Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Ungodly Influences


Last year I shared with you a post on Twilight and got quite a response.

I even shared with you a video by Pastor Mark Driscoll, where he shared his unbelief about the top books for teenagers over at Amazon and the witchcraft aimed at our children today.

We know the days are more evil and we really need to be on guard about what is out there, how subtly it can slip into our homes, and influence us and our family away from the Lord to sin. Just yesterday I was at the mall and plastered everywhere was this:



This is the latest TV show called The Secret Circle, it is about a 16 year old girl who finds out she is a witch and is just another movie aimed at indoctrinating our daughters and sons. We should not be surprised and expect this only to be commonplace in our culture from now on.

Satanic influences be found in movies, books, tv shows, radio, internet, blogs, YouTube videos and the list goes on. We have to remember that everything we watch teaches a lesson in something. It is imperative that we guard ourselves and teach our children to as well.  It can even come in subtle forms and we might not even realize it, these are just as dangerous.

I remember when I first got saved as a young housewife I would watch a family comedy TV show that "seemed harmless'. I though it was all good at first, but then noticed that the wife constantly berated, undermined, manipulated, fought with, and controlled her husband. Then, my husband would come home from work and I would notice little things that I would say to him that were like the wife in the TV show. Coincidence? I think not.

I was learning a lesson and imitated what I had learned. I didn't even realize I was doing it at first, but then began to realize how the influence of the show had affected me. When I stopped watching the show, I noticed the difference in how I treated or responded to my husband. The influence of the show led me to disrespect my husband, sin against God and tear down my home. Sure, my sin nature was totally responsible, but I was subtly influenced by what I was taking in.

In the past, I have shared with you how got rid of and tossed things out of our home. We did this because they didn't fit in with our new life. We did this because we knew that changes needed to be made in order to live a godly life.  We didn't want to keep things around that would cause us, our children, or those around us, to stumble.

We have to always remember that there is a real and powerful spiritual battle going on. As I began looking deeper into the topic of the influence of darkness I have realized that there is so much I want to discuss and cover --perhaps in October I will do a mini series.

In the meantime, if you would like a topic discussed or covered, please feel free to leave it in the comments. Also, please share what you think of these new teen TV shows like The Secret Circle...


I'd love to hear your thoughts!



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46 comments:

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing said...

Thank you SO much for addressing this topic!!!! It is such a big issue with teens and adults that, due to the constant contact with it, so many seem to have become oblivious of the harmful affects it has on our lives and that of our family. I will look forward to your series.

Blessings!

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing

Anonymous said...

THis is such a timely post! Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil!

Thank you for taking a stand. I look forward to the rest of your series.

A kindred spirit,
Mrs. Jen B

Unknown said...

I wish I could go baaback the beginning of the last school year and crack down on my daughter when she started to take out books like Twilight from the middle school library. Before we knew what was happening, all she was reading was about vampires, werewolves, witches, and other subjects like these. Most of the books in the teen area of the book store are similar.

I read the Twilight books, because everyone was talking about their daughters reading them, and I wanted to see if they were appropriate. Huge mistake. My daughter saw me reading them, so subconsciously they were on her appropriate reading list.

When we talk about appropriate reading materials, she becomes completely unglued, and the conversation rapidly spirals out of control. She thinks she knows what Truth is, but when she started reading these books, her outlook changed.

How do I fix this? She goes behind my back to read inappropriate stuff at school. She sneaks stuff home. And how to stop the conversations going crazy? I just feel like a failure.

Unknown said...

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing,

You said the same thing I was going to write! I have spoke to many Christian women who are having issues with their teenage daughter and the 1st question I will ask is what are they watching on tv and listening to on the radio. Jersey Shores, Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game, Modern Family, Glee (yes I said Glee!). There are many more. They promote promiscuity, homosexuality, lying and drinking. Is that what we want in our teens heads, thoughts and actions? I look forward to your series!

Trophy and Barb said...

