The Golden Compass

[MrZoom]

How did they use tolkein to sell it?

Catholig

The beginning of the trailer shows the One Ring morphing into the Golden Compass, with on-screen text touting New Line Cinema’s past success with Lord of the Rings, and then inviting the viewer to join New Line for its “next fantasy adventure” or some such. I don’t remember the exact text but that’s the gist of it.

 

[SILVERNAME]

LOS ANGELES, August 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The best selling novels of atheist author Philip Pullman, which were written specifically to indoctrinate children with anti-Christian values, have sparked the creation of a controversial new fantasy film to be released this December 7 by New Line Cinema - a Time Warner Company.

Starring Nicole Kidman, “The Golden Compass,” is based on Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy, which includes “Northern Lights” (re-titled “The Golden Compass” in the United States), “The Subtle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass.” Pullman wrote these books with the intention of indoctrinating children with atheistic values. While the full interpretation and presentation of the movie has not yet been seen, the books’ underlying message promotes antagonism towards Christianity.

lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082004.html

 

[SILVERNAME]

All real Christians should boycott this piece of athestic garbage!!

boycott the golden compass!!

Please ask all your friends and relatives to do the same.

 

[Gnosis]

I think it’s quite a stretch to say that Pullman wrote this book to “indoctrinate children with anti-Christian values”.

The fact is that these books are a rather well written and quite intelligent series. Pullman is presenting his experiences and views of aspects of religion that he considers dangerous and I think he would rather us take his symbollism as an argument to consider rather than a dictation to accept or outright reject.

I think the intelligent Catholic response would be to understand the author’s point of view and engage in dialouge in order to present the Catholic position and correct what might be percieved as the author’s mis-understanding of religion in general. Not unlike the Archbishop of Canteburry:

telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/03/17/bodark17.xml

This is not like the Da Vinci Code, these books present, in symbols and myth, an intelligent challenge not only to Church philosophy but to the points of corruption in its history as well. I think its worth taking him seriously.

 

[lduncan]

I was initially introduced to the books by a very well produced radio adaptation of them by BBC Radio-4. I enjoyed them, but the anti-church stance wasn’t as strong as in the books (or maybe I just didn’t know Pullman’s stance, so didn’t know to listen for it).

A few years later, an atheist friend of mine found the books and wanted to read them with her daughter who was in confirmation classes in the Episcopal church. We ended up reading the Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials and comparing and contrasting them in style and doctrine. I enjoyed our discussions about what Christianity and the church are and should be. I’ll see the movie when it comes out.

 

[NoxSineStellae]

I read a vast amount of fantasy, and children’s literature, even now that I am an adult. I found The Golden Compass to be horribly, blatantly anti-Catholic, and I’m not even Christian! I have a wide tolerance for things I’m sure practicing, believeing Christians/Catholics would object to in books, and found it was almost venomous with hatred and thinly veiled propaganda at times. I was shocked, and disappointed. When I was a child I was enthralled with Pullman’s “Ruby in the Smoke” (and the other 2 in that series) and don’t remember anything like that - it was just a great story.

I’d suggest Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series instead. They’re incredibly exciting, well written, and meaningful, but not offensive in any way.

 

[Nevarlander]

I read a vast amount of fantasy, and children’s literature, even now that I am an adult. I found The Golden Compass to be horribly, blatantly anti-Catholic, and I’m not even Christian! I have a wide tolerance for things I’m sure practicing, believeing Christians/Catholics would object to in books, and found it was almost venomous with hatred and thinly veiled propaganda at times. I was shocked, and disappointed. When I was a child I was enthralled with Pullman’s “Ruby in the Smoke” (and the other 2 in that series) and don’t remember anything like that - it was just a great story.

I’d suggest Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series instead. They’re incredibly exciting, well written, and meaningful, but not offensive in any way.

