This is a response to
Catherine Bird's blog entry, informing Christians that the new movie The Golden Compass is the first in
a trilogy of children/young adult novels from British author Philip Pullman's Atheist perspective. I've read all three books and yes, folks, the young protagonists do, essentially, kill God.
While Catherine Bird argues that anti-Christianity causes "a myriad of social problems Americans seem reluctant to even face, much less solve," many argue that religion does this as well, because we can always repent. According to
Letter to a Christian Nation, by
Sam Harris, the Christian faith has made it easy for many people in our country to believe the apocalypse could come in the next fifty years, resulting in an attitude of "Why work to fix something that'll get destroyed soon?".
Anti-Christian doesn't always mean anti-anything else.
Philip Pullman's series teaches, especially in the final book, that we must be curious, patient and cheerful (and teach/help each other) -- in order to create our own heaven.
Tears? I was in them. Inspired to help my fellow man? I was renewed, ready (do people feel that way at the end of
C.S. Lewis' series? I am afraid I didn't and haven't heard anyone say different).
Faith, hope and love (the latter of which Pullman's main characters embody beautifully) are wonderful ideals but terribly ambiguous, in my opinion.
And, if you are a Christian, witnessing the efforts of people who want all reference of religion removed from government, shouldn't you consider why? I think there may be many, many people who find it cowardly and ignorant of Christians to protest new viewpoints (Like
The Da Vinci Code) and other faiths. Wouldn't the viewpoints of others help you understand God's world better? Educating yourself won't have any influence on your ability to be saved - right?
As for the ads for this movie, and how they do not mention Pullman's worldview, well, is there ever any fantasy film that has announced in its ads that it's touting any particular worldview? The books don't mention the author is Atheist, either. It's been awhile since I've looked at C.S. Lewis' series, but I doubt the publishers emphasize that he's Christian.
According to Wikipedia, "Several key themes of the novels, the rejection of organized religion and the abuse of power in a fictionalized Catholic Church, are to be diluted in the (film) adaptation." For more,
click here. And the director didn't consider the book anti-religion, but apparently calls it "highly spiritual and reverent."
I think what Pullman wants his readers to do is open their eyes. In the end, it's up to parents to determine what movies they will take their families to. Whatever the decision, Pullman's work is going to the big screen, and I agree with Catherine Bird -- this indicates a change in how many of us are willing to look at our world.