I've been hesitant about writing this post. For the last few months I've been debating whether or not I want to go and see The Golden Compass released in UK cinemas today. I love fantasy, I love stories that draw you in about battles between good and evil and I like to question myself about the things I read and watch. Some of my decisions may not be popular (I am a Harry Potter lover) but I do try to consider them and there have been things I've chosen not to read or watch because they're not true, noble, right, pure or lovely (Phil 4:8). Though in this day and age I'm not sure many things would fall within that list...
The reason I hesitate to watch the GC is not because I don't think Mr Pullman has a right to dislike the Church and disbelieve God, Lord knows we've earned some of his criticism throughout our history, but because if I have a choice about what fills my mind do I want it to be this?
I think boycotting anything is counter productive in a post modern culture. With a belief in relativity and the freedom of choice the banned only becomes more appealing. Plus it gives many naff things that would not earn great notoriety on their merit alone undeserved fame.
In considering the GC and the Northern Lights series in general I had a look at Mr Pullman's website. Here's what he's written there about religion:
"Some of the articles and talks I've written are to do with the subject of religion, which I think is a very interesting one. The religious impulse – which includes the sense of awe and mystery we feel when we look at the universe, the urge to find a meaning and a purpose in our lives, our sense of moral kinship with other human beings – is part of being human, and I value it. I'd be a damn fool not to.
But organised religion is quite another thing. The trouble is that all too often in human history, churches and priesthoods have set themselves up to rule people's lives in the name of some invisible god (and they're all invisible, because they don't exist) – and done terrible damage. In the name of their god, they have burned, hanged, tortured, maimed, robbed, violated, and enslaved millions of their fellow-creatures, and done so with the happy conviction that they were doing the will of God, and they would go to Heaven for it.
That is the religion I hate, and I'm happy to be known as its enemy."
Here's what makes me sad: some of things he's written about Christian religion are true. We have done awful things in God's name because we're human and we've seriously stuffed up. It's a shame that no-ones demonstrated a living faith in Jesus rather than religious control in his life.
I read some really interesting reviews of the film on the BBC website this morning. A Catholic film critic wrote:
"I didn't find The Golden Compass offensive at all.
The Magisterium comes in early on, but is only there for a few minutes. We're not really told what they do, just that they control things for the sake of it. This just isn't what the Catholic Church is about, so it was too removed from reality for anyone to take offence. Of course it's to do with the church, but it's so bowdlerised, it's such a cliche of the "evil church," that it just didn't seem relevant really.
The main message was so convoluted, there was no serious atheistic content, and it didn't seem obvious that they [the Magisterium] were religious in a way that I understand it. I'd be far more offended if I was a polar bear. Clearly, the Magisterium is meant to represent the Catholic church, but I think the Catholic League in America are really overstepping the mark. There's no need to call for any boycott of it. The whole thing is about polar bears - it's nothing to do with the Magisterium.
I'd be far more offended if I was a polar bear. The polar bears are ludicrously portrayed - I don't empathise with them at all."
An Athiest film critic wrote:
"There is so much missing from what is basically a corporate product that you're going to be very disappointed if you have read the books. I don't think it's true that they've watered down the atheism - although the last three chapters, where they talk explicitly about the concept of Original Sin, are missing...
I would obviously have liked to have more atheism. The problem is that everything is present and correct, but it's present and correct in a very truncated form... I found that the whole thing was completely bereft of magic."
I like these reviews because they approach the film from a cinematic perspective as well as from their different faith stances. For me the jury is still out. Humans have souls (known as Daemons) which are animal like creatures that follow them around: it's going to cause any Christian to pause. The language seems deliberately provocative. I may or may not see the film. If Empire give it less that four stars debate's over anyway :) xc