BEWARE The Golden Compass
I'm not saying it is bad to question what we choose to watch, read, etc. It just seems to me that sometimes we really make ourselves look like fools when we put up such a fight. On the subject of atheism, author Philip Pullman had this to say on the Today Show...
It's a good thing that we Christians are here on earth or there would be nothing good here at all! Sounds ridiculous, no? As I have stated before, the God I love is big enough to use anyone(Christian or athiest)or anything for his purpose. I believe my God is so amazing that he can redeem all good things...even the good things that are done by people who we don't agree with. My God is so amazing that he is in all that is good. All that is good.
Here are some links to a few online articles discussing The Golden Compass in a fair, and level-headed way:
Christianity Today
Novus Lumen
Transformatum
As for the atheism, it doesn’t matter to me whether people believe in God or not, so I’m not promoting anything of that sort. What I do care about is whether people are cruel or whether they’re kind, whether they act for democracy or for tyranny, whether they believe in open-minded enquiry or in shutting the freedom of thought and expression. Good things have been done in the name of religion, and so have bad things; and both good things and bad things have been done with no religion at all. What I care about is the good, wherever it comes from.
It's a good thing that we Christians are here on earth or there would be nothing good here at all! Sounds ridiculous, no? As I have stated before, the God I love is big enough to use anyone(Christian or athiest)or anything for his purpose. I believe my God is so amazing that he can redeem all good things...even the good things that are done by people who we don't agree with. My God is so amazing that he is in all that is good. All that is good.
Here are some links to a few online articles discussing The Golden Compass in a fair, and level-headed way:
Christianity Today
Novus Lumen
Transformatum
Labels: faith
posted by Sean | 4:07 PM
7 Comments:
Thank you for posting this, sweetie! I have been sent several emails warning about this movie, but I prefer to go see it, since I've been looking forward to it for so long, and to decide for myself.
Yes, if God couldn't use all things for His purposes, He wouldn't be God, would He?
I think the concern about this movie was that children might be confused or led astray, not adults. However, there was "The Wizard of Oz" and all the "Harry Potter" movies. Raggedy Ann and Andy were pretty wild sometimes too! Guess we all were not led too far astray by these, huh?
Comments from another blog site that Sean emailed me (www.novuslumen.net) about why it is important to see The Golden Compass. . .
So why am I going? Why would I spend my time, let alone money, on a movie that seems to be so anti-Christian?
. . .I love seeing movies like these because it helps me understand how society and culture views God and the Church and the questions it’s asking regarding spirituality. A while ago I wrote a post on the need for Christians to move through life with a bible in one hand an an ipod in the other, to listen to God through the Text of Scripture and the prophets of our day through the media. If we are truly concerned that our culture and individuals within it experience transformation, we need to understand it. When we engage the culture through songs, media, art, movies, etc…
Well, I (Danielle) saw The Golden Compass yesterday evening. It was a great movie! Entertaining plot, well-told story, amazing visual effects. I will definintely go see it again with Sean when he gets back from Iraq.
There was a controlling and devisive group viewed as the "bad guys" in the movie, but they could easily be interpreted to represent the government or the upper administration of the workforce, or any organized body of authority. No references were made about church, Christians, or God.
I may try to find the books, just so I can read and decide for myself about those as well. I'm going to hold back any definite conclusions until then. However, regarding the first movie of the trilogy, I found nothing offensive or threatening.
It is interesting to me that anytime a movie that people perceive to be anti-Christian comes out many Catholics automatically assume the movie is actually an attack on Catholicism. I think they thought the group of "bad guys" was supposed to be the Pope, etc. I have received the emails and have listened to the radio, and the group I have heard protesting most loudly has been the Catholic group. This is the thing I have ruminated on concerning this movie - not that another controversial movie has come out that has caused some Christians to be concerned for their children (though, you're right, that Glenda the Good Witch was pretty confusing), but that one Christian group over another would assume that the attack was on THEM and not the group as a whole. Maybe this is the problem. The last thing Jesus prayed before going to Gethsemane is the prayer in John 17 about the unity of the church. The church is the body of Christ - one entity. Why do we separate and divide? Maybe if WE could actually get along with each other we would more accurately portray Christ's body to the world, and we could more effectively address the issues of those who are angry or bitter toward God (atheists). Just a thought.
--Melinda
Thanks for doing the research, Danielle! I've read the first article, so far, and couldn't agree more with the Christianity Today writer! (My wonderful, intelligent daughter, :))
Proud Mom
I can't take the credit for that. Sean found the articles. :)
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