Thanks for this. We, too, have weeded out as the Lord has led. A parent -- and an individual -- can never be too careful. We must be on guard and not allow the devil even a foothold. What we read and view has an immense impact on us. We cannot fall into the attitude that 'It's just a book" or "just a movie." Everthing has a worldview it is communicating.

Robbi said...

Media in all forms is something God has been pruning in me for a few months. I strongly believe that media is a subtle tool of satan and that his focus is the teen and young adults. Thank you for your honesty and reminders of how we have to guard our hearts continually!

asdf said...

Thank you for saying this. I struggle with seeing many of my christian friends immersed in the vampire trend or harry potter, it's all magic. I even go so far as to not spend time watching or reading the Narnia series because it's focused on magic. (Not that everything C.S. Lewis wrote or says is like that) There are warnings specifically against magic in the Bible and it's something we can easily recognize and do without. Also tv shows where there are unhealthy relationships are good to avoid, just like you'd avoid being around someone who gossiped or something else that might rub off. It's useful to use the "Would I want Jesus to come back while I was doing this?" question with entertainment too.

June Fuentes @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home said...

A reader on Facebook responded with this:

As soon as I seen the picture I knew there was something very familiar about the name. I read these books as a teen and I can say they are a 100% satanic right down to all the rituals they do. That is such an open door to witchcraft. I can remember feeling intrigued and afraid. This series may even be worse than Harry Potter if that is even possible. Please do not let your children get into this. It is scary. :-( All that garbage shows up even if it is 17 years later. :-(

Mothers, we need to take warning seriously!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this. I think it is important to teach our children the Word of God and how to apply it to their reading material, viewing, or listening. One of the things that we have done is teach the Starting Points curriculum to our oldest child (and plan to teach the others as they get older) This course has impacted me as I went through it with my oldest. It was tough. I can remember reading an article on Ladies Against Feminism about how a young lady became interested in witchcraft by watching Scooby Doo. She got in very deep before she was delivered. This can be a tough issue but it comes down to the heart.

June Fuentes @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home said...

Maggie,

I would love to address your question and will do this in a post tomorrow.

Anonymous,

Thanks so much for mentioning Scooby Doo. This is another potential subtle introduction to darkness to our children that parents might otherwise think would be harmless. I also knew of children who became interested in witchcraft through this show.

Many blessings...

Brittany said...

YES!!!!!!! I have found that as well!!!!! You know I actually only realizing this was happening after I watched the Duggar's on TV and noticed how encouraged I was to then serve. Since then, I am really watching what I expose myself (and children) to.

Gracey said...

Wow...what a disturbing tv show...unbelievable.

Amanda said...

Thank you for this post! I look forward to the rest of this series!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much!

Rocky Mountain Homemaker said...

Oh, I so agree with your findings. I used to work at a library in a small town and I was distressed to see how popular and numerous books about darkness were for the teens. Good uplifting stories sat on the shelves, while the dark books were checked out repeatedly.
When my daughter was a teen we would look for the subtle feminist tone in many of the popular movies. Often it wasn't subtle at all.
I love old movies because they are uplifting and not feministic at all!
If you do a miniseries, I will certainly read it.
Thanks so much..........Denise

www.homemissionfield.blogspot.com said...

I encourage you to definitely DO THE SERIES and I thank you for it in advance!! I think most Christians around me think I am the crazy one. They think that I am way too overprotective with my kids because I don't like them watching certain TV shows and movies. It's a bit easier to control what my younger daughters view, though we have had issues when they go to other people's homes. My older daughters, the ones that are 18 and 20, fought me for years about not only the shows and movies, but the books they want to read. This is such an area of deception, and people don't realize how serious it can be! Christians are desensitized to the work of Satan in everyday things, such as our entertainment.

Melissa Meadows said...

