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Are Christian reactions to The Golden Compass hysterical or justified?
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At first glance, conservative Christians appear justified in their concerns about the release of The Golden Compass, a movie based on the first novel of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, The Northern Lights.
An outspoken atheist, Pullman has been quoted in The Washington Post saying, "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief."
Pullman's grandfather was an Anglican priest, but Phillip stopped believing in God as a teenager.
"My books are about killing God,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2003.
Conservative British columnist Peter Hitchens in The Mail on Sunday described him as "The most dangerous author in Britain," adding that Pullman is "the one the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed."
Jesus doesn't get a mention in the trilogy, but Pullman has hinted that he might appear in a forthcoming sequel with the ominous sounding title "The Book of Dust".
So if you happen to be a conservative Christian, is it time to start protesting outside movie theatres? Should Christians start burning Pullman's books? Or is the Christian lobby, so dominant in the US, hypocritically denouncing a movie simply because it dares to question its beliefs?
Bill Donohue, President of The Catholic League in the US, is the movie's most outspoken critic, claiming The Golden Compass is an attempt to indoctrinate children into anti-Christian beliefs. He's written a 23 page pamphlet, "The Golden Compass: Unmasked", and distributed it to churches and other Christian groups. According to Donohue, Pullman is "selling atheism to kids". Similarly, Adam Hotz from the evangelical-activist group Focus on the Family claims the movie will "plant seeds" to "ultimately encourage some fans to reject God".
Christian reactions to the movie seem simultaneously ludicrous and hypocritical. What about the fantasy movie The Chronicles of Narnia? Wasn't that an attempt to indoctrinate children into Christian beliefs? Narnia blatantly promotes Christian values and to many was also racist and misogynistic. Could Narnia have offended Muslims or Buddhists? What about the impact on liberals and feminists?
Equally, The Passion of Christ was seen by many Jews as deliberately Anti-Semitic, but was promoted heavily by the same voices now condemning The Golden Compass.
The only sin The Golden Compass appears to have committed is that of not sharing the same set of beliefs as the Christian faith. Besides, The Golden Compass is a fantasy, unlike The Passion of Christ, which purportedly presents an historical event.
Ironically, to avoid just this type of controversy, the movie's producers watered down the book's direct religious references.
Set in a fantastical parallel world, the movie begins with a young orphan, Lyra, discovering that she is at the centre of a deadly conspiracy and that the lives of many children depend on her. Lyra is in possession of The Golden Compass, a powerful tool that the Magisterium, an evil church-like body that dominates and controls this parallel world, wants to recover at all costs. She embarks on an epic journey to the far north to save her best friend.
With a massive US$180 million budget from Newline, The Golden Compass stars two of the biggest names in Hollywood, Nicole Kidman and the new James Bond, Daniel Craig. Kidman plays the movie's villain, the enchanting but evil socialite Mrs Coulter, while Daniel Craig plays the heroic Lord Asriel, Lyra's tough, mysterious uncle.
Apparently Kidman, a Catholic, was Phillip Pullman's first choice ten years before the movie went into production. At first unwilling to commit, Kidman signed on only after receiving a letter from Pullman and an undertaking from producers that the anti-Catholic tone of the book would be watered down. 
Chris Weitz, best known for writing and directing About a Boy, is Writer and Director here too.
With eye-popping visuals of futuristic airships, talking armoured ice bears, shape-shifting creatures, witches, stunning city scapes, along with obligatory rough looking pirates, The Golden Compass appears to have all the right ingredients for box office success.
So far the controversy has failed to dampen the movie's box office appeal. While the box office results haven't been spectacular, they haven't been disastrous either. In its first two weeks, The Golden Compass amassed US$41 million in North America, and is approaching the US$100 mark in 44 other territories globally. It was number one at the North America box office in the first week of its release.
While many conservative Christians appear deeply worried about the movie's impact, not all Christians are concerned. Boston University religion professor Donna Freitas called the online discussions on Christian websites "fearful to the point of hysteria", arguing that questioning traditional images of God should be welcomed. The Archbishop of Canterbury went so far as to suggest that the trilogy His Dark Materials should be added to religious education curriculums in schools.
Obvious or subtle, an anti-religious slant (Christian or otherwise), metaphysical speculations about the nature of God, or direct questioning of established beliefs shouldn't stop anyone going to see The Golden Compass. This type of speculation is what makes science fiction and fantasy so intriguing. Creating hypothetical, polarised worlds is a great way to explore the everyday from different perspectives, question belief systems, and challenge-preconceived notions.
The conservative Christian lobby, like the Magisterium in The Golden Compass, appears compelled to try and dominate and control the thoughts and beliefs of others.
The Golden Compass was released in the US on 7 December.
