In what is reminiscent of controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series for its alleged glorification of witchcraft, debates on whether Christians should see a movie charged with promoting a pro-atheist and anti-God book series have been heating up in the wake of the weekend release of “The Golden Compass.”
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(Photo: New Line Cinema / Pool)In this image released by New Line Cinema, Dakota Blue Richards appears in a scene from the film 'The Golden Compass.'
The movie is based on the first novel of a children’s book trilogy by British author and avowed atheist Phillip Pullman. It follows a young girl named Lyra in her quest to uncover the reason behind the disappearances of children including that of her best friend. As part of her journey, she uses the aid of a golden compass to unlock answers and outwit members of an authoritative body known as the Magisterium. She is also accompanied by her “daemon,” an animal which represents the physical manifestation of her alter ego or soul.
New Line Cinema has been marketing the $150 million budget movie toward children as a fantasy film and toned down the heavy anti-religious themes found in the book from the movie, slating it for blockbuster success.
But the purging of the book’s religious elements from the big screen adaptation has not sat well with many Christian groups, most notably the Catholic League, which has red-flagged the movie for its “sugar-coated atheism” and what it deemed as an assault on the Catholic Church.
Contending that Pullman has an agenda to promote atheism, the Catholic League has urged Christians to boycott the film which they believe would persuade more people, mainly children, to read a series that is riddled with pro-atheist notions.
“It’s Pullman’s trilogy, not the film, that really sells atheism to kids,” reiterated the group’s president, William Donahue, in a statement Wednesday.
Conservative evangelical group Focus on the Family has also chimed in through its movie review publication Plugged In Online. Associate editor Adam R. Holz referred to Pullman’s message as “blasphemous and heretical” in his article entitled “Sympathy for the Devil.”
In a review for the movie, Holz recently added, “But even watered down, ‘The Golden Compass’ is still awash in a twisted worldview and dark spirituality.”
Responding to the antagonism his work has received, Pullman said in a recent interview that those behind boycotting the book or film are “dictators.”
“I don't believe in doing that, because I'm a Democrat,” the British author told Chicago Tribune in an interview published Friday. “There is no place for dictators in the world I want.”
In other recent interviews, including one on NBC's the "Today" show, Pullman denied promoting a pro-atheist agenda and maintained that his story rejects any authoritarian body that abuses its power.
A spokesman from New Line Cinema issued a statement, saying the movie is not “anti-Christian nor anti-religion” and insists that the book series “has been praised by countless clergy and religious scholars for its deep spirituality and exploration of important theological issues." Continue >>
Comments
Pullman's movie is not that bad. The Church should be more worried about the Da Vinci Code when it comes to REALLY slandering the Church. The books, however, are another thing. Pullman makes the Church seem like a dictatorship. In his books the Church is above the MILITARY! And in every branch of government the church has spies! What is worse, he makes God seem vulnerable and mortal. He makes God look evil as well. He portrays that a mortal being can command angels against God and build a fortress, reach God, and kill him. THAT is what I did not like about Pullman and his books.
if you try hard enough you can manipulate most of what you see, hear, etc into a war against God...how many children will walk out of theater and think hmm...God isn't real. this movie to me is representing a very real image of how governments and other authorities can attempt to move away from the wants and needs of the people they represent into something that abuses and extorts the people. and besides that doesn't people shouting out in protest only put more focus on the material and actually encourage more people to see it?? defend our faith, yes! but dont fight battles that lead to nowhere but worse and in the end accomplish nothing...
Friends, Pullman's own comments are quite typical for the angry secular humanist- ambiguous enough to maintain the appearance of objectivity and reason. In some interviews he scathingly blames God (NOT just "church and authority") for all his own prejudices. However, when he has to sell something, such as a movie, he tones it down. He and his advocates are, by nature, the very things they claim to despise. According to a smart bloke called John, writing from Patmos, there will come a time when people take up arms against God. They actually think they can win. They won't, but if they've made their choice to take up that fight, we may be wasting time trying to talk them out of it.
I will say the books or movies may not push people toward atheism, Pullman and the movies have a goal that is more diabolical in my opinion. They want to create something more serious. One of satan's strongest assaults on the Christian is not making you disbelieve in God; it is the assualt where wants to make you question God's authority and omnipotence. That is what Pullman does through the books, painting the picture that God is not all powerful, but weak and selfish and not only can be, but should be killed off. Which in Pullman's world, that is a good thing. Christians who are new to the faith, people on the decision fence of whether to become Christians, and those who are weak in the faith, may fall into this temptation of questioning or testing God's being. Without the support and teachings of other Christians on this danger the movie and books present. They may fall into the seduction. Hebrews 5:12-14 says:
"12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Personally, I think it is better to not support things such as this by not seeing the movie, and to teach the reasons as to why it is wrong for the Christian.
