Golden Compass - Controversy

[true2yeshua]

"The Golden Compass" Creates Controversy Nationwide
http://www.kmeg14.com/Global/story.asp? S=7463141&nav=menu609_2_3

Comment from Understand The Times, Roger Oakland:

The reason for posting this article is to show that Satan is a clever planner and schemer. He can pit two groups against each other in order to advance His overall plan. In this case an atheistic agenda (there is a no God) has been pitted against the Roman Catholic Church agenda (there is a God, but God requires the Roman Catholic Church only) to implement the plan of God.

Also, it is important to note that Satan can pit believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ against one another to attack each other. In this way, Satan diverts the attention of believers to destroy each other instead of proclaiming the gospel. Further, Satan can convince Christians that the gospel is only for the elite. Thus the gospel is also hijacked and Christians waste their time beating each other up and fighting over who is the elite or not.

The soon-to-be-released movie "The Golden Compass" is causing controversy nationwide and right here in our hometowns. Some Christian groups say the children's film promotes Atheism and they're calling for a boycott.
"The Golden Compass" is based on a book with the same name. The author is a proud Atheist who critics say uses children's stories to bash Catholics.

Arlt says, "There is still a fear that the movie will spark attention to the books and the books are very offensive. The author is Philip Holeman. He works, promotes an athetheist agenda and is profoudly anti-church -- that's our concern."

But the controversy means one thing for movie theaters across the country: more people lining up to check it out.

Chase Sorensen of Promenade Cinema says, "If they hear the name and say 'there's a bunch of controversy about it, let's go check it out.'"

The 'goal' of this author who pens this trash in children's books publicly declares his hatred of God and his desire to cause others to hate and deny Him!

Should this be surprising? Not really. Continuing in the tradition of 'The Davinci Code' :tsktsk

How very sad the Day will be for all who are of this mindset. :ohno

[BlessedinHim]

No controversy for me, I wont buy it or watch it or allow my kids to watch it. Period.

[susanb]

Movie Review by Berit Kjos

Golden Compass (http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/compass-movie.htm)

[BlessedinHim]

Movie Review by Berit Kjos

Golden Compass (http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/compass-movie.htm)

I think that is a very good review. Right to the point. What they are doing with this is worse than Harry Potter as to my present knowledge. :tsk

[EdwardK]

I heard that it was changed from the book so as to be just anti Catholic. So I went and saw it, and that indeed seems to be true. There is nothing in it that I saw that was anti-Bible or anti-Christian, and the use of the compass to know truth can be likened to prayer to know truth.

The movie is clearly anti-magisterium, (the Magisterium is pretty transparently the Vatican). The Magisterium has a fancy Vatican like headquarters, dresses with lots of finery, and has a leader who acts and is treated a lot like the Pope. The main theme seems to be Lyra (the girl protagonist) refusing to accept the dominance of the Magisterium, and to find the truth herself - looked pretty Protestant to me.

With nearly 100 million Catholics in the US (over a billion worldwide), and only maybe 1 atheist for every 8 Catholics in the US, maybe the RCC has done a good job getting most Christians to support the RCC by boycotting the Golden Compass? The books may be anti-Christian, but the movie doesn't appear to be - but is anti-Catholic.

Maybe this is a good movie for freeing people from Catholicism?

- Edward

[MrMannn]

Edward you have it wrong. Click on the link and read the review. It is NOT just another fantasy, it IS a specific attack on Christianity.

The movie, watered down as it is, acts as a lure for children. A lure to read the books where the children reject God and in the end, kill God.

Another good place for you to check out is the sticky thread above the Anything Goes forum. The first post links to the Snopes page that verifies the Authors intent with the books: to undermine Faith in the weakest of minds: children.

The fact that Catholics are picked on here is Pullman's own bigotry. Catholics are easily identified, and they will be the first to face persecution.

[Freed_From_Sin]

Yea, but if it's killing the Catholic God - isn't that really Satan? What's the big deal about killing Satan?

[EdwardK]

MrMann wrote:
Click on the link and read the review. It is NOT just another fantasy, it IS a specific attack on Christianity.

I read the review. It makes some good points (especially about the books, which isn’t what I’m talking about anyway), but also has a lot of stuff that doesn’t follow. For instance, that review talks at length about an unrelated book, and then goes into a general discussion of Eastern influence. Eastern influence could indeed be an issue, but most movies have as much or more Eastern influence as the Golden Compass – so much of the review really doesn’t apply.

Plus the issue of “good witches” and divination/magic are very common in all kinds of movies. Is The Wizard of Oz anti-Christian – it has good witches and wizards, magic, etc? Moby Dick has divination, as do many more. One of the biggest heroes in the Lord of the Rings is Gandalf, a wizard (LOTR clearly has divination, magic, etc), Star wars has good “wizards”, divination, magic – as does nearly every fantasy and sci-fi movie I can think of (such as merlin, the last unicorn, Labrynth, the Matrix, etc). Are all those anti-Christian? Other movies have have other gods – like The clash of the titans and xanadu just to name a few. What about those? Are we going to discard any useful tool if it has magic in it? www.magicforjesus.com/


The movie, watered down as it is, acts as a lure for children. A lure to read the books where the children reject God and in the end, kill God.

First, the vast majority of people will see the movie and not read the books (which as I’ve said several times I haven’t read and am not discussing). So whatever happens in the books are outside my point – plus, are you concerned if a story has the “God” of the Catholic church being killed? The Magisterium could also be seen as the Mormon church, which also has a big fancy Vatican and a revered single leader. Is killing the “God” of the Mormons a problem? Which God are we talking about here - or do you assume that all religion's Gods are the same?


Another good place for you to check out is the sticky thread above the Anything Goes forum. The first post links to the Snopes page that verifies the Authors intent with the books: to undermine Faith in the weakest of minds: children.

The author’s intent isn’t my point, nor are the books. I’m talking about the movie.

The fact that Catholics are picked on here is Pullman's own bigotry. Catholics are easily identified, and they will be the first to face persecution.

Chick tracts and all kinds of other Christian literature also pick on Catholics (or Mormons – the Magisterium could be either). Examples are all over, from Martin Luther and Calvin in the past to the Chick tracts of today (www.chick.com).

I just can’t shake the feeling that the Catholic church’s PR people recognized a PR attack, and responded by duping most Christians to oppose it, and that most Christians have swallowed their ruse hook, line and sinker. It's a much more effective strategy than simply opposing it themselves alone - and. even better, it stops us from using the movie as a tool against false churches.

After hundreds of years, their PR people are pretty good, but getting nearly everyone here to defend Catholicism against a movie that encourages us to find the truth on our own is still quite an accomplishment. Not a bad hat-trick.

-Edward

[MrMannn]

Soooo, as long as the movie can be used to support anti-Catholic bigotry, its OK?

[Freed_From_Sin]

Soooo, as long as the movie can be used to support anti-Catholic bigotry, its OK?

Well, most christians love catholics - but we are concerned for their souls. Maybe this movie can generate some talk so we can approach them about "mother church" and get them to see that they need a personal relationship with Christ. They aren't getting to heaven without that!