I grew up in a Christian home, but I still thought it was okay to watch certain shows. I had the seasons of this show (it was actually an older show) on dvd and loved watching them. One day I realized that they were not Godly nd I should throw them out. I did just that. Then a couple of years later I let my guard down and purchased them again. Seeing your post has convicted me of them once again and I am going to throw then out today!
On another note, I was wanting to email you about something and saw that I was supposed to put my email in a comment, so my address is kam8406@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Sarah beth said...

Ohh What a wonderful post! Its so important that many women read this. I find it scary that these are the shows aimed for our children..that show may be for teens but there are many on the disney channel for even younger children. Anything with magic is not allowed in our home. We are careful to pick a movie, show and books.

Amy said...

So true! I was at a bookstore with a friend last week helping her pick out books for a teen girls' group. Almost everything there seemed to involve witchcraft, vampires, etc.. I found it very dark and discouraging because I once read books like that and they are not a good influence. One post I would love to see since you have experience with this for your own children - what fiction would you recommend for teenagers? I know of a lot of wonderful non-fiction, but sometimes kids want a good story and the pickings at bookstores lately are striking me as more slim than usual. Thank you!

Angela said...

It's not just witch craft creeping in. I just had a conversation with a pre-teen girl about her favorite TV show. I couldn't believe it "Pretty Little Liars"! Really, trash is everywhere and is being glorified. I whole heartily believe it is our job as a parent to protect against such things. Even if it makes us the bad guy.

Lisa said...

Thanks so much for this post. It seems that so many moms (and dads) are apathetic these days...about everything: what their children watch on TV, what books they read, who they hang out with, and even what clothes they wear. Thanks for taking a stand!
Blessings to you,
Lisa

Angie @ Crazy Country Momma said...

I agree with you. There is witchcraft everywhere. I have younger sisters, and their favorite toys are female monsters that are fashionable. A lot of parents allow their children to watch these shows not realizing how much is at stake. I went to school with several girls that decided to be pagan witches, and that was before "Twilight". There truly is a spiritual battle going on in America today, and half of our soldiers don't even know it.

Mommy of two said...

Thank you for this reminder. My daughters are still small but I am trying to become aware now of things that might creep into our household and draw them away from God. I believe that recognizing and being aware of Satan's snares is half the battle. Satan is indcredibly sneaky. He blinds people into believing that ghosts, whitches, vampires, wizards and such are just cute and harmless. I remember when I was in HS I refused to read a book that had a ghost in it. Even so-called classics are not always appropriate for Christians. One of Satan's snares that he is amazingly successful at is blinding people into believing that he does not even exist.
Have a blessed day!

Michelle said...

As soon as I saw this post, my blood began to boil. That is always my initial reaction to occultic books and media because...I use to BE a witch. My "career" started at the ripe age of 10. (Yes, TEN, and I was prolifically reading people's charts by the time I was 12.

That was 30 years ago-when it was supposedly harmless. Our young children are in a very real spiritual battle and are being targeted like never before.

These shows are nothing but a gateway to the pure demonic. I appreciate your boldness in doing this series, June.

Far Above Rubies said...

June, it's startling to realize the fascination among our young people with evil.

I do not allow any of the teen shows in my home.

Blessings,

Jasmine

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your post. I have a question though. How do you deal with
christians who say that this is just entertainment and it's just pretend.
For example, when my daughter spent some time with her grandmother they
watched a show-Ghost Whisperer-I think that's what it's called. I thought it was inappropriate. My mother-in-law
is a christian and I love her dearly
but I strongly disagree with her viewpoint that it's just entertainment.

Ann at eightacresofeden said...

I am encouraged when I see so many comments from mothers because like Cathy I also face the same predicament - the people around me think I am crazy and over protective for not allowing my children to read Harry Potter and the Twilight series. I am also aware of a current trend among the Christian young people I know for watching Japanese cartoons and replicating the art. They have enthusiastic discussions about the characters on FB and it really bothers me even though it doesn't involve my children. I do not know much about this but would guess that being Eastern in origin that there would be strong spiritual influences in such media. I do not understand why Christian parents allow it into their homes.
I would appreciate your views Mrs Fuentes on Christian authors such as Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker who write about the battle between good and evil. What about murder mysteries such as Agatha Christie?
I really do not care for modern Christian romance novels and neither are my girls interested in them but what are the alternatives for teenagers who enjoy reading but are not enamoured by Charlotte Bronte or Jane Austen?

