A new movie is taking aim squarely at Christians. The Golden Compass, from New Line Cinema, is something that you might want to think twice about letting your kids see. The trailer looks pretty fantastic, with lots of great special effects in a fantasy story reminiscent of Tolkien or C.S. Lewis, but the message is completely opposite of those great authors.
Philip Pullman, an English atheist, wrote a series of books intended to 'kill God'. Though the movie has reportedly been toned down to avoid offending religious viewers, the overall message of the movie is the same: church is bad, God is a confused and petty tyrant, and Satan is the hero. In addition, Scholastic, the biggest maker of educational materials for schools, is promoting the movie because New Line gave them tons of marketing stuff for free.
Christian and pro-family groups are warning against this movie, especially for young children. Obviously, you will have to choose whether you want your kids to see the movie, but I wanted to pass along what I've seen in several places so you could make an informed decision.
I think we'll be skipping it.
There's my two cents.
Sources:
OneNewsNow.com
Breakpoint (a Chuck Colson organization)
American Family Association
Snopes.com
2 comments:
Religious conviction without doubt is not worth much. Why do so many Christians think so little of the strength of their faith that they are so unwilling to expose themselves and their children to views and perspectives that may challenge their faith? In the past, Christians weren't such weaklings when it came to doubt, debate and challenge. Where is the modern Saint Augustine among today's Christians? Faith challenges should not be seen as a threat but as an opportunity to strengthen one's faith.
You should read and think about Pullman's books rather than presenting a cartoon-like view of the books and of Pullman. Pullman's protagonists are motivated by values familiar to Christians. and the alternate universe he creates is anything but atheistic and filled with Biblical imagery. There is nothing in any of the books that attacks Jesus Christ. The principal villains are those who use religion as a vehicle to oppress others -- an institutional hierarchy that claims religious authority and is not open to views that challenge its power like the mullahs in Iran and Saudi Arabia or the Christian Church during the Inquisition.
And Pullman's characters do not kill God in the third book. They kill an impostor (an angel who is pretending to be God) much like the story of Lucifer.
Ben - thanks for your comments. I agree wholeheartedly with you that the Christian faith is much stronger than anything a simple movie can undo. My concern -- and the reason I posted this particular blog -- is that I'm a realist. I know that many parents don't pay as much attention to what their kids watch as they should, and many unsupervised kids will pick up these messages without any solid counter from the Christian perspective. And, you allude to the fact that there is a lack of Christian doctrinal leadership nowadays. I agree. The watering down of Christianity (often by the very leaders of the church!) is a major problem, in my humble opinion!
Personally, my wife and I tend to use things like this movie as teaching examples, letting our kids watch them (within reason, of course) and using them as an opportunity to teach why we believe differently. Not everyone does it that way, but it seems you and I are in agreement on that.
I have not read Pullman's books myself, so I cannot dispute anything you refer to in the books themselves. But, generally speaking, when I see multiple sources (which are all normally accurate) say the same thing about a movie like this, I tend to trust them.
Personally, I love sci-fi and fantasy. Both genres fly squarely in the face of Christian fundamentals, but I recognize there is a vast difference between fictional entertainment and guidance for life. Unfortunately, young children cannot. That's the concern here.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments - I hope I've clarified my position a bit better now!
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