Why are anal-retardant Christian mothers up in arms about His Dark Materials?

Question

I recently read a few questions that asked if people knew of the anti-religious 'messages' within The Golden Compass (aka: Northern Lights) and the other books and subsequent films of the His Dark Materials trilogy.

The books portray an authoritarian church as the antagonists, and bases most of the religious concepts upon Jewish mythology more than anything. This reflects the abusive power churches had in the dark ages of Europe, why do some Christians seem to have issues with a work of fiction that displays evil as evil? Or do they insist that the churches of the dark ages were just and true and people weren't massacred for simply not complying to religious standards?

lol yes, retentive :$ Sorry bout that

Answer 1

I would not take issue if that were the purpose of the movie and the purpose were made known. However, when you try to package something as appealing to Christians (saying it is akin to The Chronicles of Narnia) when it is actually an effort to urge children to kill God in their minds (which was admitted to by the author), then I take issue. Would atheists want to take their children to a movie that was advertised as a secular film and then find out after they get there that it is about Christ's redemptive love and the need for salvation? No, you would cry out in anger and say that we are trying to force our beliefs on you. That is what the people behind this film and the book series are trying to do, trick Christian parents into taking their children to see the film, then buy the books for them that are anti-God. Come out and state your agenda. Be open and honest about it and let us make an informed decision, don't try to trick us into supporting something we would not otherwise support. ***The churches of the dark ages were Catholic. I am not a Catholic and do not support or condone the violence that was carried out by the Catholic church in the past. Protestants were a victim of their violence as well.***

Answer 2

How great that you are bringing this up, so now I can stop wondering how to phrase it into a question so I could ask it! I just finished reading these books a few weeks ago, and have to say I was shocked at the undertone, especially in the last book. Don't misunderstand me, I wasn't offended or indignant or anything, I was just thinking "WOW, this book is going to be made into a movie come X-mas, and the religious fanatica are going to go NUTS!" It's very clearly a "God is bad" story, but at the same time, it doesn't really enforce it too much. It doesn't list terrible things that's done and stuff like that, just that other people think they can do it better and try to take him out! And what was up with the GAY ANGELS! Once on of those fundamentalists actually picks up the book rather than just preach what they don't know, and sees that there are 2 male angels in love, well they might just have a stroke right there! I saw the book for what it was. A wonderful imaginitave trip into another worlds. A few other worlds actually. they were wonderful books and I can't wait to see if the movie will live up to it. But it IS FANTASY it is filed as fantasy as in "not real" and people need to lighten up. Books are written all the time about fictional crazy things that could never happen and will never happen and noboy has a problem with those books. Everybody just needs to take a pill and calm down, explain to your kids the difference between fiction and non fiction and there should be no problems. If everybody really believed that books like these could actually brainwash young kids into making it reality, then you better banish all Disney movies because they'll start thinking that they can fly, swin underwater on a bed, or be carried off into cartoonland and join a race with them.

Answer 3

I agree with you 100%. I think most people could benefit from actually reading these books before making snap judgements based on rumors. The series is critical of the church and organized religion in the ways you say. It's also a great fantasy story with adventure and beneficial lessons to learn. I found it extremely moving, especially the entire third book.

This Christian would never reject a book just because it disagrees with my worldview.

Answer 4

As I understand it, the intent of the stories is to assail the very concept of God, which if true is quite a bit different than what you are suggesting. That said, I am a Christian and will certainly let my kids read and/or watch the Pullman series because I do see it as a morality tale.

In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky tells the story of The Grand Inquisitor in which Jesus returns while the medieval authoritarian church is in power and the Inquisitor has Jesus arrested and executed because Jesus dangerously wants to give people a choice of what to believe and how to act!

Answer 5

Preach it. The Catholic Church of the Dark Ages was pure evil.

Jews
Muslims
Free-thinking scientists
and even my people the Cathari were persecuted for daring to think differently that the Catholic Church.

Evil is always evil.

Answer 6

Duuuh, truth hurts. They're trying really hard to make everyone forget what they were really like. The fact is, the Church did EXACTLY what G.O.B. does in the book. And they don't like being reminded of it, especially not nowadays when everyone is trying to be so saintly and politically correct.

Answer 7

I've read the books, and rather enjoyed them. I suspect those who are "up in arms" about them object to the depiction of God as an old, essentially senile angel, whose place has been usurped by a younger angel who is now intent on waging war on all human beings. That is a fairly insulting depiction of God, you must admit. If this weren't a work of fiction, I might be peeved myself.

Answer 8

They're up in arms because the books are (supposedly -- never read them, myself) anti-religion....if memory serves, the author is himself an atheist, and he wrote the books as sort of a rebuttal to C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia".

Answer 9

Anal retardant? You mean retentive?

Simple really, they fail to recognize the difference between fact and fiction.

Answer 10

many Christians refuse to face up to all the bad things that earlier Christians did.