Catholic League anounces boycott of "Golden Compass"

[deb1]

When I was a child, I didn’t need a whole lot of encouragement to rebel against Mommy and Daddy’s religion.

When I was 22 (your age) I still didn’t realize how many stupid mistakes I made and just how right my parents were about so many things.

Still, I don’t believe that children are idiots, but that adults who leave them to their own devices are.

I agree. BUt I am bothered at how many people view parenting young children as treating them as idiots. The same people will complain if parents get angry over the content of a movie, television show, music, or video game, by asking why the parent doesn’t turn off the entertainment. BUt when the parent does they are accused of treating the child like an idiot.

 

[deb1]

I think that about hits the mark with my interpretation of the novels. They do warn against many of the dangers of organized religion and against many of the evils the PEOPLE in the Catholic Church have perpetrated at one time or another, but they don’t necessarily attack the current church or Christianity as a whole, and neither do they deny the existence of a creator.

So the author had an effect on you. You see organized religion has bad, which it isn’t.

The people who should be most angry at Pullman are atheists. His novel certainly doesn’t promote atheisim.

 

[Greg72]

I agree. BUt I am bothered at how many people view parenting young children as treating them as idiots.

It’s just the age that we live in - suggesting that parents could possibly know better than their children (and have the nerve to direct them) is offensive to many.

I also believe that many parents are uncomfortable exercising their authority and would rather be buddies than parents. Pretending that the children don’t need direction / correction makes them feel better about themselves.

 

[Glimpson]

Sample email you can send to your friends with kids in Catholic School. There are millions of us in North America.

---

This is not one of those emails that asks that you reply to 10 of your closest friends, but I hope that you’ll send it to 10 of your closest friends.

There’s a movie comming out this weekend, written by an athiest who wants your children to stop believing in God. It’ called The Compass, and it’s the first of 3 books…

We all work really hard to raise our kids Catholic, don’t give this guy an opportunity to undo your efforts.
catholicleague.org/videos/
catholicleague.org/catalyst.php?year=2007&month=October&read=2322

In an interview published inthe Washington Post (Feb. 19, 2001), he stated:
“’I’m trying to undermine the basis ofChristian belief,’ says Pullman. ‘Mr. Lewis [C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia] would think Iwas doing the Devil’s work.’”

Similarly, in an interview published in the Sydney MorningHerald (Dec. 13, 2003), Pullman stated:
“I’ve been surprised by how little criticism I’ve got. Harry Potter’s been taking all the flak. I’m a great fan ofJ.K. Rowling, but the people—mainly from America’s Bible Belt—who complain thatHarry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven’t got enough intheir lives. Meanwhile, I’ve been flying under the radar, saying things thatare far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books areabout killing God.”

 

[Glimpson]

Ideas change the world. They can certainly change my boys.
When they’re experience critical thinkers, they can read this. Until then forget about it.

 

[Baptista]

I think that about hits the mark with my interpretation of the novels. They do warn against many of the dangers of organized religion and against many of the evils the PEOPLE in the Catholic Church have perpetrated at one time or another, but they don’t necessarily attack the current church or Christianity as a whole, and neither do they deny the existence of a creator.

I am presently re-reading the third book of this series. And yes, they do deny the existence of a creator. According to two “angels” who are helping the boy, the “Authority”, which is how they mostly refer to what we would call God, was the first angel…formed of ‘Dust’…as most angels are. He told those that followed him into being that he created them. He gave himself the name of Creator, God, and many forms of address that mean God.

Oh, and the 2nd angel helping Will was once a human in Our world. Will was told it’s “rare” that a human becomes an angel, but this other angel (they are both male) kept him from the land of the dead…which is a hopeless place, nothing like Heaven. Or hell, for that matter.

Formed of ‘Dust’, from nothing? Sounds like being set up for a theory akin to “the big bang”.

 

[deb1]

Ideas change the world. They can certainly change my boys.
When they’re experience critical thinkers, they can read this. Until then forget about it.

I am very worried at the number of young adults on this thread who don’t understand that kids younger then themselves need protection until they have enough experience to deduce propaganda from reality. Simply because something is fiction does not mean that one should not be aware of the biases of the author. The target audience of these books are not upper teens but preteens. There is much difference in the type of material that is appropriate for each age group.

 

[venusekt]

I am very worried at the number of young adults on this thread who don’t understand that kids younger then themselves need protection until they have enough experience to deduce propaganda from reality. Simply because something is fiction does not mean that one should not be aware of the biases of the author. The target audience of these books are not upper teens but preteens. There is much difference in the type of material that is appropriate for each age group.

At 30, I doubt I still fall in the young adult category, and I am a parent, though of very young children. I do believe that children need protection and guidance, which is why I personally have said repeatedly that parents should ALWAYS read the books their children are reading. Even small children reading un-controversial primer books need an adult to help them question, comment and comprehend what they are reading. I think that the only way kids really learn to distinguish propaganda from reality is through and adult reading something WITH them and saying “this is propaganda, this is blasphemous, this is untrue and this is why.” This is not a concept that many children/teens/adults understand just through intuition.