The Sally Lockhart books were better than HDM. At least, Tiger in the Well was. Don’t remember enough of the other two, but Tiger in the Well filled me with dread as I read it, in the way authors should be able to. Disappointing how obnoxious his fantasy novels and The White Mercedes (if you’ve read The White Mercedes, do you remember it as having a jarringly inaccurate account of how teenage one-night stands go?) are.

 

[Contarini]

I think it’s quite a stretch to say that Pullman wrote this book to “indoctrinate children with anti-Christian values”.

No, I don’t think it is. Certainly the “Christianity” he attacks is a caricature, but the agenda is clear. I don’t think that means the books shouldn’t be read–they are indeed well-written and interesting, and I don’t believe in keeping dangerous books away from adults or from older children who are accustomed to a rich, varied, balanced intellectual diet. I would not want these books to be the first fantasy novels a child read, and given the mass appeal of movies and their power to move us at a non-intellectual level I’m ambivalent about going to see the movies in the theater and so lending financial and statistical support to Pullman’s agenda.

Edwin

 

[Contarini]

I’d suggest Susan Cooper’s “The Dark is Rising” series instead. They’re incredibly exciting, well written, and meaningful, but not offensive in any way.

Actually The Dark is Rising does have a scene where a C of E vicar is made to look bumbling and ineffectual in the face of the Dark and the Christian understanding of the world and God is dismissed. I believe that the fourth novel, The Grey King (probably my favorite in the whole series), also has some negative references to Christianity–if I remember rightly one of the characters is a rather tortured Christian whose faith is shown as being a bad influence in his life.

However, the books as a whole are not written to attack Christianity. They are written from a non-Christian point of view and occasionally reflect the author’s rather dismissive view of Christianity. More disturbing is the hint that the “Light” is really not the side of moral perfection but can be ruthless and manipulative itself. I would certainly recommend these books over Pullman’s any day, but again I would want a child who read the books to be accustomed to a broad diet, with (in terms of fantasy) MacDonald, Lewis, and Tolkien as a base. The Harry Potter books, Madeleine L’Engle’s writings, and the So You Want to be a Wizard series also have a basically Christian (if not always orthodox) perspective, and Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series is completely inoffensive and morally uplifting.

Edwin

 

[NoxSineStellae]

I never came away with a bad feeling about Christianity from Cooper’s books, and I’ve read the series at least 5 times, but perhaps I wasn’t sensitive enough to it, not reading it as a Christian. Actually, it made me think a lot more about God in a positive light than many books. The Grey King is also my favorite I had the biggest crush on Bran when I was 12

And ooh, the Prydain books are fantastic. Also much better written than Pullman, IMO. The last one sent me into quite a funk though, I remember. I read it right before the holidays, and was all weepy and upset.

 

[Little_Mary]

Bill Donohue was on The World Over tonight and he has made up some pamphlets about it that you can order.

He maintains that the first movie - The Golden Compass - is being watered down in order to lure people in and read all three of the books. Children (name removed by moderator)articularly.

The author admits he wants to kill G-d

I think we must all really take a stand on this and spread the word about this blatant anti-christian, anti-Catholic effort.

My goodness, what if the author was saying he wanted to kill Mohammed? CAn you imagine the uproar.

 

[cockatoo]

I doubt the movie is being watered down to lure kids, they could do that well enough without watering it down.

 

[Contarini]

I doubt the movie is being watered down to lure kids, they could do that well enough without watering it down.

Movies water everything down, because (Hollywood) movies are geared to the mass market and want to make as much money as possible. You don’t do that by offending people. Also, movies have a more visceral impact than books, so apart from the fact that they are likely to impact a lot more people, they are going to get a stronger reaction even from people who also read the books (seeing something is more disturbing or moving than just reading about it).

The Christian content of Narnia was watered down, and from what I’ve heard the propaganda aspect of DaVinci Code was also watered down. It’s what one expects from a movie.

Edwin

 

[cathgal]

catholicleague.org/catalyst.php?year=2007&month=October&read=2322

 

[barbfromtucson]

I just heard the Drew Mariani show on Relevant Radio where Drew was speaking with a lady from the Catholic League about this movie.

