“Then You Have Been Warned!”
Vampires Transform And Corrupt Lives To Give Themselves Eternal Life.
Christ Died For Us To Give Us Eternal Life.
Father Thomas Euteneuer/-With the issuing of the third movie in the Twilight series I have to speak out about our culture’s twisted fascination with vampires. I don’t hesitate to tell people that I am totally disgusted with the new fad sweeping over our youth culture these days. It is not just kids that are taken up with the wiles of the dark world either: many moms of teens are swooning for them too. I think that these seductive creatures are simply the spawn of the Harry Potter culture that has for over a decade now been indoctrinating kids to think that the occult world is normal and that all this evil messaging is harmless when dressed up as entertainment. That’s vampire logic – and just what the devil wants us to think.
Gone are the days of Bella Lugosi’s Dracula (1931) where good was good and evil was evil. A crucifix would drive Dracula away and then he had to go into his infernal coffin when the first streaks of dawn appeared. He was in every way presented as a creature of evil, dark of heart and dread to encounter. He drank human blood too, a feature that was supposed to strike terror in every person who valued his life’s essence. The image of a blood-sucking creature who lives in slime and darkness and will pounce on you to drain out your very essence should terrorize every decent person. This is because vampires used to be images of demons. That’s what demons are all about: the vanquishing of all human decency and life. They represent the spiritual vortexes of the demon world that drag down to the depths of hell all who fall prey to their wiles.
But, my, how vampires have come up in the world these days. 
Nowadays vampires are divided into good and bad – no longer intrinsically evil. The good ones rescuevulnerable women instead of biting them and, allegedly, drink only animal blood (well, we haven’t seen the last Twilight movie yet…). And crucifixes? Don’t think you’ll see any of those driving away bad guys in these movies. The heroes are the “good” vampires, not the Church or religious faith in Christ.
These super-star vampires also walk around in sunlight and, as a matter of fact, their skin just happens to glisten like diamonds when exposed to direct sunlight. Isn’t that wonderful? The glam vamps are gentlemen, chaste and well-intentioned, yet they are always hovering around the edge of “falling” and in seductive situations which cause young people to think that they are capable, like their hero vampire, Edward Cullen, of going just so far and pulling back, out of self-control. That’s teaching them to play with fire, not a real chastity message for kids.
The worst part of this fascination with vampires from a faith point of view, however, is its blasphemy of the Eucharist. “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you,” said our Blessed Lord in Chapter 6 of John’s Gospel. He is the One who offers His flesh and blood for the life of the world. The vampires eat (bite) the flesh and drink the blood of victims rather than give their own to redeem others. Their bites corrupt and transform their victims into vampires like themselves. They have no life in them. They are the “living dead” by their own estimate.
How sad that this generation has been so taken in by those who represent the very antithesis of the core reality of our Faith – the Eucharist. Vampire logic is anti-Eucharistic logic, and it’s very dangerous for our kids. In their obsessive fascination with such darkness, kids (and adults) turn their backs on the One who actually died for them.
To those who say, “Oh, Father, it’s only harmless entertainment,” I say simply: You’ve been warned.
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Dear Father
Thank you for writing this blog. I have contended for some time that the preoccupation with vampires and paranormal phenomena is a way the ‘evil’ one again lures in the unsuspecting soul. In my humble opinion these films are byproducts of a ‘culture of death’. Psychologists have often mentioned the ‘power’ of images and ‘modeling’ as methods of changing behavior. As you rightly point out, the spiritual danger is great and the could lead to the loss of souls. In the case of Harry Potter films and vampires movies, we have a misrepresentation of the theological notion of ‘good’ vs. ‘evil’. How do such films help us spiritually to live out the Words of Our Master: ‘If you wish to be my disciple, you must pickup your Cross and deny your very self’ ? With films promoting ‘evil’ in the guise of ‘good’, our brothers and sisters are tempted to go farther and farther from the narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.
Tom
SOLT
May God Bless and Keep us in His Loving Arms
Dear Father,
Thank goodness for fearless warriors for truth like you and Father Euteneuer!
When the Harry Potter series came out I tried ad nauseum to convince Christians this was a very dangerous flirtation with a twisted notion of evil disguised as good. I took so much heat for that opinion. I even read all the books so I could speak on par with the wizarding world. It was some of the darkest children’s literature I’ve ever read.
It is no surprise to me to see the vampire fascination arise out of the Harry Potter generation.
Lord have mercy on this culture of death and give us Your wisdom to speak life into it.
Pax+
Caroline
Dear Fr.Thomas Euteneuer,
Thank you so much for addressing the new pop craze of Vampires. I have told my young nieces that it is in the same category of occult as ouija boards and visiting psychics and the young adults new interest in witches too. They think I am a fuddy dud.
