In Her Words . . .

The following is a testimony sent to us by a young lady for whom we have been praying. Her parents noticed a change in her heart and life as a result of her interest in books by L. M. Montgomery, and they came across our review of the author. They then began to pray for and work with Patience. The personal thoughts, fears, and temptations that she experienced during that period of her life she has recorded for the benefit of others that they might avoid the dangers that she has found to be very real and present. Parents, we think this testimony will interest you to know the quiet influences that shape your children through what they read. And we thank Patience, and applaud the courage it took for her to come forward to tell her story. We have, over the years, received some similar testimonies by phone, but we feel that real-life testimonies definitely help people understand the issue, and encourage parents to be more discerning of the influences that affect their children.

Dear Keepers of the Faith,

I am writing my testimony for you regarding the Anne of Green Gables series. First of all though, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your prayers, and I can assure you that they were answered -- hallelujah, and also for the article on Lucy Maud Montgomery which was on your website. I thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony so as I can warn others about the dangers of these so-called “innocent” books.

I will start at the beginning…

In the early fall of 2006, I borrowed Anne of Green Gables from the library. I had wanted a new book to read and my mother, quite innocently, recommended Anne of Green Gables, telling me that it was the classic story of an orphan girl with red hair and freckles. I thought it sounded excellent, so I said “Okay”. When I received the book (my dad picked it up for me), I was lying on my bed, and I eagerly began the first chapter. When I reached the end of the first chapter I thought “Well, this isn’t all too exciting yet, and there are a lot of hard words that I don’t understand, but I will continue reading it.” And I did. I read and read and read. By the time it had to go back to the library, I had finished the book, but I wanted more of it. I was intensely hooked to it, and much to my delight, I found out that Anne of Green Gables was one in a series of eight books. “I have to get them,” I thought. I read the next two books online, Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, and I started the fourth book, Anne of Windy Poplars. By this time I was experiencing an addiction to them.

On May 21st, 2007, I received the whole Anne of Green Gables series from Amazon -- I read them in only days. Now I thought that I couldn’t live without them. I was now an avid Anne fan. I visited many Anne fan sites and signed a guest book, expressing my adoration for Anne and the author. I was determined to tell the world how great they were, and decided to write book reviews on them at Amazon. I even expressed great contempt for those who dared to not like Anne of Green Gables and the other Anne books. I rose up in great defiance over non-favorable reviews. In Christmas 2007, I received a gift card for Amazon. “Wonderful!” I thought, “Now I can order more Anne-related stuff!” And I did. I ordered Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Poetry, and a Prince Edward Island travel guide along with one on Canada. Of course, my love for the author came after my love for Anne Shirley, and when it did, it was very strong. I soon became very interested in her, and read anything about her that I could. I even attempted writing my own biography on the author. Indeed, I had a large Anne collection, including the Anne of Green Gables movie with Meagan Follows, and the Anne of Green Gables audio done by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, not to mention my numerous articles and papers on the author and her creation. You could say that I worshiped Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne Shirley -- they were my gods.

The Anne stuff had a tremendous hold on me. As I said, I felt as though I couldn’t live without them. I did have some scary and frightening experiences with them, and I firmly believe that these books are possessed with a demonic influence. I took them everywhere. I even slept with one of them under my pillow every night for awhile, and sometimes with the whole series up by my head. I always took one or two in my purse when we went places. I found myself talking to Anne -- even thinking to Anne. One night I awoke to find a ghostly form that resembled my sister standing in my room staring at me, and then it disappeared. I looked over the end of my bed, and there the form crouched laughing at me. I was never so scared. I would often just go up to my room and say a few words to Anne and then go back downstairs. Also, one day I wrote a pretend letter to Lucy Maud Montgomery, and then I decided to compose a letter to myself from Lucy Maud. I wrote in exactly the same style that she did -- I had asked a list of questions and I answered them without any difficulty, and I thought that is exactly what Montgomery would have said. I was also very afraid of death and I knew that if I died, I would go straight to Hell. I knew that there was no hope of salvation for me if I owned the Anne books, etc., but I was not willing to sacrifice them.

