Last week, I was giving a talk to children in our religious education program. I was trying to explain genuflection, and why a bodily act of adoration in the presence of God was not only appropriate but also a requirement of justice. The reasoning is very simple. God is God. We are not. In justice, we [...]
Timely words from Pope Benedict on Beauty, Truth, Goodness and the Arts
POPE SAYS TRUE BEAUTY LINKED TO TRUTH
Cautions Against Valuing Mere Appearances
VATICAN CITY, NOV. 25, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The search for beauty without truth and goodness can drive young people to fly toward artificial paradises that simply hide interior emptiness, says Benedict XVI.
For complete text of this article, please visit Zenit: http://www.zenit.org/article-24363?l=english
And the same story covered by [...]
Real love and real beauty go together…
If any of you have heard of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, I think some of their efforts have been a little misguided – but this video really hits the nail on the head. What is fantasy doing to our ability to relate to reality? Girls: do you like what happens in this video? Do [...]
“Twilight” – success at the box office spells trouble.
From the Associated Press:
LOS ANGELES — The vampire romance “Twilight” drained the box office in its opening weekend, taking in $70.6 million.
Catherine Hardwicke’s film also enjoyed the biggest opening ever for a female director, blowing away the previous standard of $41.1 million set by Mimi Leder’s “Deep Impact” in 1998.
Drawing from its huge fan base of [...]
I just saw “Twilight”, the movie…
Having just seen the movie, here are some basic impressions:
There is a sense in which seeing “Twilight” the movie is a relief after reading the books because you get spared all the disturbing descriptive language. The film is not as intense as a consequence. Edward’s nightly nocturnal visits to Bella’s bedroom really only amount to [...]
Roger Ebert doesn’t think Edward is virtuous, either….
Here is the beginning of his review….
By Roger Ebert
If you’re a vampire, it’s all about you. Why is Edward Cullen obsessed to the point of erotomania by Bella Swan? Because she smells so yummy, but he doesn’t want to kill her. Here’s what he tells her: He must not be around her. He might sink [...]
Twilight’s Message re: Marriage and Family
As we continue to examine The Twilight Saga in the light of the Gospel, it is worth noting the negative treatment given to marriage and family life in the series.
To begin, it is essential to know that Bella is the child of divorce, but has sought no healing for that wound. The ongoing ramifications of [...]
The Twilight Saga – A Critique
The Twilight Saga is a gateway drug… lowering inhibitions and desensitizing. It creates a fantasy world where girls experience Edward’s advances vicariously within their own imaginations. My review follows:
“The apple on the cover of Twilight represents ‘forbidden fruit.’ I used the scripture from Genesis (located just after the table of contents) because I loved the phrase [...]
Other interesting points…
These are points from another reviewer that I have found interesting – Stephen Isaac at Plugged in Online (media reviews from Focus on the Family). Here are some things he has said about Bella:
- “As interested as I’d become in the inner workings of Bella’s brain—and you do spend most of the saga occupying her [...]
Perspective: Why take on Twilight? To fight for true femininity!
Time to provide some perspective. I am posting extensively on The Twilight Saga. Why?
The Twilight Saga is an international sensation, but unlike other recent blockbusters (for example, the Harry Potter series), this fan base tilts very, very heavily towards females. (One fan site listed a ratio of 31 registered females for every male, and I would [...]
Ongoing critique of The Twilight Saga… about “thirst”
In a continuing effort to examine elements of The Twilight Saga in light of the Gospel, here are thoughts on the concept of “thirst”:
“O come to the Fountain all you who are thirsty”
Isaiah 55:1
The Twilight Saga has an interesting twist on the concept of thirst. Thirst is a negative thing. Vampires thirst for blood [...]
Stephenie Meyer on… hand holding?
The following post is to give some indication of what I believe has been misinformation and distortion regarding The Twilight Saga. In Time Magazine’s article which ran April 24th of this year entitled Stephenie Meyer: A New J.K. Rowling?, it was mentioned that Meyer is a Mormon who has never viewed an R rated movie. I [...]
Beauty and Modesty
Something to remember in the midst of the Twilight hype….
“How beautiful then is modesty and what a gem among virtues it is.”
St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church
Here we are in the middle of Fall! Football season is surging ahead, leaves are piling up and our mornings have that [...]
Twilight: Critique of Review in The Catholic Post
This article appeared in the September 14th edition of The Catholic Post – the newspaper of the Diocese of Peoria. I know and respect Nancy, but I disagree with her conclusion here. I think she is trying to point out problems without being hysterical. I sympathize with her predicament. However, I think the potential damage [...]