I am so happy to see that a Catholic Priest has the courage and the strength to stand up against this new subtle means of attacking our youth. They don’t even realize how it is affecting them.
Something about these movies was just not right… and something inside me told me so. I could never watch those new TV shows that have just been created that the teens are going crazy over… and some adults!!! What role models they are???? It is so sad!
Thank you for leading the way for Catholics… and for lighting the path. Thank you and may God Bless You always. I will continue to keep you in my prayers also! You are truly a gifted priest filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen and Amen.
Blessings and Shalom,
Roseann.
I will try to keep this short. (I think this article was just reposted, so Fr. will never read this.)
I appreciate him trying to warn us of the devil, but I believe he is wrongly targeting the “Twilight Craze”. It is obvious that he has not read the books, so he is fighting blind. He calls a made up character “evil”. (unless he is saying vampires are real). He basically is telling us we should never read anything that is fiction because it will take away from Christ, so no more unicorns, Lord of the Rings, well…television in general.
His main point is about vampires being against the Eucharist, but this is him fighting ignorance. It is the saying “no one hates the Catholic church, they just hate what they THINK the Catholic church believes”. In Twilight the “heros” don’t eat humans or drink human blood, they do not turn others into vampires and eating flesh as he suggests.
Instead it is a story of self-control, a discussion of souls and the possibility of losing them, about a choice to keep a baby, about not having premarital sex and waiting until marriage. It is a love story. True it does not talk about Christ, but how many fiction stories do? With Fr.’s logic, we could demolish ANY fictional story (and most true stories for that fact).
I understand (of course not to his level) the influence and evil of the devil, but we must take everything into perspective and one case at a time.
Thank you for this article, I never thought it was blasphmey. At one time I had a fasination but thank God got away from it. Some many things the devil can use to lead people astray. God Bless and Thank you!!!!
By the way I have rediscovered the Latin Mass. Wow, the divinity of Jesus, the graces that flow, enough to keep anyone away from evil.
John 6:54
Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
That’s enough. We don’t need fiction; especially fiction which influences souls by blurring the line between Good and evil. Eat junk = get a junky body. Read and watch evil = get an evil outlook. Not unlike the ‘frog in warm water’ are we desensitized slowly by consuming death and calling it food.
Dear Father,
I am very interested when you speak. I catch you on EWTN sometimes. I believe everything you say about the evil and the demons. I know we live in an increasingly hostile world to Christianity. I agree with everything you said. My question is, if we have a good solid foundation in Christianity, then we are less likely to be negatively influenced by movies like Twilight. Which I saw and liked. Thank you very much.
My 50 some year old sister has been to the most current vampire movie at least 4 times and watches whatever vampire series is popular now on tv.
Fifthteen years old, her first husband died of cancer and she continues to have difficultly accepting that a good God allows extreme suffering prior to death.
At the time of his cancer treatments and then after her husband’s death, my sister worked and raised their 2 sons.
I think the entire sequence of events overwhelmed her underdeveloped belief in a loving God.
Perhaps she blames God for the circumstances of her & her late husband’s life.
I think the sad thing about these addictions to vampires & occult & gaming, (as with all addictions) is that the lost time could have been spent in activities that could have drawn a person into a deeper relationship with Christ.
The crux of the matter is determining who is more attractive & deserving of your personal time; Christ or a vampire.
Ciao,
I think Barb answered your question with her comment.
“The crux of the matter is determining who is more attractive & deserving of your personal time; Christ or a vampire.”
Satan is a master at making evil look good, especially in the beginning. Does this make sense?
Barb we will be praying for family.
JMJ
Thank you and God Bless you Fr.Thomas, This book series is definitely based on a death culture,violent and full of chaos and disorder.There are authors who will print and produce anything to make MONEY and after potter books ,ann rice books and other occult based trash which entice young minds to achieve un-natural ,supernatural power; by getting involved in reading and watching ;and even if it is a fiction book it is still leading a path open to an evil adversary who is made out to be non-existent.When will people believe there is a price to pay for dabbling and being curious about treading over to evil ground.The lines of danger are all too clear,the images are too.God created order and beauty; chaos,violence and killing are not of God,nor is idol worship of vampires or the like.When someone plays with matches they can get burned,when someone plays and becomes attracted to evil they will also get “burned”.
Thank you for the much needed warning.
There is also the evil of “The Gates.” series on ABC.This includes great evil portrayed as good,including vampires,were wolves,incubus demons and more.You as an exorcist know the dangers involved in these realities.
I have known teens to whom these demons have appeared.They are real and come to kill and destroy.There is nothing good about them.Their intention is to drag souls to hell.
How sick is a society which thinks to treat these spiritual matters as mere tales.How sick is a society which thrives on death and darkness.The root of this is a the rejection of Humanae Vitae as each year the fascination with death and hell seems to increase.
Do we not know that Jesus Christ our Light has come!