My parents read the article on Lucy Maud Montgomery by Keepers of the Faith, and they became very worried about the Anne of Green Gables series. They told me, and had me read the article, but I didn’t care. I did scribble some things out in my books to satisfy them however, but like I said, I just didn’t care. I realized then that my Anne stuff was in serious danger. I was actually terrified -- I didn’t know what I would do without them -- I felt for sure that I wouldn’t survive. I even considered running away at night with a bag full of every Anne thing that I owned. And if I could not slip downstairs and out the door, then I thought that I would throw my bedding out my window, toss my bag down on top of it, and then I would jump down after them.

My parents purchased The Chautauqua series, and I totally shunned and hated them because I knew that they were bought to replace my Anne books. I was furious, and I would have nothing to do with them for a couple days. I was mad at Keepers of the Faith for daring to say that Lucy Maud Montgomery was a bad influence and that the Anne of Green Gables series was bad. “HOW DARE THEY!” I nearly screamed in my room.

And then I started struggling with some facts about my Anne books. I was having some strong convictions on the wickedness of them. On the 15 of August I finally began The Chautauqua series, and was now plainly aware that my Anne books were horrid, and the godliness of The Chautauqua series showed it. God had allowed me to realize my sins, and I wanted to be saved and experience the joys of the Christian life like those four Chautauqua girls. I wanted what they had.

I told my mother and father all the wrongs of the Anne stuff, for I had kept this stuff to myself. And then I gave every Anne related thing that I had to my dad to burn, and he did that night. Now I want to warn everyone out there of the wickedness of these classics, and that they are not good to read. I want to warn all those Anne fans out there whom I have possibly led astray by my reviews. I don’t want them to follow Lucy Maud Montgomery to the jaws of Hell, and to burn forever there for all eternity. It is too late for L. M. Montgomery, but these fans can be warned while there is still time. I want them to join me in Heaven and to be there in the joy and presence of God for all blessed eternity! I feel so free now, and I am not afraid of death. Indeed, the Lord has saved me and I know that my name is written in the Book of Life. I rejoice greatly that God had mercy upon my soul and freed me from the terrible bondage that I was in. Praise God!!

____________________________________________

The following information includes some details about the Anne of Green Gables series and its author.

Lucy Maud Montgomery is a world-famous author. Born on Prince Edward Island in 1874, her mother died when she was 22 months old. She was raised by her grandparents and was introduced early in life to books and poetry. She said that “I was an indefatigable little scribbler”, and she began writing from an early age. She married Ewan Macdonald, who was a Presbyterian minister. Anne of Green Gables was written in 1904, and Lucy Maud, with determination to find a publisher, could not find one. Severely frustrated, Lucy Maud threw the manuscript into a hatbox, only to bring it back out nine months later and try one more time to publish it. It worked. Grosset and Dunlap in New York published it. The book sold more than 19,000 copies in only five months. Lucy Maud Montgomery followed it with the seven other Anne books. At the age of 65, she struggled to finish the last one, Anne of Ingleside, because of emotional and health problems, but she did it. Three years later, she died of grief at the age of 68 in 1942. Her other works include 14 novels, 500 short stories, five volumes of journals, an autobiography, and 450 poems. She answered every fan letter personally -- every single one. She even received one from Mark Twain. She was a minister’s wife, and a mother, a Sunday school teacher, and an author. Wasn’t she a good person?

Lucy Maud Montgomery was into the occult and worshiped nature. She taught girls how to make a “table rap” or to call up an evil spirit, and she introduced the Ouija board to the young fry of Cavendish. I believe that her books are “blessed” by an evil force, which is part of the reason that they (her books) have millions of fans. Lucy Maud’s ungodly beliefs appear often in her writings. Here are some examples:

1. Anne plainly states in Anne of Green Gables that she is not a Christian, “but I would like to if I could be one like Mrs. Allan.” (To Marilla, page 171)

2. Lucy Maud’s worship of nature seems evidenced by her vivid scenery descriptions. Anne freely worships nature in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s same way, “believing trees and flowers had souls, and would grow again on the hills of Heaven”. Anne thinks that amethysts are the souls of good violets (Anne of Green Gables, page 95). She also hugs trees and talks to them like friends. Anne believes that her soul looks like a flower (Anne of Avonlea, page 110). Diana talks about her daughter talking to the spirits of the flowers in Anne of Ingleside, page 5.

