! That'd just be the saddest thing ever

LaughingMan made a slight assumption

LaughingMan wrote:If you follow catholicism, anyway.

Oh really? I don't believe I said you were catholic whatsoever.

i didn't say you did.... i just responded and said that i'm NOT catholic.

Sorry that was me! I just re-read your post, LaughingMan, and indeed you did not say that. I read your post in a rush and didn't pay proper attention. Sorry.

You should definitely know better by now!

True!

Oh Vatican, Vatican, Vatican. I was surprised they havent said that before xD

urgh. my mom almost stopped making me read harry potter when they told her it was bad in church xD. i'm glad i'm 20 and she can't stop me... my mom IS catholic. sigh.

My mom GAVE me the Harry Potter books xD and one of my aunts was picking about HP once and I was SOOOOOOOO mean to her, but its Harry Potter you dont mess with HP without getting a big fight with me, hell to pacifism there

i used to be like that. now i'm like that with twilight, and to an extent with harry potter, i guess. but i can handle people not liking them. that's fine, sure. what i CAN'T deal with is people saying that they're stupid or something without reading them, or being able to tell me why they're stupid! ahaha that just pisses me off to no end!

Exactly!!!! When people just say: is shit!!! And they havent read the books is what pisses me off =) So stupid ¬¬ I'm STILL like that with HP, I guess i'm not over the end of it yet

i read harry potter when i was 8... i guess i've been a fan so long... and twilights newer to me.... things change lol.

I started when I was ten or eleven, mom told I would love it and I was like: "ehhh dont think so." But once I started I couldnt stop. And the finishing last book was depressing to me: all I thought was "it's over, now what my life is going to be? No HP?" And then twilight came to appease my lost xDDD

They can say shit about HP or Twilight, I don't care. Before, it was really WAGE WAR on everyone who says negative things about them. Even small stuff. Like how Harry was gay and he liked Draco. Especially when someone said that Draco should have died. I was like "WTH?!?!? I hope Voldemort finishes you now!!!" And then it was Edward IS gay because he sparkles!!! Now, I just let them be. They're just insecure about the fact that Edward is better than them. If Edward was gay, he WOULDN'T have married Bella. Or the fact that he DIDN'T have any romantic relationship with the same sex. Duh?!

And as for the fact that the Vatican is condemning Twilight/New Moon, let them condemn it. They have a lot of issues, them people. The pope is not God, anyway. As if WE drink human blood because the vampires drink blood. Like duh?!?! The Cullens do NOT even kill people. And the wolves are NOT really werewolves, but only giant wolves. And they PROTECT people, not kill them. Urghhhh... 1 gazillion points OFF for the Vatican... Oh and this -->

haha i know, right!? it's a big epic fail for the vatican!

Come on guys, it's the Vatican! They make a mockery out of everything. The Pope is against sex for any other reason but reproduction and yet owns a condom factory??? I mean WTH?