pudge's Journal: The Golden Compass

I knew little about The Golden Compass, but then something someone said about it triggered a fading memory, and I grepped my email for "Pullman," the story's author. Here is what I wrote about him two years ago here:

http://www.crlamppost.org/darkside.htm

The same guy, Philip Pullman, also noted (in the Washington Post, Feb 19, 2001, "The Last Word"; an article about how his trilogy for young adults ends in God's death) that in his stories "I'm trying to undermine Christian belief."

So cross Philip Pullman of the list of authors my children might read ...

So let's be clear. The author of The Golden Compass is, in his own exact words, "trying to undermine Christian belief." And he slams C.S. Lews and Narnia in this way:

One of the most vile moments in the whole of children's literature, to my mind, occurs at the end of The Last Battle, when Aslan reveals to the children that "The term is over: the holidays have begun" because "There was a real railway accident. Your father and mother and all of you are - as you used to call it in the Shadowlands - dead." To solve a narrative problem by killing one of your characters is something many authors have done at one time or another. To slaughter the lot of them, and then claim they're better off, is not honest storytelling: it's propaganda in the service of a life-hating ideology.

He believes that believing in heaven as I, and millions of others, do is "hating life."

I will not see The Golden Compass. YMMV.

A different perspective

[pwnies]

Although true, the author's view may be considered extreme, one shouldn't be scared away from the movie by that fact. It's still fiction. It shouldn't be any more upsetting than say, The DaVinci Code. Even if you are ( like myself ) a Christian, you should embrace other views about your religion in order to broaden your thoughts and thus understanding of your subject. If you only know one viewpoint on a subject, you are entirely biased towards what you believe. In the same way, if a Christian throws out and

Re:

[pudge]

Although true, the author's view may be considered extreme, one shouldn't be scared away from the movie by that fact.

You misunderstand. I am not scared in the slightest.

I just couldn't care less about it.

This isn't about being open-minded to other views. If someone wanted to have a respectful and sober discussion about religion, fine. He doesn't. He's a nasty troll, and the best way to deal with trolls is to ignore them.

Re:

[nandorman]

True faith results in knowing all aspects and possibilities, and still believing in what you believe.

Sort of yes, and sort of no. I completely agree with you for adults. But children are less likely to be capable of that level of thinking. If the stated purpose is to dissuade people from believing in God, I'm not likely to let my youngsters see it (or the sequels, which I understand is where the actual dissuasion begins).

When they are teens and more mature (read: more capable of abstract thought

Re:

[pwnies]

Though I think that is the reason why this film is rated PG-13, and the less offensive Chronicles of Narnia is rated PG. The movie isn't targeted towards children. I believe Pullman's intention was for this to be a film that made people who can think, think. Having read all three books in the series, I can confidently say it does.

Re:

[pudge]

I believe Pullman's intention was for this to be a film that made people who can think, think. Having read all three books in the series, I can confidently say it does.

I can't agree. He has explicitly stated his goal in writing those books, for children, is to undermine Christianity. I can't see why his goal in the film would be any less.

I'll see it...

[Jhon]

I will not see The Golden Compass.

I'll see it. My kids wont. I have no problem with seeing anything that challenges my world view -- and I often enjoy fiction of any kind (SF, Mystery, Fantasy, whatever). Di Vinci code is was a good read, if taken as total fiction, for example.

I just don't think my young children have the tools necessary to make such distictions between real, fantasy and faith.

Re:

[pudge]

I have no problem with seeing anything that challenges my world view

Me neither.

But this won't challenge my world view. Pullman's goal is to belittle my world view, and that's different.

Re:

[robi2106]

I also just don't want to give money to people intent on killing my way of life and religious beliefs through eliminating it from the future.

Lets just say that someone wrote they have a stated goal of ending the homosexual lifestyle by trying to prevent anyone from converting ever again. Then have them make a movie with that as a theme. I bet that would go over well.

aw

[Bill Dog]

But it has talking polar bears! Keep your kids away for sure, but this one is supposedly the least anti-Christian of the trilogy, and the movie version supposedly has what little there was toned way down. Enjoy life. So the author is a prick and has a chip on his shoulder. I think most people are like that, to some degree. Even you and me, a little. Heck, probably almost every moviemaker in Hollywood probably feels the same way as he does -- if that's your criteria for passing on a movie, you'd have to pass

Re:

[pudge]

I do enjoy life. I will spend my time enjoying other things.

It's not that he is a prick, it is that his books exist to undermine Christian belief. He can feel free to do that, but I won't pay him to do it.