The Christian lobby which was set in motion by the Catholic League's boycott has now been joined by various other parties each trying to warn for The Golden Compass, and its author Philip Pullman. In this article we look at four recent publications.
Update: Also read about the Pied Piper of Atheism publication.
Stop The Boycott
In one of the more intelligent anti-HDM comments we have read in the last few weeks, Christian apologist Anthony Horvath calls for an end to the Catholic League's boycott of The Golden Compass.
“We need to learn how to keep our guard up whenever we are being 'entertained' and teach our children to do the same.
[…] “Boycotting the series gives the impression that we need to be afraid of the ideas it contains.
[…] “Pullman's 'God' is nothing like God as Christians perceive Him,” said Horvath. “For this reason, one might think that the series poses no threat because any reasonably informed Christian would see the inaccuracies and the agenda behind the series in an instant.
However, the apologist asserted, “Young Christians will not be able to do that, which exposes the real issue: we need more reasonably informed young Christians.”
Update: Read more of Anthony's material about Philip Pullman.
Cease and Desist
The Catholic League issued a press release today reporting that William Donohue wrote a letter to the CEO of Scholastic, Richard Robinson. In this letter he mentions how disturbed he was that a company with such a "stellar" reputation and moral values could be involved with The Golden Compass, which he entitles "such bigotry." As a counter measure he advises the following.
Christians need to be convinced that Scholastic will never again work with militant atheists who have an animus against their religion.
[…] To this end, we look for Scholastic to pledge that in the event a movie version of Pullman's other two books, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, is launched, it will have nothing to do with them.
Chain Letters
Local12 reports that Christians have sending around chain email aimed at "warning" parents not to take their children to The Golden Compass:
Susan Neltner and Kendall Krouse got them and forwarded them to others.
Kendall Krouse, Concerned Parent: "I think the denial of the existence of God, especially at Christmas time is so negative."
Susan Neltner, Concerned Parent: "I received the same e-mails a few weeks ago. With the movie coming out, the awareness is being heightened and a lot of parents are trying to get the message out to other parents to warn them."
Neither Susan nor Kendall have seen the movie or read the book it's based on.
Out of Context
Writing for Catholic Online, Mary Regina Morrell discusses how Philip Pullman corrupts children, and how he obviously disrespects them. She backs this up with an out-of-context quote from 2001:
[…] Anyone who has read the works of Maria Montessori or Sofia Cavalletti would be well acquainted with the idea that children are graced with a metaphysical intuition and that their relationship with God is a mystery that must be respected.
[…] [Pullman] has a very intentional lesson, one which evidences a profound disrespect for the interior life of children; a storyteller who, again in his acceptance speech, highlights what he really thinks of the young people who will read his books and bring him untold profits in the box office: “Now I don't mean children are supernaturally wise little angels gifted with the power of seeing the truth that the dull eyes of adults miss. They're not. They're ignorant little savages, most of them.”
15 comments - Add yours
#1
This is absolutely insane i love the comment about Scholastic (aren’t they the same company that published the Satanic Harry Potter Series according to this group)
# November 14, 2007 03:42 by TowerDragon
#2
I thought I’d seen some abysmal reactionary bull droppinga from secular groups over the Chronicles of Narnia movie, now I’m shown that that was basically nothing. Wow there’s a lot of vitriol flying at the moment.
Which is brilliant. Controversy makes for a box office smash!
# November 14, 2007 12:50 by edd8990
#3
Would the Catholic League also encourage Scholastic to withdraw its involvement from the Harry Potter franchise? Seeing as Dumbledore is now confirmed to be gay.
The extent to which the controversy is going is downright ridiculous.
# November 14, 2007 20:12 by cantado
#4 Catholic League Fatigue
I am already tired of hearing the Catholic League’s complaints about the movie—one, I might add, none of its members has seen. (I wonder how many of them bothered to read any of the novels in question?)
The argument the Catholic League (and others of their ilk) use as justification is: Let’s do it for the children.
I think the children should see it precisely BECAUSE it will raise cosmic questions that are worth addressing: Why are we here? What is our role on Earth? What is our relationship to the universe at large? Why does faith necessarily preach ignorance is better than knowledge? Why is religion so inflexible, so adamant that those in power know what’s best for all of us—Christians and non-Christians alike?
A good book drives a wedge into one’s consciousness. It literally opens the mind to new thoughts, new ways of thinking, and His Dark Materials does exactly that: It tells a great tale (first) and posits (second) earthshaking questions about our role in the universe.
It all begins with dialogue, and it’s a dialogue with oneself.
Children should go see this movie because it will prompt them to ask questions that adults should not dogmatically answer but discuss.
If I were a child, I’d greatly resent someone from the Catholic League telling me “for my own good” what I ought to be reading and thinking, which is patronizing to the extreme. What I would do is ask all sorts of questions and get their perspective—and then ask others who feel differently as to what they think.
This kind of open dialogue is what makes children think—as opposed to being told the “truth” and expected to swallow it without any thought whatsoever.
