atheist what do you think of this quote?

Question

There is a new movie coming out based on a trilogy written by Phillip Pullman a very vocal atheist. He is quoted as saying that he wants to "kill god in the minds of children". Do you agree with him or are you more of a live and let live sort of person.
Please note, I'm not bashing the movie or books. I'll just exercise my right to take or not take my children to it, as you might exercise your right not to take your children to the Chronicals of Narnia or whatever.

DSL- point well taken. I guess every group religious or not has it's "jerks" that give that group a bad name. Jerry Falwell rings a bell for my religious group (not to disrespect the dead)

squirt am I suggest you read a few biographies and more books by CS Lewis if you think he was an atheist.

Answer 1

I am Atheist and I am respectful of the religious beliefs of others. Trying to 'kill god" implies he believes there is one - what kind of Atheist is that?

I get very frustrated when Christians try to convert me, and I will not try to convert them. My family is Christian, and because I love them and respect their views, I am thoughtful and considerate of them. For example, my dad is an avid biker, so I bought him a pin for his vest that is a cross with the saying, "Riding With God."

Phillip Pullman is a jerk who gives Atheists like me a bad name. I do not agree with his statements nor do I believe Christians are ignorant like many Atheists on this site seem to. Atheists want respect from religious people without giving it back to them - how is that supposed to work?

And as for children seeing Pullman's film, bravo to you for taking an interest in the media your children use - more parents need to get involved that way!

Answer 2

I never realized that that series was slated towards an atheist point of view when I read it, either as a Christian or an atheist. Frankly, CS Lewis did a better job "unintentionally" making an allegory for Christianity than Pullman did intentionally making one for atheism.

Even if I were a Christian, I would not recommend people to not see this movie based on the "alleged" message. I consider it to be a fantasy story, good in the first book but really drags in the second and third ones.

Personally, I'd protest "Bridge to Terabthiah" much more, as it was sold as a fantasy rather than the travesty that it was. Both my 12 year old daughter and I started crying at the completely unnecessary death of the girl. If anything was destructive to any sort of belief, that movie was it.

Answer 3

I'd never actually heard of the books until the Catholic league started making noises about boycotting the movie, The Golden Compass.
From what I've read, the "kill god" part has been watered down in the movie version

I agree with Pullman to a degree. I think it is immoral and cruel to infect children with the idea of a god. If they choose to believe when they are old enough to weigh the "evidence" and still decide to be believers, so be it. Children are not Christians or Muslims or Hindus....they are just children....let them be kids without imposin ideology of ANY sort on them

Now I also loved the CS Lewis books as a child (the Out of the Silent Planet trilogy, and The Magician's Nephew) and I never noticed any overt religious message.

Answer 4

and so what? IIRC there is nothing about god in the first movie it's more anti religious

Do you believe your childrens faith in your diety is so weak that they will become atheists after seeing a film featuring talking animals, parallel universes and witches on broom sticks?

If anything the uproar just goes to prove what atheists have been saying along - we're the persecuted ones, the maligned ones. Being an atheist doesn't make you a bad person, but clearly many believers seem to think it does. You're just so anxious to supress absolutely anything you think disagrees with your doctrine. In a way you actually prove the author right.

How many atheists came out demanding that people shouldn't take their children to the lion the witch and the wardrobe because it promoted xianity?

Answer 5

I don't know. It's a complicated issue. because on one hand, children are taught all sorts of make-believe things that make life fun for them, like Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy. In a way, it can be fun for kids to imagine an ever-watchful, ever-loving God that takes care of them.

But on the other hand, when children are raised to seriously believe that all that religious stuff is seriously, really, actually true..... then it gets kind of scary. Because brainwashing kids into believing all sorts of weird superstitions can seriously affect the way they live and view the world. And a lot of it can affect them for the worse, like when you convince children than people are going to burn in hell for not believing in their God. Or when you tell them that God will punish them for not doing some kind of weird old ritual. Or that their sexual desires are evil. Or that they have to LOVE, with all their heart, some old dead guy from 2000 years ago or else they will burn in hell.

And also, from another perspective, I think it's good to know the truth about things. I mean, everyone ( or at least most people) like to know things. People are always curious. And we want to know REAL things that are TRUE. With this in mind, it's pretty bad that generation after generation keeps raising their children to believe things that (in my opinion, at the very least) are SO absolutely fake and silly.

Answer 6

I think Pullman's Golden Compass will have as little impact on children's choice in religion as The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. These are fictional stories with no overt religious messages at all. It's only when you know the symbology is there and you look for it that it becomes apparent an attempt was even made to communicate a religious message. I loved the Narnia stories as a child and was very surprised to hear they were "Christian" stories. I still fail to see how they relate beyond a superficial comparison. Leave it to Christians to see parallels where there are none. Next they'll be claiming the Star Wars series is inspired (except for Jar Jar).

Answer 7

To give up to lack of awareness and speak to it God has consistently been untimely, and it stays untimely at present. - Isaac Asimov If I weren't an atheist, I could think in a God who could prefer to avoid wasting folks at the foundation of the totality in their lives and no longer the sample in their phrases. I suppose he could decide on an sincere and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose each and every phrase is God, God, God, and whose each and every deed is foul, foul, foul. – Isaac Asimov With or with out faith, you could have well folks doing well matters and evil folks doing evil matters. But for well folks to do evil matters, that takes faith. – Steven Weinberg In Christianity neither morality nor faith come into touch with fact at any factor. – Friedrich Nietzsche Give a person a fish and he's going to devour for an afternoon; educate a person to fish and he's going to devour for an entire life; deliver a person faith and he's going to die praying for a fish. – Anonymous and my such a lot favourite Is God inclined to avert evil, however no longer competent? Then he isn't all-powerful. Is he competent, however no longer inclined? Then he's malevolent. Is he each competent and inclined? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither competent nor inclined? Then why name him God? – Epicuru

Answer 8

I'm more of a live and let live. Well, except toward attitudes. Strange beliefs are fine; attitudes that impact in a negative way on the world are not.

Answer 9

Killing god seems pointless since there is no god. I rather think that teaching children to think critically will take care of the myth of god. But, I raised my children as atheist.

Answer 10

That's "The Golden Compass". I've already heard about it.

I guess my thoughts are "Um... OK."

Oh, you wanted something more than that. Alright. "Indoctrination is a bad thing. Simply hammering a concept into a child's brain isn't good, even if it's the right one. Reason has to enter into the equation. If he's simply hammering a concept into their heads without substantial explanation throughout the plot, I probably won't like it. Oh, and you can take your kids to see whatever you want. It's not up to me".