Anyone reading His Dark Materials?

Post by **_Sam Harris** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 6:29 pm

Anyone get an email lately about the movie The Golden Compass? How it's supposedly anti-Christian?

Well, I've always been the type to "stick my hand in the fire", so I figured I wasn't going to go off of just scopes.com or this email, and I bought the trilogy.

Firstly, very good writing.

Secondly, apart from an insinuation (and tweaking of Genesis) in the very last chapter, the first book (compass)doesn't really focus on Judeo-Christianity. It's not until you get into book three that they start on getting rid of "the Authority". I have yet to read why.

Thirdly, given the level of education in this country, the average child twelve and under is not going to be able to read this book, keep up with the changing between multiple parallel universes, the language, and the way Pullman speaks about religion to be turned away from God.

People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

_Yoda · Post by **_Yoda** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 6:44 pm

GIMR wrote:People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

AMEN!

Look at all of the Christian fanatics that thought Harry Potter was evil!

It's a story, people! Lighten up!

;)

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:12 pm

liz3564 wrote:
GIMR wrote:People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

AMEN!

Look at all of the Christian fanatics that thought Harry Potter was evil!

It's a story, people! Lighten up!

;)

The ones who scare me are the Christian fanatics that think the Chronicles of Narnia are evil...

_Yoda · Post by **_Yoda** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:15 pm

The Nehor wrote:
liz3564 wrote:
GIMR wrote:People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

AMEN!

Look at all of the Christian fanatics that thought Harry Potter was evil!

It's a story, people! Lighten up!

;)

The ones who scare me are the Christian fanatics that think the Chronicles of Narnia are evil...

Really? That book has about as many Catholic parallels as you can get! So does Lord of the Rings, by the way.

Post by **_Dr. Shades** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:37 pm

liz3564 wrote:So does Lord of the Rings, by the way.

It does? How so?

Post by **_The Nehor** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:40 pm

liz3564 wrote:
The Nehor wrote:
liz3564 wrote:
GIMR wrote:People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

AMEN!

Look at all of the Christian fanatics that thought Harry Potter was evil!

It's a story, people! Lighten up!

;)

The ones who scare me are the Christian fanatics that think the Chronicles of Narnia are evil...

Really? That book has about as many Catholic parallels as you can get! So does Lord of the Rings, by the way.

It was written by an Anglican so I don't think I'd say Narnia is more generically Christian. Lord of the Rings is much more Catholic though most of the strongest parallels are in the Silmarillion and not the trilogy.

Post by **_Coggins7** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:20 am

People need to stop being so damn scared of books.

Yes, especially books like The Bible, The Federalist Papers, The Road to Serfdom, The Book of Mormon etc. Books do drive some people just bananas.

Post by **_Coggins7** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:25 am

For what its worth, His Dark Materials does have a message and is trying to influence attitudes and thinking, and it is aimed at children, so people are perfectly within reason to critique it and find it wanting if they so perceive it to be.

As I understand it, the anti-Christian theme of the series really doesn't take off until the second book, which is going to make it very difficult to sell as a movie, because, as I've read various reviews of the books, a lot of people are saying that to make the second and third films palatable, probably 90% of the plot line would have to be changed, because the Atheist message is central.

The first book was more amenable to toning down than the others.