The Golden Compass

I'm choosing to boycott the new movie "The Golden Compass" despite the fact that it looks quite entertaining and well-made (based on previews) and despite the fact that I love the fantasy genre in all shapes and forms (TV, movie, book, video game, etc).

Before I go into the details of why I'm choosing to boycott this movie, here is an email that has been going around on the subject:


[Collected via e-mail, October 2007]

There will be a new Children's movie out in December called THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It is written by Phillip Pullman, a proud atheist who belongs to secular humanist societies. He hates C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and has written a trilogy to show the other side. The movie has been dumbed down to fool kids and their parents in the hope that they will buy his trilogy where in the end the children kill God and everyone can do as they please. Nicole Kidman stars in the movie so it will probably be advertised a lot. This is just a friendly warning that you sure won't hear on the regular TV.


[Collected via e-mail, October 2007]

I don't just generally dismiss a movie or book just because someone 'says' it's meant to be something else...but this is worth knowing if you plan to see it (or plan to take your kids).

"Hi! I just wanted to inform you what I just learned about a movie that is coming out December 7, during the Christmas season, which is entitled THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It stars Nicole Kidman and it is directed toward children. What is disturbing to me is that this movie is based on the first of a trilogy of books for children called HIS DARK MATERIALS written by Philip Pullman of England.

He's an atheist and his objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. I heard that he has made remarks that he wants to kill God in the minds of children, and that's what his books are all about. He despises C.S. Lewis and Narnia, etc. An article written about him said "this is the most dangerous author in Britain" and that Pullman would be the writer "the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed." Pullman said he doesn't think it is possible that there is a God and he has great difficulty understanding the words "spiritual" and "spirituality." What I thought was important to communicate is what part of the agenda is for making this picture. This movie is a watered down version of the first book, which is the least offensive of the three books. The second book of the trilogy is THE SUBTLE KNIFE and the third book is THE AMBER SPYGLASS. Each book gets worse and worse regarding Pullman's hatred of God. In the trilogy, a young girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle against a nefarious Church known as the Magisterium. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake." As I understand it, in the last book, a boy and girl are depicted representing Adam and Eve and they kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH (which is definitely not Allah). Since the movie would seem mild if you viewed it, that's been done on purpose.

They are hoping that unsuspecting parents will take their children to See the movie, that they will enjoy the movie and then the children will want the books for Christmas. That's the hook. Pullman says he wants the children to read the books and decide against God and the kingdom of heaven.

If you decide that you do not want to support something like this, I suggest that you boycott the movie and the books. I googled a synopsis of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. As I skimmed it, I couldn't believe that in a children's book part of the story is about castration and female circumcision.

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I want to preface the rest of this post by saying I have not read any of the books in question. I have, however, had online discussions in a writer's forum with those who have read the books. The generalizations I will make about the trilogy's plot are based on 2nd hand knowledge -- based on the descriptions given by people who have, indeed, read the trilogy.

We live in a free country, and a writer has the right to detail any kind of story he wants. The fact that this series of books deals with a church very obviously resembling the Christian church is perfectly acceptable. The fact that the heroes of the story are setting out to destroy/dethrone this establishment is also perfectly acceptable. This is the author's world. The allusions to actual figures in history, or actual religions is his prerogative, although I personally prefer fantasy religions to be, more or less, fabrications, so that I can be assured the author isn't using his novel to try to "preach at me" one way or another.

One of the things that disturbs me, though, is that later on in the series, in book 2 or 3, the main characters are no longer battling corrupt officials of the world's religion (and, indeed, there are apparently "parallel worlds" in this series, so that at least one of them is fully intended to be our own world, and not a fantasy one, or so I've been informed). No, eventually, the true villain behind it all turns out to be God himself, and God's angels. Essentially the series portrays God, the creator of the various parallel worlds, as a being who essentially just likes to order people around and make them miserable, and it is up to the heroes of the story to stop this God so that people be free to do whatever they want.

Nevertheless, this is still a fictional world. So far, nothing I have said would make me bother posting about this series as I have done. Nothing so far would make me forward a chain email (I hate most chain emails). Even the fact that each of the three books gets progressively more blatant in its anti-Christianity theme wouldn't be enough to get me "riled up" as I am--"hooking" readers with a fantastic story with book 1, then slowly building the anti-religion theme and introducing God as the main villain later. But until now I haven't mentioned that the main heroes of this story are children. Indeed, the books are intended as a fantasy series for children, much like the Chronicles of Narnia.

But wait, you might say. I'm not allowed to go on some kind of "protect our children from outside influences" speech without disavowing the Chronicles of Narnia as well. After all, some atheists out there might be horrified if their children read the Narnia books and begin to believe in God--just like some Christians will be mortified if their children read this book series and cast aside their religious beliefs as a result, adopting an anti-religious skepticism. (I haven't read the Narnia books either, actually, so I'm only presuming that the Christian religious overtones are very strong in them, as I've been told as much.)

But even if the Narnia books heavily encouraged religious thought and Christian morals in particular, it didn't set out to bash any other beliefs. These books seem to be all about how organized religion--and Christianity in particular--is evil, oppressive, and all just a big sham. That's not the same as a fantasy series promoting atheism, or any other world-view. Besides, in the end, this IS a free country, and if I don't like the morals this series is trying to teach, even if that standpoint is completely valid, then I have the freedom to boycott this movie, and put my money where my heart is. Anyone opposed to the Narnia series can boycott those movies as well.

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Pullman, the author denies that anti-Christianity in general was his intention, nor that "pro-atheism" was his intention. In his own words:
"My point is that religion is at its best — it does most good — when it is farthest away from political power, and that when it gets hold of the power to (for example) send armies to war or to condemn people to death, or to rule every aspect of our lives, it rapidly goes bad. Sometimes people think that if something is done in the name of faith or religion, it must be good. Unfortunately, that isn’t true; some things done in the name of religion are very bad. That was what I was trying to describe in my story."

Now what he actually says here is something I full-heartedly agree with. Blind faith--to the point of following religious "orders" that contradict the very NATURE of your religion, is bad. If the pope ordered all Catholics to murder all non-Christians, no one should obey him: it goes against the foundation of love, acceptance, and forgiveness taught by Christ, Himself. And if these are the true morals of the series, I would be tempted to read them, and probably even support them... if they weren't aimed at children.

Children, up to a certain age, tend to see the world in black and white. People are good or bad. Actions are good or bad. And these novels, when reduced to black and white, have the very clear message "religion is bad" and more specifically "Christianity is bad." If this were a series aimed at adults, I would applaud the moral ambiguity and complexity, because (IF done well, and even-handedly) it makes any imaginary world seem more real. But aiming this movie at children seems like a low blow, almost like the goal is to secretly indoctrinate children with an clear anti-religious mentality.

In short, since I haven't read the series, I can't honestly say "this is pure evil Christian-bashing." I can't even say for certain what morals are taught by the books. I haven't read them. In the end, my aim isn't even to "create a gathering" to boycott the movie with me, in attempt to oppose it. I just aim to inform those who didn't know better.


So in closing, if you were like me before I saw this chain email, and you just thought "The Golden Compass" was no different than any other fantasy movie out there, I only ask that you go in with your eyes open--especially if you take a child to see it, and most especially if that child would then want to read the books. Some children wouldn't be affected no matter what some silly fantasy books said. I know I was like that, even as a child--I would have found the "let's kill God, cuz he's evil" plot premise outright goofy. But some children are easily swayed. So think twice before you get your child excited about this seemingly harmless fantasy series.