3. Fortune Telling is mentioned a couple of times -- Anne of Green Gables, page 234, and Anne’s House of Dreams, page 60.

4. Ghosts (Anne also believes in fairies, goblins, elves, dryads, and other small folk) are part of Anne’s world, and appear in Anne of Green Gables in the chapter “The Haunted Wood”, pages 164-165, Anne’s House of Dreams, page 81, and then in Anne of Avonlea, chapter 2, she says “’Perhaps they all come back on moonlit nights… the ghosts of the little children of long ago” to their vacant old home. See also, Rainbow Valley, page 42.

5. Halloween -- A question asked Anne by her children: “Mummy, do the souls of the dead really come back on Halloween?” (Anne of Ingleside, page 151).

6. Evolution -- Richard Chase believes in millions of years and the theories of evolution, including that people evolved from apes (Anne of Ingleside, page 96).

7. Kissing outside of marriage -- Anne states that Gilbert freely kisses her, and on the nape of her neck (Anne of Windy Poplars, page 82). This is before they are married.

8. All the characters seem to worship Anne, especially Hazel Marr, a young woman who “wishes to possess her exclusively”, and “kisses her (Anne‘s) hands reverently” (Anne of Windy Poplars, pages 174-182).

9. Anne admits that she loves to be adored and worshiped (Anne of Windy Poplars, page 188).

10. Sex outside of marriage? Nora and Jim Wilcox spent all night together in the library with the doors closed, after “Jim sprang at her” (Anne of Windy Poplars, pages 114-117).

11. Terry made love to Anne while she was engaged to Gilbert. (Note: this might mean something else in Montgomery’s day, but it is still there.) Anne of Windy Poplars, page 188 states “’Terry says he was just moonlighted into making love to you (Anne)’”.

12. Anne and Diana drink wine to make themselves feel “real devilish”. Anne: “Come down to Green Gables about two and we’ll have a drink of Marilla’s red current wine… she makes it now and then in spite of the minister and Mrs. Lynde… just to make ourselves feel real devilish.” Then Diana “did not mind ‘devilish’ as she would if anybody but Anne used it. Everybody knew Anne didn’t really mean things like that. It was just her way.” (Anne of Ingleside, page 6).

13. gods -- When L. M. Montgomery uses this word, I believe she means the Ancient gods like of the Greeks (Anne’s House of Dreams, page 8).

14. Turn Mohammedan -- In Anne of Windy Poplars (page 145), the housekeeper Rebecca Dew states, “Well, Miss Shirley, I hope you’ll never try to induce me to turn Mohammedan…because you’d likely succeed.” By this Montgomery means Muslim (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammedan).

15. Witch -- Anne and her friend Elizabeth make a pretend map of their fairy land and one thing on their map was the home of the Witch of the Snow (Anne of Windy Poplars, page 76). Mrs. Montgomery, however, can use the term “witch” so casually, calling Anne in the first book “a freckled witch of a girl.”

16. Anne and Diana’s motto was
“In the days of elder art
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part,
For the gods see everywhere.” - by Longfellow (Anne of Avonlea, page 137).

17. Drunk -- In Anne of the Island, page 210, Anne has one of her works published, and Phil asks Anne what she is going to do with the money, and then Phil adds, “Let’s all go up town and get drunk.”

18. Anne and Marilla’s neighbor had a parrot that swore and cursed -- Anne of Avonlea, pages 3-4.

19. Gog and Magog -- The woman whose home Anne and her chums boarded in during their years of college, had two china dogs named Gog and Magog -- they sat on the mantle piece, and Gog looked to the left and Magog to the right (Anne of the Island, chapter 10). Anne was then later given them as a wedding gift and acted as though they had life-like qualities (Anne’s House of Dreams, chapter 3, and chapter 13). (Note: Gog and Magog are mentioned in Rev. 20:8 as the nations that gather to battle against the saints.)