Renee said...

Thank you for posting a article on a subject that needs to always be brought to light, so we can always be on guard! I have struggled with the sensual pulls of these types of shows, even as a Christian. Just as Satan tempted Eve, he tempts and has tempted me.

A lot of folks, including Christians, think of no real danger with this stuff, because it's made up. However, as you pointed out, it is dangerous because "what goes in come out." And it is very true.

Once my husband was saved and I brought back from my backsliding ways, we literally dumped 99% of our videos. We cancelled our cable service. Though we can still access stuff on the Internet, we are always on guard.

It has been a huge relief, money saver, and impetus in our walk with Christ to get rid of Hollywood from our home. We have more time with each other, other folks, reading, studying, domestic arts, traveling, playing out doors or indoors, etc., all by getting rid of that garbage. My mind definitely feels a lot cleaner!

Thank you for exposing the truth on this darkness--God bless!

Alexxus H. said...

As a teenager myself, I am extremely APALLED at the shows for teenagers nowdays. I am by no means a radical Christian, where a show literally has to be perfect for me to watch it, but I do have some standards that I will not surrender for the sake of entertainment. Shows like "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "Pretty Little Liars" and movies like "Twilight" and "Red Riding Hood" make me want to vomit. This?!?! This is what they want us to watch?!? Teenagers who are having sex and having kids (being portrayed as "cool" nonetheless!), teenagers who are making out with their history teacher and who are covering up a secret about their murdered friend, teenagers who are lustfully and sexually falling in love with vampires and werewolves...what is our society coming to?
An observation I'd like to make: Does anybody watch the 700 Club on ABC family? Who else notices the forewarning from ABC Family saying, "The CBN telecast does not reflect the views of ABC Family". Yet, there is no forewarning for shows like the ones I mentioned above. So is that what reflects the views of ABC Family? Teens having sex? Teens covering up a murder? Cursing? Blaspheming of the Lord's name? Immodest attire? Just some of my thoughts....

-Alexxus H.

Jessica said...

How does one show her friend in gentle way that their behavior is dangerous and un-Biblical? I know of people who are big into this stuff, but I am perhaps too timid in trying to warn them. And yet I am not even sure how or if I should considering the fact that I think both the mother and the daughter are fans. :(

Karen said...

When I was a teen, I was a big fan of V.C. Andrews books. It took the comment of a non-believer to actually open my eyes; when SHE said how evil she thought they were, it was my wake-up call.

If you would consider it, maybe you could do a followup post on this topic. I have young daughters and I want to slowly and carefully train them so that when they get a little older and start seeing this types of things, that they will recognize what is wrong about them.

Also, what if your husband isn't quite on board? Not saying he would let them read vampire books and such, but he will let them watch cartoons that I won't, like Ruby Gloom and Fairly Odd Parents.

Anonymous said...

I would suggest to anyone interested pick up a copy of "The Deadliest Monster: A Christian Introduction to Worldviews" Its a different approach to worldviews in that the author uses stories (Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde among others) to show how worldview comes through even in the stories we read. Another reminder of how influential what we consume is.

Lisa said...

This new tv show is disheartening. I am continually saddened at how much witchcraft is being promoted in our culture - Twilight, Harry Potter, etc. - and most of the church doesn't seem to bat an eye and then they hop on board with it! It is sad, for sure. I appreciate that some people, like yourself, are addressing the topic!

Rebekah said...

Thank you!
It's crazy how much the stuff we watch and read affect our actions.
Reminds me to be careful for nothing.

Anonymous said...

