November 11, 2007
A Compass that Points in a Dangerous Direction
You may have received an email warning
you about a movie that is scheduled to be released in a few weeks, entitled
The Golden Compass. Trailers are
already being aired on television. It is being marketed as a great movie for
the
whole family, much like The Lord of the
Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia movies. Like those movies, The Golden
Compass is based on the work of an
English author who has created a trilogy of books for children that depicts
a
world filled with talking animals, good
witches, and the struggle between good and evil . Unlike CS. Lewis or J. R.
R.
Tolkien, however, the series’ author,
Philip Pullman, is an avowed atheist.
That has not kept Mr. Pullman’s books from winning some prestigious awards,
including the “Carnegie of Carnegie’s”
in 2007 for the best children’s book of
the past 70 years. With Nicole Kidman leading the list of actors starring in
the
new movie, it clearly has the backing
of some major or players in Hollywood. So why might you not want to take
your
family out to see this movie during the
holidays?
Consider this comment by Mr. Pullman: “I don’t profess any religion; I don’t
think it’s possible that there is a God;
I have the greatest difficulty in
understanding what is meant by the words ‘spiritual’ or ‘spirituality.” In a
2003 interview
with The Sydney Morning Herald he said,
“My books are about killing God.”
Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League, has condemned The Golden
Compass as a “pernicious” effort to
indoctrinate children into
anti-Christian beliefs. He believes Christians should stay away from the
film because,
“unsuspecting Christian parents may
want to take their kid to the movie ... and say, this wasn’t that troubling,
then
we’ll buy the books. So the movie is
the bait for the books which are profoundly anti- Catholic and at the same
time
selling atheism.”
Mr. Pullman says he wants children to read the books and decide against God
and the kingdom of heaven. As one of the
novel’s pagan characters puts it,
“Every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling.”
Another
character describes Christianity as “a
very powerful and convincing mistake.”
There are sure to be some more wholesome films released for the holidays. I
hope you will be thoughtful as you choose
for your family.
Ashley