The Vampire Lestat and the Problem of Eternal Damnation Essay

The problem or question of what it means to be damned is difficult to understand at the best of times, it is however all the more difficult when the subject in question is a vampire. How does a vampire that has developed God-like powers and whose only way to survive is to take human life, redeem themselves in the eyes of God? This is not really an issue for Lestat; as for the majority of the Vampire Chronicles he believes himself to be a form of God. With every life that Lestat takes he is committing a mortal sin, the gravest form of sin and he does so with full knowledge and consent. With reference to Anne Rices Vampire Chronicles and both Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned motion pictures, Lestats journey from mortal to†¦show more content†¦By their very nature, a mortal sin cuts our relationship off from God and turns man away from his creator. (Saintaquinas.com: 1) If mortal sin is a grave matter, what does the bible constitute as being a grave matter? One idea to look upon is breaking any one of the Ten Commandments, although some are not considered as grave as others. St. Paul offers us a list of such offences, which if committed will not allow the sinner to enter the Kingdom of God: The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians, 1995, 5:19-20: 824) It would be fair to assume that almost everyone is guilty of at least one of the above sins at some point in life; however, a being such as Lestat is on a different level of sin. Of course in between these levels of sin there are sins, which are considered to be of a graver nature, it is obviously a graver sin to murder than to be a drunk. From this it would be simpler to know that the latter would be considered a venial sin and not within the same gravity of a mortal sin and therefore the sinner can be saved. However bad a mortal sin is, according to theShow MoreRelatedThe New Vampire: Bram Stokers Dracula and Anne Rices Interview with the Vampire2047 Words   |  9 PagesThe vampire has been a mysterious and enticing figure since its entrance into popular culture, usually regarded as the tale Dracula written in 1897 by Bram Stoker. Stoker, and later Anne Rice, as well as many other writers and directors have capitalized on the fascination the public has with these dark creatures of the night. Whether they are in books or on the big screen vampires capture our imagination, tantalizing us with a taste of the darker side of life. But if vampires are so dark and so