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As far as I can see.. leave the movie alone, yes it may slam Christians (I'm a follower of Jesus) but you have to let people make their own decisions, at the end of the day all the arguing and fighting over a silly movie is a waste of time and for all I can see it's just going to make people want to see it more. I can say its interested me.. although it wouldn't take away my faith. I want to see what all the hype is about. If this movie wasn't meant to be out do you all think that God would have let it come out? Everything happens for a reason and you don't know the reason for this, noone knows why anything happens but you're not meant to, just have faith, pray and be a good influence, that's how you will get the message of the Gospel out there. If you're going to go protesting and burning things then you're no better than anyone else out there. Just think about it people...think and pray :)
Pullman may be claiming to try to undermine the church in his stories, but ultimately "the authority" and the assorted villians in his books do not even begin to reflect the real goals of God or the actual church. Like many other unbelievers, he evidently perceives that the real church's efforts are just about obtaining power or control, when in actuality power and control really have nothing to do with what they are trying to do. If Pullman's books are supposed to be about "killing God", then his view of God is evidently so infinitesimally smaller than who God really is, that his stories should not even begin to pose a threat to him or the church, and any Christian who feels his writings are genuinely dangerous to their views may not himself be very sure of just how big the God they believe in actually is.
I get very upset when someone claims to be "atheist" but attacks God (or any religion, but it typically christianity that is attacked). If you are in fact atheist, then you don't believe in the existance of any supreme being. However, "killing God" say to me that person does believe in a supreme being yet seeks some sort of attention through "undermining the church". I just believe that claiming to be atheist, and then attacking someone's religion is ignorant. On top of that i would like to point out that in Narnia, there was no killing Allah, or undermining Judaism. I would also like to point out that Buddhism is not a religion. This article holds no water in my mind. 'Nuff said.
I don't think you can compare The Golden Compass to Passion or Narnia, because these books are promoting a religion, not tearing someone else's religion down. Promoting ones own religion isn't offensive, but killing the God in someone's religion in a childrens book IS offensive.
Also, Calling the Passion antisemetic isn't fair, because it does portray the events out of the Gospel.. portraying what a group historically did do isn't being a bigot.. who would suggest that the producers of the Passion shouldn't have been true to the Gospel stories just to make special interest groups happy? That doesn't make ANY sense.
Okay, I am going to say this without undermining anybody thoughts or beliefs, or at least i'll try to. First off, all you Christains have a right to be pissed, but that dosen't mean you can go around shouting it to everybody. IT IS A MOVIE. A simple movie, that has some umndertones. How come your not pissed at Kidman for being a main character in this movie, she is Catholic after all. You all have your own opinions and are intitled to gossip them to others, but don't go around casuing national uprising. To the authors supporters, if you are going to rant and rave about how it's his decsion, LET HIM SAY IT. Pullman is an author, he can think for himself. Don't go around pissing people off about how you think the Christains are being hysterical. THAT IS THEIR OPINION. I take no side, I saw the movie, i liked it, that is all. If you can't enjoy the damn movie THEN DON'T WATCH IT, don't flip out and go physco on everybody. If you have any comments, about my envolvment please e-mail me, i want know your opinion, then tell you where to shove that opinion. If you liked the movie or my comment email me, and maybe we can hang out later.
Christians are as afraid of secularism as they always have been. and rightly so. The accessibility of film to so many young, potential-recruits must be frightening to an organisation that would squelch natural curiosity and questioning. If it could.
As usual, the irony that Christian hysteria breeds interest and momentum where they seek to deflect it, is an endless amusement to me.
I have yet to see the movie though I must admit all the media attention it was getting did have me compelled. I have read Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials including the Golden Compass and found them delightful. I DO believe in Christ, therefore can call myself Christian. I Do believe in a higher power. I also believe that the Church has done a lot of evil things in it's history. To deny those heinous acts is simply fool hardy. Reading and enjoying Pullman's works didn't do a thing to weaken my belief system but actually confirmed my beliefs. I've encouraged my children to read and discuss these works. I would encourage all good Christians to do so with an open mind and a willingness to admit that "The Church" has not always acted in good faith, With the knowledge that GOD is certainly more than one physical being could ever embody (at least my God is) and that some times those who look like the good guys can do some bad things and vice verse.
I would like to point out that it is not the church that is doing the evil things that have happened in history it was in fact the humans whom are part of the church. that just says that humans can commit evil which we already knew. I'm a Christan and i haven't seen the movie yet but as for my opinion I don't really think that the movie is bad i consider it to be a movie and just that. i may not agree with the underlying message that is sent out but it really doesn't matter i still know what i believe and thats what matters.
oh and on the point that this guy is an atheist if he was a true atheist then there would be no God to kill. therefore if there is a God to kill he must not be atheist, and he probably fears God or else why kill him.
