Why would an Atheist write a children's book about something he doesn't believe in?

Question

Would it offend you to see a fictional movie where an Atheist government controls everyone and outlaws faith, where the children team up with angels to destroy the government and bring back faith?

And by the way I am not protesting this movie I just have no desire nor plan to see it. We did however enjoy Harry Potter and Narnia.

Answer 1

Why would a Christian like J.K. Rowlings write ''Harry Potter?''

A question like this coming from you, Debra, really surprises me.

Still, here you go ((((HUGS)))

Answer 2

I guess you're speaking of 'The Golden Compass'? Well, here's what the author of the book, Mr Pullman, said: "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief".

He told an Australian newspaper, "I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak. I'm a great fan of J. K. Rowling, but the people mainly from America's Bible Belt who complain that Harry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven't got enough in their lives. Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God."

Elsewhere he has said: "...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. How they have the [swear word] nerve to go on Thought for the Day and tell us all to be good when, given the slightest chance, they'd be hanging the rest of us and flogging the homosexuals and persecuting the witches."

So it becomes transparently clear why this atheist has written this book, upon which the film is based. But it does not require an atheist government to control everyone and outlaw faith. Some democratic, supposedly Christian governments are already hard at work suppressing Christian freedoms via laws and trying to control everyone. Hummmm... methinks some satanic demons could be working even harder behind the scenes. This is a trilogy, remember. You have fallen for the advertising line.

Answer 3

I don't like authoritarianism of any kind, and there have been authoritarian secular governments, so I can see a movie where religious people rebel against one being made and doing all right. Wouldn't offend me. Doesn't offend me that movies that aren't about things I believe in are in the theater now--I just figure that's why they have more than one screen.

As for writing about things you know to be fictional--do you mean adults shouldn't write comic strips with talking animals, or superhero comics, or children's books with those elements, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.?

Answer 4

Pullman is not just an atheist but a missionary antitheist l ike the members of the Soviet League of the Godless were.

I hope that Pullman and his supporters would not use the same "missionary tools" that so many governments from the Islamic to the Spanish Catholic to the English Protestant to the Japanese Buddhist/Shinto( 200 year persecution of Catholic Christians) to the varied Communist atheist missionary governments have done such as persecution,compulsion,torture and murder.

The Albanian Communist regime as a militant atheist governm ent did ban all religious expression even imprisoning and shooting people for keeping the label of a religious affiliation. When as murderous as they were they were not hypocritical like most atheistic Communist regimes that pretended that there was some room for theistic religious expression but the Albanian regime was quite open and proud about killing of all those who were religious.

Missionaries know that reaching the young with"The Message" is important for their goal of"winning others to the truth". Zealous antitheist missionaries are as determined to get rid of competion to their 'faith" as many Islamist ,Christian and other fanatical or cynical "evangelists' were and are today.

Answer 5

LOL! I like it.

I do believe that in the future there will be more films with atheists as characters. Par the course, if such a character is put in a negative light, there will be some complaints.

That's people for you.
Edit:

By the way Potter and Narnia were both intended to be a fantasy book.

However Compass, is intended to be a "statement" book prettied up as a children's fantasy book. Look up the reason why the author wrote the book.

Answer 6

No, that actually sounds like an interesting movie (I mean the one you outlined). I would also agree with the point that the Atheist government shouldn't have outlawed faith. Just because a movie has a villain who shares certain properties with me doesn't mean the movie doesn't have a useful lesson from which I can learn.

I'm an atheist, if it matters.

Answer 7

No it wouldn't offend me - it's fiction & fantasy. I'm sure J.K. Rowling doesn't believe one could wave a magic wand and have things pop out of mid-air either yet she wrote that. Same thing with C.S. Lewis (and yes I know the intent behind the Chroncles I've had the set for years) because if you read the books while very young all you see are talking animals and people certainly don't believe they can talk.

People use their imagination and write about things that aren't real to them all the time.

Answer 8

as much as you may hate to hear this a book is a book just a story an author wrote about something, just as an author wrote the the bible it is just another book like Harry Potter etc, I don't see the problem, now if it was an autobiography about an actual person and in his/her real life he knew me and mentions myself in his/her book doing or saying something that I wouldn't do or say then maybe I would likely be offended but then again it takes quite a bit to offend me.

Answer 9

i wouldn't be offended at all. i'm atheist but i respect the freedom of expression as long as it doesn't push itself onto my personal liberties. i can choose to not buy a book or not watch a movie. no need to get all uppity for something that's a work of fiction. i love the arts so in all honesty, if the computer graphics were cool and the story decent, i'd probably even watch your proposed movie. hell, i watched the chronicles of narnia and gave it a thumbs up and i'll most likely watch the next installment. it's just a movie to me.

Answer 10

You would almost think people don't understand that in America, the only religion that matters is Capitalism and the Dollar is it's god. So why knock anyone making a buck. BTW nobody would want to pay to see such a lame movie as the one you suggest, but keep trying.

Answer 11

So basically you're asking "Why would an Atheist express him/herself?"

I really wouldn't care and wouldn't be offended about the proposed movie idea because the key term is "fictional." Not real. Imaginary. Go look those words up.