To Ann at eightacresofeden, I used to think that crime and murder mystery books were ok too, the like of Agatha Christie, Midsommer Murders etc. But after thinking alot about it i chucked out all of my mystery books. My reasoning is that murder is a sin, so why would i want to expose myself or my children to a murder mystery story, where sin is the focus and the entertainment (i.e finding out "who dunnit" :)... just something to think about.

Even if people argue that something is about the battle between good and evil - well, isnt everything about that really? Even C.S Lewis series "Narnia" has been using that excuse, but i decided not to watch that either. Not because i think it is "sinful" as such but why bother when the Bible portrays the original story in all its beauty. Why do we need to expose our children to talking lions and men who are only half human? Children have big imaginations and i hate to think of the influences they are recieving through the media. We dacided a long time ago not to have tv, video or DVD's in our home (a hard choice as i wasnt always a christian) but we have never ever regretted it! And we do plan on screening books too... i personally think Jane Austen books are on the boundary as well, since they enourage alot of the "knight in shining armour/Mr Darcy fantasies" in young girls.

Yes we must be on our guard at all times! Thank you for bringing this topic up!

Blessings, Julie

JES said...

Cut your cable and create a family friendly DVD collection that is safe for your home. Don't waste any more hours channel surfing… It's not worth it.

Unknown said...

You and I have agreed upon this topic for awhile now. The new show doesn't surprise me at all because with tv its all about what sells. Disney has a new show coming out called my babysitter is a vampire,,,the indoctrination is getting younger and younger.

Dianne said...

As a teenager I was drawn in by the occult, namely through novels I read. Praise God I did not get in that deep, but I did participate in seances, was obsessed with communicating to spirits through the oija board, experimented with "out of body' experiences, and was fascinated by spells/witchcraft in general, even though I would have considered myself a Christian and had a deep love for God (I didn't know the scriptures).
Once I came to a deep knowledge of the Lord though the scriptures, I threw all of that out and repented.
However, Satan can creep up on us without us even knowing it.
One of the things I looked forward to, was being able to read the Chronicles of Narnia to my children. I could not wait until the day they were old enough to begin reading the series. After all, it was was an amazing allegory of Christ, heaven, and the rebirth through Christ.
The time finally came and as I eagerly read to my children, my husband (who had never read the series) shouted from the other room, "Dianne! What are you reading to the boys?!" I replied, "It's ok, honey. This is talking about 'good magic.'" Silence. Then my six year old son said, "Oh! I see! There's 'good magic' and 'bad magic.'" To that I replied, "No. There's no such thing as good magic, only bad." He looked puzzled, but we read on.
A few days later the same thing happened: We were in a part of the book (if I remember correctly) where a "good" dwarf casts a sleeping spell over the enemy so the others can get away or something like that (sorry if the exact details are wrong, it's been 10 years since this incident). In any case, my husband who was listening yelled once again, "Dianne, what are you reading to the boys?!" And my reply once more was the same, "It's ok, honey. This is 'good witchcraft.'" To that my son once again responded with, "Oh, I see! There's 'good witchcraft' and 'bad witchcraft.'" I replied, "No, there's no such thing as 'good witchcraft' only bad." Again, the same puzzled look.
That night I put down the books forever and realized that Satan is the master "candy-coater."

Dianne said...

(continued from previous post)