I think this link will work a little better than the previous post:

catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1342

They discussed how the anti-Catholic stuff is being taken out of the movie because they want to appeal to everyone, but that kids will want to read the books after they’ve seen the movie.

And parents might think it’s a great idea to get their kid the trilogy for a Christmas present.

Don’t do it!

–Barbara

 

[Little_Mary]

I just heard the Drew Mariani show on Relevant Radio where Drew was speaking with a lady from the Catholic League about this movie.

I think this link will work a little better than the previous post:

catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1342

They discussed how the anti-Catholic stuff is being taken out of the movie because they want to appeal to everyone, but that kids will want to read the books after they’ve seen the movie.

And parents might think it’s a great idea to get their kid the trilogy for a Christmas present.

Don’t do it!

–Barbara

Exactly! Thanks Barbara!

 

[bklynbrat]

Also I saw yesterday on the Today Show that Al Roker chose The Golden Compass as the next book in his Kids Book Club.
I tried to find some way to send an email to complain to The Today Show but was unsuccessful so far. I’m still searching…

I saw the interview with Bill Donahue on The World Over, & am thankful that I did. My 11 year old daughter loves to read fantasy.
I explained to her about the whole situation & now she’s upset that the movie will be shown here. She doesn’t understand why something like this would happen.

 

[ACatholicThinkr]

How can this movie be permitted to be shown here?
At 11 years old, she has not heard of The Bill of Rights? Freedom of religion? Free Speech? The Constitution?
I am not a fan of horror/fantasy/science fiction, so I’m sure I won’t see the movie, or even read the books. BUT I would NEVER expect to be told I **COULDN’T **see the movie or read the book.
Last I checked, this was the United States of America.

 

[bklynbrat]

How can this movie be permitted to be shown here?
At 11 years old, she has not heard of The Bill of Rights? Freedom of religion? Free Speech? The Constitution?
I am not a fan of horror/fantasy/science fiction, so I’m sure I won’t see the movie, or even read the books. BUT I would NEVER expect to be told I **COULDN’T **see the movie or read the book.
Last I checked, this was the United States of America.

She’s 11 for crying out loud. As her mother, I felt she needed to know the underlying reason behind these books. The author is an athiest. I will not spend my money on supporting someone whose main objective is to try to tell my child that God does not exists, that God should be killed or whatever, be it fantasy or whatnot.

And yes she’s learned about the Bill of Rights, Freeedom of Religion, Free speech, etc. This has nothing to do with the movie/books. She’s grasping the concept that there are people who don’t believe in God, & her main concern is that this movie is aimed towards kids & why anyone would want to see/read stuff that’s anti-God.

 

[ACatholicThinkr]

The following appeared on about.com:
*
Many regard Philip Pullman’s trilogy as a sort of rebuttal to C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, and Pullman has been very critical of the Narnia books. At the same time, though, even some Christians support some of the messages and ideas which Pullman’s stories communicate. Although Pullman himself is an atheist, the negative portrayal of the “Church” in his books focuses primarily on dogmatism, how religion is used to oppress, and the suppression of freedom. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, has even gone so far as to recommend the His Dark Materials trilogy for inclusion in religious education classes in schools.
Apparently it’s ok to make a fantasy movie like Narnia, which is absolutely soaked in religion, but not ok to make a movie which is rooted in the opposing viewpoint.*
That being said, I applaud your daughter for believing in God, and you for teaching her to believe. I too, believe in God, but I also believe in freedom to choose my form of entertainment. Personally, as I said, I probably won’t see the movie, or read the books because the genre isn’t my taste. However, I wouldn’t expect to have the movie banned or censored because I don’t like it.
Think about people of Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist or Hindu faith, or atheists around Christmas. They have a month of Christmas and religious programming to avoid. You may see a letter to the editor, or something, but they aren’t on all the talk shows wanting to have the programming changed. They don’t watch. They choose. They use their freedom.