A question about christianity and movies such as Narnia and Golden Compass?

Question

It seems really silly to me that christians and the church are calling to boycott the Golden Compass Movie. I am an atheist, and don't really notice or care for that matter, if a movie has a religious theme or not. I enjoyed Narnia, and didn't notice that it had a christian theme.
I haven't seen the Golden Compass yet, but my question is this:
Why are christians more concerned with the Golden Compass depicting an evil church and souls in animal form, which is clearly FICTION, than with a movie that is also, clearly FICTION (narnia) that uses the story of Jesus? To me, Narnia could create more questioning in the mind of a child... they could associate how fictional the story of narnia is, and that the story of Jesus is similar in many ways, so it may be fictional as well?
Rather than a movie where EVERYTHING is fictional, just as any other movie?

Answer 1

when your system of beliefs is as fragile as a christians, you can ill afford any further negative lighting.

Answer 2

I would guess that Christians who are calling for a boycott are trying to send a message to film makers that they will not make a lot of money putting out films based on books written by someone who has an anti-Christian agenda.

The author Pullman told the Telegraph newspaper in 2002, "If there is a God and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down and rebelled against. As you look back over the history of the Christian church, it's a record of terrible infamy and cruelty and persecution and tyranny."

The movie version supposedly waters down the anti-religious angle of the books by blandly identifying the bad guys as anyone who oppresses the free choices of others by imposing moral restrictions and intellectual limitations. This is a popular theme in film. From Footloose to Chocolat the "breaking free" movies are popular metaphors celebrating personal freedom. But these movies are generally coming of age stories while The Golden Compass creates a parallel world where the oppressors are thinly veiled leaders of the church, referred to as the Magisterium.

Movie director Chris Weitz has said some of the more contentious ideas have been removed from the film version to make it more acceptable for the general public. However, Weitz noted "there may be some modification of terms. You will probably not hear of the 'Church' but you will hear of the Magisterium. Those who will understand will understand. I have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece, but they may appear in more subtle guises."

Weitz commented on a MTV movie blog, "So, how does one go about adapting a book that has controversial elements into a film that a very wide variety of people can enjoy, without betraying the original? One tries to be clever about it." He continued, "The whole point, to me, of ensuring that The Golden Compass is a financial success is so that we have a solid foundation on which to deliver a faithful, more literal adaptation of the second and third books."

If that's the case, then the next two movies will be even more explicitly anti-God. For instance:

In the second book in the trilogy, The Subtle Knife, one of the main characters, Will, is told he possesses a magical knife, "the one weapon in all the universes" that can "defeat the tyrant." That tyrant, of course, is "The Authority. God."

In the third book, The Amber Spyglass, Will is told that "The Authority" has many names, "God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty." These were names God "gave himself" even though "he was never the creator."

One of the final chapters has an ex-nun named Mary telling Will and Lyra, "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all."

Answer 3

No, no, no, you have to understand. Narnia PROMOTES Christianity, and that's ALWAYS right, no matter how much dishonesty is used in the process, no matter how hypocritical it looks.

Golden Compass promotes devil worship (the fact that this isn't TRUE doesn't matter, the gullible will go to their graves believing it), and that can never, ever, EVER be allowed. Giving even a single second of time to a non-christian perspective makes baby jesus cry.

In all seriousness, the distinction between reality and fiction really doesn't register for the people up in arms over things like Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, and The DaVinci Code.

Answer 4

I'm not a fan of Narnia films -- I don't find them particularly Christian in theme. However, the fact that a story is fiction or not has nothing to do with why Golden Compass is boycotted. And it's not a story's fictional nature that usually gets associated with other stories.

Young children don't understand that there is a difference between fiction and non-fiction, but they learn what is OK and not OK to do by what they see in stories. Older kids will understand that difference, but will pick up on the anti-religious, anti-God theme.

Pullman's agenda has been shown, not to just make an entertaining children's story, or even to put down organized religion, but "to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God." And, "Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that 'My books are about killing God.' "

So, it's not just that it is fictional, or anti-religion, or even that it is anti-God, but because he wants to evangelize his perverted, Atheist 'gospel' to our children. It is the INTENT of the story that matters most.

Answer 5

I have not seen it, and am cautious of "knee jerk" reactions to cautions put out from various sources. My research regarding this movie would indicate that it is one to be avoided.

Movie "The Golden Compass"
St Pauls Hebron
Dec 6, 2007


Be alert! A new movie, The Golden Compass, is set to be released on Dec. 7, 2007 throughout the US and translated into 32 different languages as well. The movie is based on a trilogy, His Dark Materials. The author, Phillip Pullman has said in an interview that this trilogy concentrates upon this theme "I Want to kill God in the minds of Children... I want them to decide against God and the Kingdom of Heaven" quote from Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass, a sanitized version of the book, wants to have children and young people rebel against parents, teachers, the Church, and anyone in authority.

Answer 6

i believe it has more to do with supporting the person's intentions. in narnia it was supporting a Christian theme IF you looked into the undertone. there are athiests who would not see the movie strictly becuase it supported Christianity. look at those who protested the Passion of the Christ.
as a practicing Catholic i will not go see Compass due to the fact the author's undertones are stated quite clearly as anti religion. this is nothing against athiests as i have friends that are ahtiests, however the undertones of killing and abolishing God.... that offends me very much and i will not spend my money on something like that.

Answer 7

I don't plan to read these books. I have heard that they do try to kill God. I find that so ridiculous and so pointless that I will not waste time and money on it. I've heard that it is the author's purpose to get people to "be their own god" How silly is that? If I could be my own god I would have certainly done so by now in my life. I need a true God and I'm not afraid to say so. I find exploring a personal relationship with God is challenging and amazing and fulfilling. I feel contempt for people like the author of these books. Anyone who would encourage young people to ignore/disregard God for the futility of "self-deity" is hateful and evil.

Answer 8

I'm actually not interested in seeing it either way, its just not my kind of movie.
I am a Christian, but that is not why I do not want to see it.
Most Christians don't want to see it because of what the author said about it.
"I want to kill God in the minds of Children." Its not that it was written by an athiest, but because of hid his actions.