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Real Answers™
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Copyright: ©2007 James J. Jackson
700 words

THE GOLDEN COMPASS:  A HARMLESS FILM, OR A HIDDEN AGENDA?

By: James J. Jackson

Beware of the soon to be released movie, The Golden Compass.  This film rendition of the first of a trilogy of books, by author Phillip Pullman is presented as an animated fantasy movie, not unlike children’s films that are typically released during this time of year.  But, parents beware!  There is much more to this movie and its author than meets the eye.

Phillip Pullman is an avowed and proud atheist member of the Secular Humanist Society, who has vowed to ‘kill God in the minds of the children’. His books unabashedly speak of ’the death of God and the creation of a “Republic of Heaven”, that has no need for a king.’ Pullman tries to make his books to appear to be in the vein of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien‘s, Lord of the Rings, except that this trilogy is clearly anti-God.  The author has been quoted as stating that he wishes to erase Christianity from young minds.

Pullman’s other books in the trilogy, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass follow the theme of the first book, The Golden Compass.  A young girl becomes deeply involved in an epic struggle against religion, specifically a thinly veiled depiction of the Catholic church.  The movie and other books include subtle, suggestive lines designed to break down the belief structure of young, impressionable minds.

For instance, at one point, a ‘nun’ opines that Christianity is “…a very powerful and convincing mistake.”  Pullman says that he wants the children to read his books and “decide against God and the Kingdom of Heaven.”.   The movie is played out in a very entertaining and fast-moving fashion, and includes Nicole Kidman in its blue ribbon cast, in order to give it more credibility.

The trilogy carries its theme of hatred for God and all things religious in a most covert fashion.  The third book, The Amber Spyglass, depicts the children as some kind of reincarnation of Adam and Eve, and they eventually ‘kill’ God. The heroine, 11 year old Lyra, goes looking for her friend, one of many children kidnapped by scientists working for the church.  She is assisted by witches, gypsies, and an armored bear.  At one point, Lyra witnesses her father killing a child, using a technique that releases energy and opens a portal into another world.

In the trilogy, God is not really the Creator, but just the first angel who came out of what Pullman calls, “Dust”.  When other angels emerged, he convinced them that he created them, then set up churches in order to assert his control over them.  This angel is called “the Authority”.  Sounds ridicules, doesn’t it?  Perhaps to a critically thinking adult, but a young, fragile mind might willingly accept it as truth. Pullman certainly hopes so.

In one part of the trilogy, Lyra meets a boy who possesses a knife, called ‘Aesahaettr’, which means, ‘god destroyer’.  It appears that, through his trilogy, Pullman’s self-described “Dark Materials” seem to be bent upon the destruction of faith in young minds.  In endorsing Pullman’s work, Christopher Hitchens, a British writer, journalist and political pundit, says that “Pullman is the writer the atheists have been praying for, if atheists prayed.”  That endorsement, itself is enough to create fear in the minds of Christian parents.

God gives the responsibility to parents to protect young minds from dangerous concepts, warning us in Eph., 6:  “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  He also warns us “…do not give the devil a foothold.”  God doesn’t want us to even risk putting fragile, impressionable young minds in a position to confuse them with themes that are clearly designed to do so.

More than ever, parents need to be vigilant to research what is being presented to their children.  Their minds will be filled with either evil or God’s words and truth.  Don’t turn their minds over to someone who has already stated that he is in opposition to your belief system.

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

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