The Golden Compass Directs Children Off Course

Philip Pullman, an atheist who masks his message in fiction children's books, has been called "the most dangerous author in Britiain." And it could be easily seen to be so as he was quoted in a newspaper article to say, "'Thou shalt not' might reach the head, but 'once upon a time' reaches the heart. I agree with Pullman in that respect. If a person's heart does not line up with his head, he will not have a genuine change. So just like Jesus used parables to tell a story and prepare the hearts of the people, it is a good idea to soften the ground before depositing the seed. No problem there. But the message that Pullman is sending is counter-productive to the typical parent child-rearing.

Philip Pullman penned the books called, His Dark Materials, a trilogy of which the movie The Golden Compass is based. I'm sure by now, that you know of the anti-church, anti-God, and anti-organized religion message of the books, so I won't bore you any longer with that. I do believe that parents who are raising their children in the nuture and admonition of the Lord should know that about the movie, but the movie also has a very anti-authority message, which can get into the heads of young children, or really stand out for the precocious fourteen and fifteen year olds whose attention the Harry Potter series failed to keep.

Let me first say that it is Pullman's perogative to be an atheist. That's between him and God. (I recently saw a bumper sticker on the back of someone's car that said, "If you are living like there is no hell-- then you'd better be right.) My problem with Pullman is that he uses the unfair blow of subtle indoctrination of children to get his message across. Pullman has stated in interviews that His Dark Materials were in fact an answer to C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia which has a Christian message. Again, that's his right, but he is a little hypocrital in doing that. Pullman states that although he does not believe in God, he does believe in right and wrong. He states that the "school of morals" can be taught in fiction stories, and a person must never consult any "scriptures" to learn these lessons. While CS Lewis taught a positive message, Pullman is teaching anti-authority. Parents are an authority. In an attempt to provide his own form of "enlightenment" to children, he is teaching your children rebellion towards you.

When The Golden Compass won the 1995 Carnegie Medal (this award is given to the best children's book of the year) Pullman said in a speech that "there are some themes, some subjecs, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children's book." That's not fair seeing his stories deal with more adult topics. I'm not saying not to go and see his movie. I'm not even saying don't take your kids. Fact is, to my understanding, the anti-God message is watered down in the movie. I am just saying that you should go with them if you are going to allow them to see it. (or go first) And be prepared to "parent" your children by addressing topics in the movie according to how your family has chosen to raise your children. (This is something you should be doing for any movie.)

Another concern I have is that after the movie, the books will become popular. After all, Pullman is an excellent writer. The books deal more heavily with topics which you may not necessarily agree. So be prepared as if your children read these books, they may have some interesting questions. I will give you a few points taken from Pullman's interviews on his ideas. You can decide for yourself.

1. The Fall in the Garden of Eden is considered a positive step toward enlightenment and the improvement of life. It is the central theme of the trilogy. The two main characters represent Adam and Eve and their temptation was the love for each other.

2. Pullman says in an interview that the Satan figure in the story is Mary Malone and the temptation (Garden of Eden) is wholly beneficient. He states the fall is a fall into grace towards wisdom, not sin. (http://www.thirdway.org.uk/past/showpage.asp?page=3949)

3.Pullman states, "Wisdom is not gained from God, but solely from experience and making your own choices.(http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/author/carnegie.html)

4. The Character called God in the series is called the enemy: In The Amber Spyglass book, it reads: "The Authority, god, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, The Father the Almighty-- those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves-- the first angel, true the most powerful... The Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie." ( 'Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings' by Richard Abanes, pp.33)

5. The Church and Parents are established as the enemy in these stories

6. The Culmination of this series is the death of God.: With his death, society is freed from control and the main characters are able to be free from danger and from "a king"

I like a quote from Kellie Copeland concerning the movie, and I end with her quote: "Consider the message sent: God is the enemy; the church is a dangerous enemy and a big mistake; the most mature and enlightened thing you can do is to disregard authority (include parents in that); fallen angels are the good guys; your "daemon" will speak to you from outside of your body and God is dead. This is mind-altering stuff at 9, 10 and 11 years old. When a child reads or watches this type of demonic message, it will influence the thought processes and the heart toward God you have worked so hard to develop by prayer and discipline. Seeds will be planted that may not show up for years to come. But they will produce a harvest. "

Thanks for reading,

Live Intentionally, Die Empty

-Beau