The Golden Compass

Thanks Barbara everyone needs to spread the word on this God hating foolishness.

Barbara I have heard about this and I have to admit I am split on the way I feel. I dont believe in God but I do believe that each person has the right to express themselves as they want to. This person can write about killing god but you have the choice of not buying or watching or paying any attention to his movies or books.

My kids loved the books...I have never heard anything like this about them. Is this for real? Or, is it a scare tactic?

Asked my reader/thinker daughter:
Just because Philip Pullman is an atheist, to me doesn't mean the book is automatically against God. Sure, he questions God within his books, challenges it, but shouldn't that just make the belief of the faithful stronger? Also, I think God was just a writing tool used to show that things are not always what they seem. After I read these books, I wasn't left with the impression that I was being taught a lesson to hate God or destroy him for that matter, instead I was left with a story based on courage, strength, standing up for your beliefs, but at the same time, not be a lemming who simply follows and believes whatever they are told.
At its very root, it is a coming of age story about a young girl who is learning lessons of life that, at some point or another, every person should learn.

I have to agree with Ellie M. I'm not a Christian, but I am a very devout believer in the divine. I read the entire trilogy, and there were multiple messages I got out of it, and could relate to:
1) Just because an organization (ANY organization) is powerful and proclaims to be the one truth, that does not mean they are right or good. In fact, it is almost a sure sign that they are not. The truth is the truth (whether you're talking about truth or Truth) no matter how loudly someone proclaims it, or how many people they choose to harm, belittle, maim, or even kill to "prove" it. I'll go into this a little bit more later.
2) Man, even without "God" (as portrayed in the books), is not beyond completely screwing everything up. There are multiple points in the novels (and I don't want to spoil anything here) where a lesson is learned: Something that may seem benign and/or a way of scientifically solving questions (in specific, relating to multiple dimension) or even a way of saving your life, may have consequences you could not even dream of. Put another way, what may seem harmless before your eyes may be killing millions somewhere else. Tread VERY lightly, is the message.
3) It is really, as Ellie M. mentioned, an exploration of what it means to grow up and become yourself. In the books, people have daemons... a spirit-shadow of themselves that, during childhood, can take the form of any animal it chooses. It is a part of you, your soul, and it is incredibly painful, nearly impossible and usually life-threatening, to part from it. It is a personification of your personality, of everything non-physical that makes you you, and a perfect mirror to see how young children grow up, change, and eventually become the adult they were meant to be, and what in life prompts those changes. It is an exploration of us.

Now, going back to the "killing God" thing... This could just as easily be taken as an anti-Islamic message, or an anti-Jewish message, or even an anti-Nazi message, depending on how you choose to view it. I chose to take it as a pro-spirituality approach... Pullman didn't kill God. He killed the limitations that man placed on God. He gives the question "What is God?" meaning again. But everyone is going to try to relate to the story in their own way, and you are predisposed to take it a certain way. If, for example, you believe that your viewpoint of God is the one and only way God could possible exist, and that "Hollywood" is trying to destroy God and make everyone including YOUR child atheists, well, then you're probably going to think this is the point of His Dark Materials. I couldn't disagree more.

Like Ellie M. said, it made my faith stronger. I took it as a metaphor stating that you should question everything, and know that whatever is left over after this process is stronger than ever because of it, just like the characters in the book were. In the end, the characters didn't "lose God", they found Life and a deep connection to one another. I call that a stronger God than the one they "lost".

By the way, in the end no one can "do whatever they please". In fact, quite the opposite... the children, for example, have to give up the very thing they want the most.

Although I want my daughter to learn about God, I also want her to learn about other beleifs as well. I'm inclined to still let her watch and read this, but of course with guidance. Her mind is like a sponge right now so I do need to be careful with how she is influenced. I think things were so much easier when we were told what we must beleive, but of course the easy way out is usally never the right way. I feel I need to let her find her own path, however, expose her mind to all that I can....parenthood thought amazing and the best thing that has ever happenend to me, is so hard!

In thinking about this more. I taught my children to think for themselves. That way, they won't fall mindlessly in line behind someone--whatever they are "selling."

Thank you, Lori F, and you are absolutely right. I put that here just so my brothers and sisters would be warned.

Ellie M., my pastor told me about this, so I am pretty sure it's no hoax. The will go after God's people through their children...he always has.

Well, Renee L, I look at it this way. If you are right, and Jesus comes, you have lost nothing, but if the Christians are right and Jesus comes, you have lost everything. Sort of like playing Russian roulette with your life isn't it?

Marvin M, do you let your children experience drugs as well? That's a pretty dangerous outlook on life since God said in His word for us to teach our children about Him. He mentioned nothing else except for the women to teach the younger ones to love their husbands.