The analogy I like to use is this: When we're feeding a baby baby-food and he doesn't want to eat it, what do we do? We take the baby spoon and dip it into the spinach or whatever he doesn't like, and then we dip it into the "pineapple delight." He will swallow it eagerly and want more.
Satan does the same with us. If he were to present us with an entertaining book about witchcraft and tell us how
Galatians 5:19-21 says that those who practice those things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven, most of us would die before we would agree to read such a book. So, he does what we do with the baby food: He takes the magic and witchcraft and "sugar-coats" it with a beautiful allegory about the sacrifice Christ made for His Church, and we, like babies, swallow it and ask for more.
There is no such thing as 'good magic' or 'good witchcraft,' just as there is no such thing as 'good adultry,''good fornication,' 'good idolatry,' or 'good drunkeness.' WWJD? Would a Christian take Jesus to a movie where people were fornicating 'in His name?' Why would it be ok to take Him to one where people are practicing witchcraft 'in His name?'
For those interested, I did a quick search with all these keywords, "chronicles of narnia" "good magic" witch spell witchcraft. Here is a quote from a website I went to. The whole article is very good, but here is a quote.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third book in the Narnia series. It directly promotes spells and magic.
In chapter 10, titled “The Magician’s Book,” a book of spells is on an island inhabited by invisible creatures called Dufflepuds. Lucy works a spell to make the Dufflepuds visible. She goes through a spell book, which seems so inviting and beautiful to the reader. Then she finds the right spell and says the words. Immediately, the Dufflepuds—and Aslan—become visible. He is pleased with what she did.
Having read that book, children will be encouraged to go to the bookstore and purchase spell books of modern witches.
Many Christians declare that the Narnia books are an allegory, with Aslan representing Jesus and the children representing Christians. But if you do this with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, then you portray Jesus as being pleased when Christians do magic and work spells. And you endorse the idea that there are “good” spells and “good” magic. However, the Bible clearly forbids any form of witchcraft:"

Dianne said...

(cont. from last post) 2 Corinthians 6:14-17:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God;As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”

Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

Anonymous said...

Dianne - totally agree! Your comment was very well thought out and will be used as an argument in my home if the subject ever comes up!

I myself went to see the Narnia movies in the theatre (this was before i changed my mind about them, and when i used to go to the movie theatre!) In fact, our whole church was encouraged to go and the children encouraged to read the books!! I have since changed my mind about them, after having children myself, changing churches and researching the topic abit and talking to older, wiser christians. Yes we must be on guard at all times!

Blessings, Julie

Blessed Homemaking said...

I agree that Narnia is something Christians shouldn't be reading, as well as The Lord of the Rings, for they promote and encourage that which the Lord forbids.

Wonderful post.

♥ Mrs. Q

Anonymous said...

This is a very timely topic for me. I would like to hear more. I was just recently doing a Bible study when I came upon the idea of sowing good seed in our hearts and how we need to guard our hearts. It really convicted me. I thought I "knew" this, but I never really put it into good consistent practice.

It made me realize that I had been watching tv shows that I thought were funny and because of that, sort of explaining away, dismissing, or ignoring the not so funny dishonoring parts of the show. Or that I had been lingering too long over decorating blogs or magazines causing discontent and jealousy in my heart which turned to anger towards my husband. Wow. Yes, I chose those bad behaviors, but it was a small bad seed that prompted it.

When I started reading and watching and thinking about good things with honorable content, I realized what a difference it made in my life.

Yes, these things can be subtle, but it is still dangerous. Thank you for discussing this and reminding us to guard our hearts.

"Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Unknown said...

This is my first time to your website. What got my attention first was the scripture on your header, then as I scrolled down I read that you mentioned a video by Mark Driscoll {whom I respect and learn a great deal through his teachings}. Reading the post about Ungodly Influences, I just have to put in my two cents.

My husband and I have talked about this very topic, about books and movies geared toward girls/women. Chick flicks in particular. And we came to a conclusion, or rather, God lead us to it. That those things are porn for the female.

Just as porn affects men/boys and ruins the image of marriage and 'woman' the way God created. So do the chick flicks and books created with a 'romantic' male lead. It leads girls/women astray in thinking that a man can't truly love her if he doesn't act like, say, Edward in Twilight.

It ruins their deception of marriage and men. Just like all women are different, and not buxom blondes. Men are different and love differently.

I enjoyed your post and I greatly look forward to returning to your website!

Susie said...

