Should The Golden Compass Be Banned?

Question

Catholic leaders are demanding that christians boycott the new Hollywood film The Golden Compass due to the fact that it promotes atheism.

Is this just an over reaction or should we really be concerned about a move to secularism and the moral collapse that this would bring about?

In short, should atheists and their teaching be boycotted by the moral majority in order to safeguard established values?

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2953880.ece

Answer 1

More nutters.

Answer 2

Your question title uses the word "banned", something we rightly don't do in the US (too often), but the body of your question uses the term "boycott". Which do you mean? Or both?

Anyway, no, the movie shouldn't be banned, but you're free to boycott it, even though that won't accomplish anything other than getting more people to see the movie who wouldn't have seen it otherwise. Some people who don't like its anti-religion message will boycott it, but that's just preaching to the choir.

Yahoo's home page had a listing earlier today for seeing the first five minutes of The Golden Compass, but they yanked that, so either a lot of people want to watch this movie and it overloaded Yahoo's servers, or Yahoo has caved to the vocal minority and has done some banning of its own. So, narrow bandwidth or narrow minds?

By the way, secularism isn't about moral collapse, nor would a move to it bring that about. Secularism, in its current form, is a specific recognition of the morals that decent people live by, without bringing a god into it. There are plenty of books about this--you seem to believe too strongly in listening only to what your "elders", friends, and fellow church-goers say. Broaden your horizons--you have to stop distrusting your brain, or believing it's the work of the devil, when it tells you that all's not right with god-centered belief systems.

Answer 3

You ask a lot of questions.
Catholic leaders have every right to ask their followers not to go and see a certain movie. That is why there are leaders and followers. If people want to follow leaders, that is their good right. As long as those leaders and followers do not try to stop other people to watch the movie, everything is fine.

No, we should not be concerned about any moral collapse. This argment has always and a zillion times been used by defenders of the status quo. Remember the hoola hoop and the miniskirt and television.

edit: why do christians always try to forbid things? Is that an obsession? How many times have atheists tried to stop or boycott movies like "The Passion'? They just do not go to silly movies and let other people make up their own mind.

Have a nice day.

Answer 4

Oh SHEESH.....with all the problems this world is facing such as war, famine, disease, natural disasters, a potentially radical change in climate, pollution, etc THIS is what people wanna b itch about?!!!!!!

Everyone who thinks this movie should be banned/boycotted needs to get slapped in the head until their brain starts working again.

Also let's go over the "moral majority" since we have priests raping kids, a record high of sexual assault+harrassment cases, etc. So the "moral" majority are anything but moral.....the theist morals are ignored and not followed anymore because they engender violence and hatred towards anyone not of the same group which ends up just making more and more differences untill all the groups are at each other's throats like it is today.

So MAYBE for the good of the species we could be secular and all act like decent people who agree that other people should be allowed to live and thrive as long as they don't hurt anyone else and then practice our religion as we see fit instead of trying to make it a law for my neighbor to worship as I do and creating violence when I am denied the legal authority to force someone to obey my religious beliefs

Answer 5

Having read some of the Times review, I'll not waste my time and money going to see it. Better to read a book. On that subject, bibliophiles might like to have a look at www.lulu.com the self publishing people. The titles there are very reasonably priced and not seen elsewhere.
I just bought 'Homilies of Mar Narsai'. If you're into history, the introduction by Mar Shimun, Catholicos Patriarch of the East is thoroughly researched and well worth a read.

Answer 6

Of course not! We have enough Nazis in America, and trust me, you don't want them! If someone's little religion is so weak and fragile, maybe it's not worth being a part of, especially if a movie based on a book will bring that belief system crashing down!

I am on chapter three of the book now. It is not offensive at all. I may be an atheist, but I was raised xian. If I were a firm xian believer or "born again" (I was born right the first time, by the way), I would have no problem whatsoever letting my child see it. And for the record, I do have morals...

Answer 7

i could say that they are pondering banning the e book not in ordinary terms because of the fact it includes Magic and a seek for fact, yet because of the fact in the backside international of The Golden Compass, human beings's souls are actually not interior their physique, yet exterior. So the soul will become a separate entity. of direction, there are likely a great many motives. As for the timing, greater human beings will study the books now, so now's the time to limit them, curiously.

Answer 8

What has atheism got to do with a lack of morality? We said we didn't believe in holy books, not that we didn't believe in morals. In fact, when it comes to morals, we probably have a better idea of what morality is than Christians do, seeing as we don't just accept whatever God said as being right without thinking about how those values would play out in real life. We judge morality on real-life issues.

And as far as I'm concerned, you're already trying to avoid us as much as is humanly possible, so if you want to boycott the movie then go ahead. Just, y'know, some of us have read the Bible and actually found out what it's saying, so before you attack us for any supposed lack of morality you should probably go find out what atheism really means.

Answer 9

No it should NOT be banned. I am a (very lapsed ) catholic and it should be the Catholic church which is banned. They still think they are a political force to be reckoned with, when what they are , is a bunch of interfering bloody busybodies who have to poke their snitches into other folks lives and try and stop them having a bit of fun. The Catholic church should be slapped back into line but sadly what we have, yet again, in Britain is a gutless, spineless, toothless government. How dare ANY church pontificate on what anyone should or should not go to a cinema to watch. I spent 15 years of my life serving in the parachute regiment, serving 3 tours in N. Ireland in the 1970s and in the Falklands war in 1982 doing my part in preserving freedom. Give the Catholic church enough opportunity and it would re-introduce the inquisition.Not acceptable today in the 21st century.

Answer 10

yes they should

THIS IS A MOVIE THAT WE MUST PROTEST AND OPPOSE AS CHRISTIANS.

unfortunately, it's true... There will be a new children's movie out in December called 'The Golden Compass.' The movie has been described as 'atheism for kids' and is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled 'His Dark Materials' written by Phillip Pullman. Pullman is a militant atheist and secular humanist who despises
C. S. Lewis and the 'Chronicles of Narnia.' His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis' symbolisms of Christ portrayed in the Narnia series.

Clearly, Pullman's main objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview, 'my books are about killing God.' He has even stated that he wants 'to kill God in the minds of children.' It has been said of Pullman that he is 'the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed.'

While 'The Golden Compass' movie itself may seem mild and innocent, the books are a much different story. In the trilogy, a young streetwise girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle to ultimately defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as 'a very powerful and convincing mistake.' In the final book, characters representing Adam and Eve eventually kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH. Each book in the trilogy gets progressively worse regarding Pullman's hatred of Jesus Christ.

'The Golden Compass' is set to premier December 7, during the Christmas season and will probably be heavily advertised. Promoters hope that unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie, that they will enjoy the movie, and that the children will want the books for Christmas. Please boycott the movie and the books. Also, pass this information along to everyone you know. This will help to educate parents, so that they will know the agenda of the movie.

The Golden Compass

A movie to avoid

We need to get the word out about this movie -
it is coming out in December - an atheist produced it,
it is marketed for children and in the end they kill God.
Send this to everyone you know.

Answer 11

It is a work of fantasy made for entertainment and from what i have read the religous aspects that are in the book have been toned down a lot in the film.

As an atheist i dont complain every year when i am subjected to countless " life of Christ' films, which i regard as fantasy.

I suggest people offended by the golden compass do what i do when faced with all those crucifixion films....DONT WATCH ....it's called choice.