Ellie M, the devils greatest trick is to teach the world he doesn't exist. He is a liar and a murderer. Why in the name of all that is holy would a parent toss their child into his path to survive on their own.

Yes, I am a Jesus freak, but I have tried and proved many of God's promises in scripture and I know them to be true. On the other hand, I have 7 children and all of them are running from the cross, but they have never heard me say anything other than God is the only way. I would feel like the murderer if I had.

When a person chooses to do as one pleases, they become a law unto themselves, which in turn breeds lawlessness. When we follow Gods law we have no trouble following mans laws. Civil society has to have laws, without it we would have chaos. The light of Christ is in almost all people. Hardened criminals lose this light and have no remorse for whatever they do. Satan would have a world without laws which would then give him ultimate power. I for one am glad for Christian influence in this world, and any religion that has something similar to the ten commandments.

AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lori f. it wouldn't be a problem except this book turned movie is masquerading as a children's book/movie, when it is clearly more for high schoolers on up. had i read the golden compass in gradeschool i would have had nightmares and quite possibly been scarred for life.

katie that is when parental control needs to come into play. You cant expect ANYONE to watch out for YOUR childs welfare except YOU.

So you have not read the book? You are going by what someone else told you. I think we should all go read the book and decide for ourselves...it has been years since my kids read it and I may not be able to find a copy around here...

Ellie excellent comment.

As far as I'm concerned, any movie or book that depicts children killing my God deserves to be in the trash. If that is what you want your children to read, so be it. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

No Barbara of course I am not saying she should experience drugs, I am just saying I would like her to build an understanding of other beliefs and not become a narrow minded person. Remember God also said to love thy neighbor. In order to do so, one must understand thy neighbor. :)

So Marvin you are saying that you believe a child should be exposed to all the false religions in the world? Do you honestly think that will help them understand God more? I guess maybe I'm a little naive, but my children were kept away from those religions and taught what God had to say in the Bible. If they wanted to wonder later in life, AFTER they left my home, that was their choice.

Well, honestly, I grew up with the Bible and the Bible alone, and all it did was confuse me and made me question more and made me wonder why. Why if there is only one true religion, are there so many, that speak volumes about the same thing, yet differently. All it did for me was make me feel empty and confused in regards to my spiritual path. Its almost like not having an identity, I don't want that for my daughter. So I don't teach her that they are wrong or false, only that they exist.

Because religion is man-made. Religion will NOT get you to Heaven. It's your spiritual man that tries to live according to God's will, and the only place to find is in the scriptures.

Lori, if someone told you that from 10 AM to 12PM the air, if breathed would kill you because of some leakage, you gonna take a breath to find out if it's true?

Just some thoughts:
If you going to question God, why hide it in a child's story? Why not make this into a rated R thriller for adults?
I suggest it is because 80 percent of Americans have no idea what this movie is about, because they dont read or listen to the news, and dont research what thier kids watch. Making this kids movie, is like bringing the lambs to the slaughter.

Second, why doesn't anyone in the world every make movies questioning Allah, why is a portion of our society hell bent on destroying Christians?

Hi, I had to come and give you a 10 for bringing this up too...I did but got an especially interesting challenge by a man because I critically evaluated the author...the athiest. Ok so I withdrew that...but I still feel that children need protection...from those that hate... whether this movie had hate as its basis, I don't know...but you did what I did...passed along the warning...we at least owe our children that...

Barbara, have you read the book?

Catholics are trying to ban the book, pulling it from library shelves, without even knowing what's really in it.

Your article is just repeating what you've been told by right wing extremists about The Golden Compass. I don't see what credibility you have here if you're not even willing to consider looking at the material yourself.

"Dumped" down? What does that mean?

Please, do a bit more thinking, and more careful writing, for yourself.

The rights we have in the US ~ worship, free speech ~ permit us all to express ourselves and teach our children as we see fit. I have not read The Golden Compass nor have I seen the film. It's unlikely that I will do either. I'm simply not attracted to it.
The glitzy merchandising through television commercials and the packaging of The Golden Compass book are very alluring. (The book package almost flies off the shelf. It's beatifully presented.)
After speaking with a woman (a customer) at Border's this weekend (who HAS read the book) I formed this opinion: Neither the book nor the movie are for "children". It will take a mature mind of good decision-making characteristics to know the difference between the fantasy of this tale and what we hold in our own beliefs.
Barbara, thank you for bringing the topic to our attention. J.Clifford, my agreement with your comments is limited to this ~ see it for yourself before you allow your children to see it.
Parents ~ if you were or are reluctant for your children to participate in the Harry Potter phenomenon, you probably will not want them to experience The Golden Compass.

J. Clifford, I didn't watch all the blasphemous movies, like The Last Temptation of Christ, put out to destroy Jesus' image, either. I trust my brother's and sister's in Christ enough to take their word. Especially when I get the same report over ten times.