Vampires and werewolves aren't the only problem with the "Twilight" series. There is also the issue of Bella and Edward's unhealthy relationship which can negatively influence a young teen who doesn't understand what love is. Another issue is the unkindness shown by Bella's sister-in-law, Rosalie. In an interview, when asked if Rosalie is pro-life; Stephanie Meyer answered that she isn't, Rosalie just wants a chance to raise a baby and doesn't care if Bella dies in child birth. This not the attitude a woman should have towards a sister-in-law. A woman of God would care about the well being of both her sister-in-law and the unborn baby. Too often in the media relationships between women are portrayed as negative. Women are shown gossiping about each other and being unkind. One summer, my mother and sister asked me to watch "The real housewives" reality television show with them. I found it upsetting how terribly unkind the women were to each other. The show didn't seem to be about being house wife at all.

Young women need to learn to support and help each other. They should learn to cultivate good relationships with women in their families, including in-laws gained through marriage. I also advise parents to avoid the movie "Mean Girls" and "The Clique" book series. These were popular when I was teen. My college young adult literature teacher argued with me that "The Clique" book series represents teenage girls today and is relatable for most young girls. I strongly disagree. The series promotes gossip, inappropriate dressing, and unkindness to other girls. I do not think teenage girls need to read "The Clique" series and learn bad behavior.

Some positive representations of female friendship include "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott and the "Anne of Green Gables" series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The sisters of Little Women have their differences, but they love and care for each other; and serve the family to the best of their abilities. I also love the relationship they have with their mother. Anne not only finds a close friend in Diana, but she looks up to older women in the community; such as her teacher Miss Stacy. One great thing about the "Anne of Green Gables" series is it is God centered and has a book for each stage of life a girl goes through. Book two, "Anne of Avonlea" takes place when Anne is young woman. She is working as a teacher to support herself and Marilla. The following book, "Anne of Island" is about Anne going to college. In "Anne of the Island", Anne learns that love isn't fluffy romance shown in fiction. When she realizes what love really is, she accepts Gilbert's proposal. We see Anne as a newlywed in "Anne's house of Dreams" and as a mother in "Anne of Ingleside" I also recommend Louisa May Alcott's novels "Rose in Bloom" and "An Old Fashioned Girl". "An Old Fashioned Girl" is relevant to today. While visiting friends in the city, Polly finds herself at odds with the immodest culture. However, Fanny's grandmother gives her encouragement to stick to the morals her mother taught her. At one point in the book, Fanny's grandmother says modesty has gone out of style which reflects todays culture. I read "An old Fashioned girl" as a teenager, I related to Polly; and found encouragement to stick to my Christian morals rather than to follow my more liberal friends. "Rose in Bloom" is about a young woman entering adulthood. Now free to make her own choices, Rose deals with the temptation to stray from the morals her uncle taught her. One of my favorite moments in the book was when Rose chooses to return a book to her friend because she realizes that it is not a book a Christian young woman should read. I also like that Rose made the decision to use her inheritance to help others rather than to lavishly spend it on herself.

Catherine said...

We have to very careful of what we allow in homes. The media encourages teenage girls to lust over boys. This often gets overlooked because the church focuses on teaching girls not to tempt men, but forgets to teach girls how to avoid temptation. Teen magazines marketed to girls sometimes have pictures of half-dressed male celebrities in them. When "Twilight" was popular Taylor Lautner was featured on merchandise shirtless. Girls are visual to some extent. We should avoid exposing our girls to content that teaches them to lust. Married women shouldn't fill their heads with men who are not their husbands.

There is also the issue of movies promoting infidelity. Pixar's "Inside Out" features a scene where the mom fantasizes about a man who is not her husband. In Blue Sky studios "Rio 2", the mother, Jewel reunites with an old flame. Jewel enjoys the attention of her old flame, even though she is married. I also didn't like how Jewel neglected her husband the whole movie, and ignored his feelings and needs. Both "Rio 2" and "Inside Out" are animated movies marketed to children. What is Hollywood trying to teach little girls? It's not o.k. for a woman to commit adultery in heart or to ignore her husband's feelings/needs.

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