Have I read these books? Yes. Will I share them with my children in their teen years? Absolutely. We’ll read them together so I can tell them exactly what makes these books contradictory to our family’s beliefs, and why, at the same time, it is compelling literature. Being a good story, a clever concept, does not mean it should change people’s beliefs. I think all good stories are conversation starters. There is certainly a lot to talk about in this series.

 

[deb1]

At 30, I doubt I still fall in the young adult category, and I am a parent, though of very young children. I do believe that children need protection and guidance, which is why I personally have said repeatedly that parents should ALWAYS read the books their children are reading. Even small children reading un-controversial primer books need an adult to help them question, comment and comprehend what they are reading. I think that the only way kids really learn to distinguish propaganda from reality is through and adult reading something WITH them and saying “this is propaganda, this is blasphemous, this is untrue and this is why.” This is not a concept that many children/teens/adults understand just through intuition.

Have I read these books? Yes. Will I share them with my children in their teen years? Absolutely. We’ll read them together so I can tell them exactly what makes these books contradictory to our family’s beliefs, and why, at the same time, it is compelling literature. Being a good story, a clever concept, does not mean it should change people’s beliefs. I think all good stories are conversation starters. There is certainly a lot to talk about in this series.

What you described is called parenting:thumbsup: . That is what we are supposed to do. YOu know ahead of time that this material has questionable material. You read it on your own and if you feel that you should, you read it with your kids. I did the same with the Harry Potter series. But you are talking about teenagers and I am pretty certain that these books are aimed at younger kids. My fourteen year old could understand that an author has a bias. This might confuse my 11 year old. Three years maturity makes a lot more difference then some people acknowledge.

 

[Donna_Mc]

I was very pleased today to find out our Catholic grade school
was sending home information warning parents about this
movie!

 

[jthiel]

What’s the point of warning about the percieved dangers of organized religion if not to steer people away from the Church?

Correct. They simply make him out to be a feeble, senile being who brought the world into existance using material apart from himself which any number of other beings could have done.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not the God that I worship and I don’t think that painting a false picture of the creator is harmless fun for the sake of a good story.

Its purpose is to steer people away from the bad portions of organized religion. I don’t know about you, but the church at the time of Martin Luther is not the church I would want to follow, nor is it the Catholic Church I follow today. It is the evils that churches like the one we had in the late 1400s and early 1500s that this book warns against.

Actually it doesn’t mention the creator at all. The being you speak of is worshipped by the magisterium in the book, but he is not god. He didn’t bring the worlld into existence, he was just the first sentient bieng to come into existence and he capitalized on it. If you want to look for a picture of god in the books look to dust. It is attracted to us when we love and when we learn and is the root of all sentience and consciousness.

 

[jthiel]

So the author had an effect on you. You see organized religion has bad, which it isn’t.

The people who should be most angry at Pullman are atheists. His novel certainly doesn’t promote atheisim.

I do not view organized religion as bad. If I did I certaintly wouldn’t go to church every Sunday. I think that the power people assume in organized religions can be abused and has. If you want some proof, read about Pope Alexander Borgia. It was his SON that was idolized in Machiavelli’s “the Prince.” What I believe we should take from the books is the idea that organized religions can make mistakes, so we should be able to justify our own faith.

 

[deb1]

I do not view organized religion as bad. If I did I certaintly wouldn’t go to church every Sunday. I think that the power people assume in organized religions can be abused and has. If you want some proof, read about Pope Alexander Borgia. It was his SON that was idolized in Machiavelli’s “the Prince.” What I believe we should take from the books is the idea that organized religions can make mistakes, so we should be able to justify our own faith.

I have read about Pope Alexander IN fact, this time period, for some odd reason, is one of my favorites to study about(I am an odd person:shrug: ). It was not organized religion that was at fault but the Borgia family.

People have done great evil in the name of many worthy causes, not just religion. That doesn’t make those causes bad. The prolife movement is a worthy cause but the actions of a few who bomb abortion clinics doesn’t mean that the prolife movement is bad.

The same is true of organized religion. I’d far rather belong to an organized religion with a hierarchy with more checks and balances in place then some of the churches that depend on the charisma of their leaders. The Pope who came after the Pope Alexander set out to bring down Cesar Borgia after all.

The only reason any one today views organized religion as bad is that there has been a steady diet of propaganda from the media espousing this negative view. Now I don’t believe that this is some crazy conspiracy but it does make sense that an organization that tells its followers to live by rules isn’t going to be appreciated by another group(actors and film makers) who make their living by flouting the rules.

There is much gloating about anything wrong that The Church is viewed as committing and very little reporting of the much vaster amount of good that it has done.

Of course we should question our religious leaders but the Catholic Church itself has always been good and will continue to be so. Jesus promises us this.

 

[Riley259]

Sample email you can send to your friends with kids in Catholic School. There are millions of us in North America.