20. Heaven -- When Ruby Gillis is dying of consumption, she thinks she will go to heaven because she was a church member (Anne of the Island, page 103, or in the chapter called “The Summons”).

21. Swearing -- Davy calls God names: “Then I think God is a mean old scamp.” He swears, and his outburst of rebellion is in Anne of the Island, pages 94-96. In Rilla of Ingleside, Miss Oliver tries to swear (page 145), and Jims calls God a name: “And nasty old God.” Other swear words will appear once in a while throughout the series.

22. Lying -- Davy lies to Marilla and Anne about Dora in Anne of Avonlea, page 78. He also lies in the same outburst of rebellion in the pages of the above “Swearing”.

23. Ill of the dead -- Anne of Windy Poplars, page 50, talks about speaking ill of the dead.

24. Kissing II -- At age 15 ½, Rilla Blythe receives her first kiss from her boyfriend Ken Ford (Rilla of Ingleside, page 138).

25. Unfaithfulness in Marriage -- In Anne of Ingleside, pages 261-266, Gilbert, after he married Anne, walks alone in the sunset with his old friend, Christine Stuart.

26. Worship of Leslie Moore -- Anne seems to be very intimate with a few of her friends -- Diana, Hazel, and especially Leslie, whose beauty makes Anne in awe, so-to-speak. Indeed, she is so beautiful that Anne kisses her “upturned face” (Anne’s House of Dreams, page 137). My parents read the testimony of a girl who admitted that the Anne series turned her on to lesbianism.

27. Santa Claus -- Gilbert dresses up as Santa Claus at Christmas time and delivers the gifts to his and Anne’s children (Anne of Ingleside, page 69).

28. Idols -- For Christmas, Anne receives a small woman figurine from her old friend Elizabeth, and Aunt Mary Maria Blythe asks what it is. Anne responds, “It’s the goddess Diana.” (Anne of Ingleside, chapter 13)

Well, these are some of the major problems I see with the Anne series. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are more examples that I could have listed. There is so much that is sprinkled throughout all of the books.

I have tried to give you a fairly thorough overview of them, and I hope that you now have a better understanding regarding these books and their author. I feel that I know the Anne books inside and out, so a list like this was not difficult.

If you think about it, Anne Shirley is like a goddess in this Anne of Green Gables religion, and the fans are her worshippers and followers. Japanese fan girls flock to Prince Edward Island to get married “where Lucy Maud got married”, and so do many other fans, to get their pictures taken at one of the houses, Park Corner or Green Gables. All fans dream of the day where they can walk “where Lucy Maud walked” and to see “where Anne lived”. Prince Edward Island is like the shrine of the Anne of Green Gables religion. They even have Anne license plates and Anne fabric, dishes with Anne on them, Anne dolls, musicals, and so many other things. When Kevin Sullivan was searching for a girl to star as Anne Shirley in his movie “Anne of Green Gables“, thousands of girls answered his plea and I’m sure their cry must have been “Pick me! Pick me!” So many girls adore Anne, wanting to do everything like her and even be called “Anne”. These poor fans have been blinded and led astray -- they are on a path that leads to Hell. I was in the exact same boat that they are in. May God use me and my testimony to reach these fans.

Thank you again for all your prayers!

Sincerely,

Patience

Notes:
Information on the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery is taken from the following:
L. M. Montgomery: A Biography, by Caroline Parry
L. M. Montgomery Timeline, at www.tickledorange/LMM.com
Biography on Lucy Maud Montgomery, at http://www.tickledorange.com/LMM/Biography.html
An Island Tribute to a Great Writer, by Joanne V. Murphy, at http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/lucy_maud_montgomery.aspx
The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery, Introduction by Kevin McCabe

Once again we thank Patience for her courage. As we said, this is not the first time that we have received information of such experiences from young people or their parents. We feel the fact that these experiences are all too common is borne out in the fact that we often receive very irate and irrational responses to our reviews from young people who are similarly addicted to seemingly harmless children’s works—often “Christian” children’s works. Patience has done a great job of sampling the instances of things abhorred by God that are glorified and sprinkled liberally throughout such books in order to make them look harmless and appealing.