This is similar to the "DiVinci Code" problem. Some say we need to see what they're saying in order to have answers at the ready. Well, unfortunately, some weak-minded Christians who are not well-versed in their Bible saw the "DiVinci Code" and said, "Wow! Ya know, that really could have happened. Maybe Jesus really did marry Mary Magdalene!" My sister's friend was one of those weak-minded Christians. It's a shame.
I really see no reason to pollute my mind or the minds of my children with such nonsense. Touch not the unclean thing-- you'll be better off.
www.theotrek.org - Well-spoken!
I saw the film on Saturday and it really isn't worth fighting over.
Great. Let's everyone rush to see it. God forbid.
This is a triology. The first brings you. The second can make one question what he really knows. The third is the fatal blow.
Genesis: 3:1-6
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
"but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, no shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
"For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
The devil can intice you to disobey God. Your pride can puff you up. You think " I can withstand the devil and match wits with him." You may win, but will others with you be as fortunate. God told them what His commandment were; they disobey Him for their own pride.
Pride can cost you more than you are willing to risk.
Zooch: You know I realy think it is time for Christians in America to grow up, we are instructed to have a defence for our faith regardless of what others say Phil 1 15-18 Jesus does not have to be rapped in cotton wool, we can make a strong defence of our faith, "the knowledge of the truth will set us all free", not the boycoting of theaters
Don't forget:
Philippians 4:8, Finally, brethen, whatever things are noble, whatever things true, whatever things are just, whatever tings are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.
The real point, is it right to give your offerings to anyone who discredits your Father, beloved and best friend? Then why do we as Christians keep these authors in business. We need to stop drinking from their polluted wells, and eventually they'll dry up.
The problem with the church today is, we look, talk and act too much like the world. John said love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, if any man love the world the
love of the Father is not in him. We need to be looking on things from above not things from the pit! The Lord is coming soon to judge sin in the world, we need to get ourselves ready to meet the Bridegroom and stop worrying about what pagans are saying, watching and doing. If we truly love Jesus we would stop doing everything that we know is dspleasing to Him. We are here to please God not ourselves, to be conformed to the image of His dear Son, and try and pull as many of them out of the fire as we can ! You don't have to eat someone elses garbage to see what they had for dinner !
I've not seen the movie, but I have read the trilogy. So, Pulmann is an atheist. The books don't so much promote atheism as critique the church's over-involvement in political struggle and not concerned enough with love, grace, mercy, and the higher values of the gospel. i'd love to teach Pulmann about true Christianity. Unfortunately, all he has seen is greed for power and an unbalanced preoccupation with sex and original sin.
The trilogy's critique needs to be heard. I doubt the works will push people toward atheism. We as the church have done a better job of that any movie will do. Don't bother watching the movie, but listen well to its critique. If we did a better job of living the gospel, the movie would have less of a leg on which to stand.
You know I realy think it is time for Christians in America to grow up, we are instructed to have a defence for our faith regardless of what others say Phil 1 15-18 Jesus does not have to be rapped in cotton wool, we can make a strong defence of our faith, "the knowledge of the truth will set us all free", not the boycoting of theaters
Friends, when one of us is attacked, we're all attacked. When one member suffers, we all suffer. No matter who in Christianity they were trying to attack, they're indirectly attacking all of us. Do not let them divide the house, because it will not stand. Let us stand strong together against this and all other upcoming attacks against Christianity.
Yeaah I'm going to go ahead and agree the the Catholic Church represents a dictator-style leadership. Any agnostic to atheist would agree.. Thankfully, we no longer live in a world where they are the ruler. We have freedom, to make whatever movies we want. The only reason I actually want to see the movie now is because the Church doesn't want people to. It means they find the ideas threatening to their own. I'm more inclined to agree with ideas that are not cohesive to a religious agenda. Looks like a mediocre movie anyway. Not being a theist doesn't make me more likely to believe that there are animals physically representing my soul or spirit. That would require just as much, if not more faith than accepting Jesus. Relax guys, it's a movie.. If people of all beliefs can see Narnia.. they can see the Golden Compass. If the Church is that concerned about a movie's impact on people.. they should make more movies..
I saw the film on Saturday and it really isn't worth fighting over.