---

This is not one of those emails that asks that you reply to 10 of your closest friends, but I hope that you’ll send it to 10 of your closest friends.

There’s a movie comming out this weekend, written by an athiest who wants your children to stop believing in God. It’ called The Compass, and it’s the first of 3 books…

We all work really hard to raise our kids Catholic, don’t give this guy an opportunity to undo your efforts.
catholicleague.org/videos/
catholicleague.org/catalyst.php?year=2007&month=October&read=2322

In an interview published inthe Washington Post (Feb. 19, 2001), he stated:
“’I’m trying to undermine the basis ofChristian belief,’ says Pullman. ‘Mr. Lewis [C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia] would think Iwas doing the Devil’s work.’”

Similarly, in an interview published in the Sydney MorningHerald (Dec. 13, 2003), Pullman stated:
“I’ve been surprised by how little criticism I’ve got. Harry Potter’s been taking all the flak. I’m a great fan ofJ.K. Rowling, but the people—mainly from America’s Bible Belt—who complain thatHarry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven’t got enough intheir lives. Meanwhile, I’ve been flying under the radar, saying things thatare far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books areabout killing God.”

Good letter and summary of the problem.

 

[Sabda]

Of course we should question our religious leaders but the Catholic Church itself has always been good and will continue to be so. Jesus promises us this.

Speaking of that I read in one of Pullman’s interviews were he is considering writing a book about Jesus.

 

[ttaylor]

I think it’s a great series of books, and the movie won’t affect any morals of the church. It’s not aimed at a god figure, but aimed at the corrupt people of the church who believe in it.Anyway, if people don’t want to see it, that is fine, but for children and teens, it should be their choice, no one should be controlling of them.

 

[WSD]

What I hate is how people seem to think children are idiots and will surely become athiests after seeing the movie or reading the books. When I was a child I had enough brains to see the difference between fact and fiction.
I saw something of the news about this movie last night. A women came on to give her opinion. She was a very devout catholic, and even said that she attends mass 6 times a week. She also said that books like this do not worry her in the least. She went on to say that reading books like this can help some people become stronger in their faith. She also said that it’s stupid how people are so worried and outraged about this movie that they completely ignore the Priests and Nuns being murdered over seas for their faith. I think we need to put things in perspective and stop talking about some silly movie.

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I’m glad you were so strong in your faith at such a young age. You must remember that God calls the weak as well as the strong. Knowing your child is the first requierment, keeping your child safe is the secound. For some that, means stearing clear of the film and books.
Peace,

 

[ttaylor]

---

Knowing your child is the first requierment, keeping your child safe is the secound. For some that, means stearing clear of the film and books.
Peace,

I disagree with you here. What you’re talking about is what is seen in typical dictatorships. It’s controlling and is censoring. You don’t allow them to explore, have an open mind, and most importantly, make mistakes. “Hist Dark Materials” is a series that examines life and growing up as a child. It also puts perspective into corruption and morality in the church with literary examples. So basically, I’m saying, let children be curious, let them do what they wish, with some supervising from the parents. Let them see the movie, read the books, but as a parent, it’s important to set a moral example for them. If you control or censor, it’ll backfire in your face when they in their teen or college years…

 

[jediliz]

catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25927&page=1

These books are NOT for Children. Read the article. Homosexual angels? Suicide? Euthanasia? The name Magesterium? No Pope? Anyone who disagrees with the Church is killed? The author was quoted in an interview that he wanted to KILL GOD. God is portrayed as a senile Angel. The movie’s anti religious themes were toned down to try to attract a larger audience.

Narnia books are much better and there’s little danger in them. I LOVE LWTW, Voyage and Magician’s Nephew. I still have to read Horse and Its Boy. And I want to read Prince Caspian before the movie opens next May.

Being open minded is NOT always a good thing.

 

[jthiel]

Jediliz. I read the article and I have to disagree with it. As far as sexuality, violence, euthenasia and cannabilism go thetse books are no worse than harry potter 7 except with far more of the emotion we call love. There is one point in the third novel where the two main characters kiss, but that is all that is said in the books. The probable readon that there isn’t a Pope is that the story is set in an alternate universe and starts with a religion that isn’t Catholicism. As for your statement that anyone who believes in the church is killed, the opposite is actually true, the church in the books is generally the one that does the killing, which in my opinion would be a far better argument on your part for why not to read the books. God as the creator we belive in never makes an appearance in the novels, although there is an angel that sets himself up as the creator. The article itself misnames one of the two main characters, calling him bill insetead of will. I do agree with you on the idea that the Narnia books are wonderful. I read them at about the same time I read His Dark Materials. THey are very similar in that both series are beautiful and thought provoking reads. Before you criticise these books again though I suggest you read them.

Baptista–congradulations! you have actually read these novels and present a reasoned argument against them. I don’t believe that Pullman ever denies the existence of a creator in the books, no matter how much he may do so in person. All he says is that this “Authority,” the first angel to be formed of dust is definently not the creator.