Vampires Aren't A Mockery of Heavenly Realities

Vampire mythology as we know it today originated when dead bodies showed symptoms of what we now recognize as tuberculosis, rabies, and pellagra. Way back when, people didn't know how to explain fresh blood, the decomposition process, 

Rabies, which is transmitted by saliva and bites, 

So the myth of the vampire was born out of fear and ignorance, not disrespect of the reality of incorrupt corpses.

The modern vampire could merely be reflecting our society's realization that diseases are not something to be so afraid of now that we have the knowledge and methods to treat them. So moral vampires may be not as demonic as we might think since rabies and tuberculosis are basically what drove the blood/life sucking and aggression aspects of this mythical creature.

Think about it; aggression and biting people is a symptom of furious rabies. A person who has furious rabies and starts biting people isn't voluntarily doing so. The person with furious rabies has no free will when they starting biting people. Hypersexuality is also a symptom of rabies, but this manifests in men more than in women.

While promiscuous sexuality is an intrinsic evil in Christianity, hypersexuality in rabies is what most likely inspired fictional vampirism being a metaphor for promiscuous sexuality. And once again, rabies impairs free will so hypersexuality in this case isn't completely voluntary behavior. 

 
People with hyperhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, also known as the vampire disease, live with many of the traits that characterize the modern vampire. Pale skin? A symptom of hyperhidrotic hyperhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Fang-like teeth? Also a symptom of hyperhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Extreme sensitivity to sunlight? Also a symptom of hyperhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia.

Walking and breathing people who suffer from these diseases are beloved children of God and by saying vampires a mockery of any heavenly reality, we risk stigmatizing the people who did not choose to be afflicted with diseases that gave rise to vampire mythology.

As for the aversion to holy objects, that was a plot device created by Stoker, furthering the then not-so-uncommon belief that vampires are agents of Satan. Perhaps this knowledge of vampire folklore and its origins will help Catholics to stop saying vampires are agents of Satan and a mockery of the things of God. They're not. They're fictional creatures born from fear and a gaping lack of medical knowledge. They're creatures that were given a demonic nature due to a plot device invented by Bram Stoker. We're giving Satan way too much credit for something that can be explained as having natural, human origins. And perhaps this knowledge will help deter people from turning to the occult because of vampires. 

People who feel compelled to bite others because of a disease aren't to be emulated as cool and sexy. They're to be given compassion and proper medical care.

People who drink blood because they want to become an immortal vampire need psychiatric help, not an exorcism. Horror fiction gives us a healthy dose of fear in an environment where we know we're safe. It's like going on Pirates of the Caribbean at the Disney Parks. The ride causes us to be scared at times, but at the time same, we're safe and we know it.

I do acknowledge that incorrupt bodies of holy people do exist. And I acknowledge the reality of the Devil and his mockery of heavenly realities.

But with explanations such as tuberculosis and rabies,

And Pope Benedict XIV addressed the vampire issue after a period of vampire panic du jour in his "on the beatification of the servants of god and the canonization of the blessed."

The bottom line he gave is vampires don't exist. They are a thing of human fantasy and imagination.
And I don't think I need to tell you how powerful the human imagination is, particularly the overactive imagination.

 
So let's defer to Pope Benedict XIV's judgement and say vampires are the invention of an enormous lack of knowledge of medical conditions, fear, and vivid imaginations rather than a Satanic mockery of any God-given reality, shall we?

In short, if you encounter someone with fang-like teeth and pale skin, it's probably a fellow human being, alive and breathing, but suffering from hyperhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia rather than a reanimated corpse with fangs and roaming the night for its next helping of blood. In that case, the proper response isn't to take out a crucifix, a bottle of holy water from the grotto in Lourdes, or a stake. It's to treat the person the way you want to be treated, to treat them as a beloved child of God. As TED talk speaker Aaron Stark once said, "Treat them like it's just a Tuesday."