"The Golden Compass" Is this an, atheist stealth attack on kids?

Question

Christians to boycott Christmas family film The Golden Compass over fears kids seeing the movie will give up on God. The film, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is an adaptation of one of the stories from atheist author Philip Pullman's controversial His Dark Materials trilogy.

And Catholic League officials fear children who watch the film will be tempted to read the books, which they claim "bash Christianity and promote atheism to kids." League president William Donohue tells America's Entertainment Weekly magazine, "Parents might be inclined to say, 'Hey, our kid really enjoyed the movie, why don't we buy him His Dark Materials for Christmas?' (It) introduces the kid to atheism. (It's) a stealth campaign."

I think they are wonderful books to, just wondering what you think?

Answer 1

No it's not.

Stop being lazy, read the books yourself and for the love of logic, stop parroting other people's opinions. (PS: The more you talk about it as an atheist stealth attack, the more people are going to go see it... a bit counterproductive, wouldn't you say?)


And for the record... they are some of the most wonderful books I ever had the fortune of reading.

Answer 2

First of all Pullman is an agnostic and not an atheist. :)

No, Pullman said himself(In an interview, visit his official website) that it is not an attack. I do find his depiction of the church to be very scathing and unfair however. The Golden Compass is a well written novel surely but it is difficult to determine a motive. I think personally that Pullman is surely expressing how he feels towards God but his agenda is not to turn people away from God.
The world of the Golden Compass is confusing(God-wise) and the "God" in the novel has no apparent traits of He that Christians worship. If it is an attack it is a very poorly done attack. It is more of a critical review. I read this novel when I was younger(11 years old) and I thought it was a criticism of dogmatism or just his views. It did not cause me to come to any conclusions about God. I do not think that children will become atheists from reading the Golden Compass. Perhaps it will spark creativity instead? I only suspected him of having an agenda because I read a review written by someone who did!

Answer 3

It's just a movie.

And even if it was against organized religion, would it matter? Why should kids have no opportunity to consider other points of view? Chances are the larger themes in the books will go over the kids' heads, like the Christian topography of Chronicles of Narnia. Producers just try to make things that an audience will find entertaining.

Answer 4

Unfortunately theists also support book burning. And if that is not the case theists, then stand up to the church and tell them to stop this BS. You as the people have the right and responsibility to stand up and get them to stop dragging their knuckles and come into the 21st century and quit living in the Dark Ages, which the Christian church created anyway to stop people from growing mentally.

Wow, the children of Christians must be stupid to mistake fantasy from reality. Hey......wait a moment.........isn't that the Bible as well, Christians taking fantasy as reality. Might as well burn that book as well, since you really can not be certain of it's true accuracy. The Devil could have slipped stuff in there. Arghh!!!!!! Burn them all, that is the answer and do not watch any movies or listen to any stories or leave your house, ever. That works, then the Devil can not get to your mindless children and brainwash them before you get the chance.

Answer 5

no idea where anyone got the idea these books have ANYTHING to do with atheism!!!?

they draw on symbolism from a much older religion - shamanism - sure...and you can read them as an attack on the evils of organised religion...but atheism, heck no! and most of the righteous church-bashing has been taken out of the film as a i understand...that's after pullman took most pf the power of the symbols he was using out himself!

i hope the fundamentalist and ignorant attacks on this film might lead to a lil more openness about how come churches are so messed up - they are a real 'first stop' for people interested in spirituality and, as such, need to get their respective houses in order! muslims spreading jihadism, catholics covering up child-abuse, christians playing politics with a book and obfuscating the interesting things within it through wilful, cultist literalism..jeesh! makes me sick.

if i thought churches were the place to find god i'd become an avowed atheist tomorrow! thank CHrist for films like this that at least have SOMETHING to do with the stuggle of good people over the stupidity and ignorance of organised religions!

=P

Answer 6

I think its ridiculous. If your child's (or YOUR) faith is not strong enough to check out one movie/book series, then I think you don't have your faith in the right place. Every book written has a subtle (or, not so subtle) message that the author wants the world to hear. I think if we are too scared to even listen to his, then what kind of god do you think you serve?

I serve the all-powerful God of the Universe.

Answer 7

"The film, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is an adaptation of one of the stories from atheist author Philip Pullman's controversial His Dark Materials trilogy."

Doesn't sound very stealth to me.

Answer 8

"And Catholic League officials fear children who watch the film will be tempted to read the books ..."
Well said.

They might find that religion is nothing more than bogeyman stories to keep the peasants in line.

Martin Luther: Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and ... know nothing but the word of God.

Martin Luther: Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but... more frequently than not... struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.
.

Answer 9

Does anyone ever think that maybe no matter what a child watch's or hear's that they will eventually make up thier own mind on what they believe? If we ban book's on this then why not bann the show's on the disney channel ? A talking couch? Don't forget about PBS and Barney!!! People need to relax kid's will choice what they want to beleive no matter what.

Answer 10

Psshh..they're paranoid and insecure. I bet they'd rather send children to Bible camps like the one featured in "Jesus Camp." This is just as ridiculous as Christians banning Harry Potter books because "J.K. Rowling promotes warlocks."

Answer 11

Author: Philip Pullman has openly said in interviews that if there is a God and if he is as Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down, which is exactly what he does by using the characters in the Golden Compass.