# November 15, 2007 04:00 by GBeahm
#5
As long as there aren’t any protesters keeping me from my seat, I’ll let them rant all they like. It’s a bit funny how irrational some people can be actually…
# November 15, 2007 05:45 by AryaAurora
#6
It’s a bit sad that people have no idea what they are talking about. For if they did, we’d have far more intelligent and interesting discussions about this film [i]and[/i] it’s anti-religious themes. Which are undeniably in there.
I might write an essay about them after the films release.
# November 15, 2007 12:21 by Samwise
#7
Have none of these people realized yet that God never actually appears in the books?
Oh, wait, of course they haven’t, because they haven’t read them.
# November 15, 2007 23:23 by DigiEmissary
#8
Erm, am I not right in thinking God is carried through the battlefields in a crystal bed as an old, decrepit angel in The Amber Spyglass? Correct me if I’m wrong.
But aside from that, I agree that it is ridiculous that these groups are protesting about something they are truly ignorant about. If they want to influence others, fair enough, but they should at least have a notion about what they are damning.
Still, what are we to expect? Fervently religious groups will always want to have their say about literature and ideas which appear to undermine their teachings. I just think it’s sad that children who could do with questioning their beliefs instead of just accepting them because it’s all they know are being held back from doing so. Religious groups may think they are protecting them. What they are doing is closing their minds to other alternatives. I’m glad Pullman had the guts to come right out and write about it.
Foxi
# November 16, 2007 01:05 by foxi-clo
#9
No, that’s not God. That’s the Authority, the first angel who told all the others that he was God. By the Judeo-Christian definition, he is not actually God (and Pullman didn’t intend for him to be either).
# November 16, 2007 21:41 by DigiEmissary
#10
First of all, the book never ever says that the authority is the God we worship, or the Magisterium is the counterpart of the Roman Catholic church. You cannot possibly proove that the book is promoting athiesm.
This is exactly the same as controversies behind some games that they are promoting violence.
# November 17, 2007 14:44 by radomu
#11
Ok. If Susan Neltner and Kendall Krouse didn’t read the books, they need to shut up. They shouldn’t say anything until they’ve read it themselves. So stuck up! I’m sick of people judging something that doesn’t go with their religion!
My pastor degraded the deries this morning; he only read an article in the newspaper. He hasn’t read the books!
# November 19, 2007 00:36 by Unknown Seraphim
#12 Logical fallacies
That i’ve seen so far from HDM critics:
• Equating religion with spirituality. For that matter, equating religion with Christianity. Pullman’s series is extremely spiritual, and it satirizes corrupt dogmatic religions as a whole, not anything as specific as one Church or sect in particular. If you consider yourself part of a corrupt religious organization, [i]then[/i] you should be offended.
• Not reading the books. Big one.
• Using the term “boycott” poorly. It’s pretty clear most of these people didn’t want to see the film in the first place. If they don’t like it so much, it might be a bad move to give it extra publicity by calling it a boycott.
• Assuming Christianity is the “true faith”. This will be a bit more difficult for me to convince people of, as it’s an idea central to many people’s belief systems. However, there are many ways of looking at the world (some of them religions) and parents have no right to teach a child one in particular is if it were certain truth. No one on Earth knows the answers to spiritual questions for certain. Children almost always accept what their parents tell them as truth. But parents don’t know who created the universe, or what death feels like, so they have to allow their children to choose what to believe.
(Kudos to Anthony Horvath [first of the 4 critics], for your calm and logical argument)
# November 19, 2007 01:13 by Mr Toad
#13 Hilarious
This whole thing is really quite funny.
I’ve had several people approach me about that e-mail that was sent around. They know I am a fan of the books and a Christian as well.
The quote above was absolutely right in saying that Pullman’s God is nothing like the Christian God. At least, he doesn’t have to be. I read The Golden Compass at age 12 and I can’t think of a better time to start thinking about my religous views.
My 12 year old brother just finished the series and I can’t count the number of good discussions that have come from it.
I just hope all this hype will get people to see the movie because it looks like it’s going to be a great representation of the book we all love so much.
Just read it, concerned parents. No harm in that.
# November 20, 2007 23:27 by kubecca
#14 Books bad- video games good
Meanwhile, several churches have been reported using the video game Halo 3, not only as a fundraising opportunity but to encourage religiosity in young people. Shooting and killing is okay because you’re doing it for god, (and they’re only demons, y’know) and it promotes an appreciation for the battle of good versus evil.
God forbid, however, those young people should open a book or their minds.
(Mind you, I’ve never played the game. Perhaps I’m as blinkered as the league.)
I understand Pullman to be quite open about his so-called ‘agenda’. However, it is not against faith, but rather the historical precedents set many times by the Catholic church as an institution. If the Catholic League really wants to object to someone commenting obliquely about the church’s instigation of crusades, pogroms, inquisitions, persecutions, book burnings, and the crushing of countless cultures in order to substitute their own… Well, what are they really speaking out in support of?
# November 22, 2007 20:41 by strangegoldfish
#15 Rediculous
It’s rediculous how all these arguments against HDM lead to the same thing- it’s good for kids if my religion is taught to them, but if you show kids your religion, it’s wrong! Honestly, it’s sickening to think about how closed-minded some people are. I can understand if you don’t agree with what Pullman says, as long as you have actually read his works. But don’t try to forbid other people from making their own opinion of the matter!
# November 23, 2007 10:10 by Rossabo