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It's Not a Hoax: 'The Golden Compass'
Breakpoint with Chuck Colson ^ | 11/26/2007 | Mark Earley

Posted on 11/26/2007 8:46:29 PM PST by Mr. Silverback

Note: This commentary was delivered by PFM President Mark Earley.

All of you have probably received the e-mail by now. A lot of Christians have, including many of us here at BreakPoint. One of my colleagues received it from five different people no less!

I am referring to the e-mail that is circulating about the upcoming fantasy film The Golden Compass, based on the book by Philip Pullman. It says that Pullman’s fantasy trilogy is openly anti-Christian.

Unlike many other e-mails that get circulated, The Golden Compass e-mail is not a hoax, though, in fairness, there are some incorrect details. (For example, contrary to what the e-mail cites, Jesus is mentioned in the books, and the girl and the boy at the center of the story do not kill God, though they are present when a being calling himself God is killed. God is actually presented as completely unreal in The Golden Compass; there are only angelic beings who try to set themselves up as God and are defeated.)

But the part about Pullman hating the idea of God is completely accurate. He uses his stories to twist and distort familiar biblical accounts of creation, fall, and redemption, making heroes of those who rebel against religion, and having one of his “good” characters even say, “The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake.” It’s sort of a Da Vinci Code theme for kids.

But I suggest that we should do more than just read the e-mail and press “Forward.” If we really want to be able to speak out against Pullman’s ideas, we must know what we are talking about. That’s why I mentioned the story details that might seem a bit trifling. Because when Christians start warning the culture about something dangerous, we often get a backlash. And it is worse if we are not prepared. If we just go out there and tell people, “This movie is about kids who kill God!” we just get a reputation as ill-informed scolds. Already that is starting to happen.

There are several ways you can prepare yourself to talk about Pullman’s books and upcoming movies. You can pick the books up at the library and skim them. You can read a book called Dark Matter by Tony Watkins; although Watkins finds more to like in Pullman’s books than we do at BreakPoint, he still does a good job of explaining the problems. You can visit our website—BreakPoint.org—where we have a number of articles, blog posts, and commentaries pointing out Pullman’s spiritual and literary flaws.

I know of one school in Virginia, Immanuel Christian, that is considering having the older students discuss and evaluate the worldview of the books in their weekly book discussion group. This is a terrific idea. When the movie comes out and their friends head off to the theater with no clue about what kind of indoctrination they are going to undergo, kids who have discussed Pullman’s worldview with Christian parents and educators will know what’s going on. Then they can choose the good and reject the bad.

Of course, all of this takes time for parents and teachers who already have enough to do. There is no easy way around that. But it is worth the investment in the lives of our children. As parents, teachers, and leaders, we can and should do no less.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: antichristian; boxofficebomb; breakpoint; goldencompass; philippullman
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To: Professional

Interesting “Omega Man” fun fact - it was the first movie that advertised itself through television commercials. (Funny what a person remembers)


21 posted on 11/27/2007 1:05:01 AM PST by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: icwhatudo
Since learning that this guy wants to "kill God in the hearts of kids" we're going to pass on this movie.

Things to do on my holiday list:

1) Write and send 100 Christmas cards - Ungh! ASAP!

2) Test and hang new outdoor lighting display - ASAP!

3) Unpack and clean indoor displays and arrange - NOW

4) Kill God in the hearts of kids - PASS

22 posted on 11/27/2007 2:36:43 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: sinanju
Not exactly true:

The worst (most despicable!) of the three books (and all three of the books are (deliberately) being toned down for the movie versions) is the third - where “God” IS killed.

The movies just are not quite as bad as the books.

The books - because they are toned down - are specifically and deliberately anti-Catholic in tone, message, and plot, and anti-religious in general - and are NOT fit for “just fantasy” labels. Despite what the reviewers and liberals are saying.

What you read matters. What you let your children read matters even more.

23 posted on 11/27/2007 2:50:38 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Professional

Omega Man was a favorite of mine and some others when we were kids. Really liked the music.


24 posted on 11/27/2007 4:26:23 AM PST by wally_bert (Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair!)
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To: The Duke
Slightly OT but going with the theme of mass extermination via virus, Jeremiah was a slightly different take. I never read the comic it was based on. I did really like the series. Typically, Showtime stepped in and ruined it.

I like both opening themes that someone edited together.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=flG7kqJWkZ4

25 posted on 11/27/2007 4:37:57 AM PST by wally_bert (Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair!)
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To: sinanju
I believe it’s being made by Walden Media; who gave us Narnia. I have been hearing that Pullman’s anti-Christian themes have been totally bleached out. That it’s just a rousing fantasy flick.

I think its a bad idea to send kids to a film based on a book specifically designed to lead children into apostasy. Especially since they will no doubt be plugging the book for children as well. Christians should stand united in opposition to this and send a message.
26 posted on 11/27/2007 7:14:50 AM PST by kawaii (Orthodox Christianity -- Proclaiming the Truth Since 33 A.D.)
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To: wally_bert; wagglebee; little jeremiah; cpforlife.org; Coleus; Mr. Silverback; cgk; Salvation; ...

This needs to be pinged as widely as we can ping it, IMHO.


27 posted on 11/27/2007 7:26:40 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Whatever is true, whatever is noble, pure, excellent or praiseworthy: think about these things.)
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To: Cogadh na Sith

I’m guessing “I am Legend” may be more inspired by “The World, The Flesh, and The Devil” from the fifties starring a young Harry Belafonte.


28 posted on 11/27/2007 3:29:02 PM PST by sinanju
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To: kawaii
Christians should stand united in opposition to this and send a message.

When you children inquire, simply tell them that they will not be seeing that movie and tell them why. If they continue, tell them why again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I am hoping this movie bombs so it is out of the theaters quickly. It gets tiring after a while.

29 posted on 11/29/2007 3:12:40 AM PST by gridlock (Recycling is the new Religion.)
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To: All

More movies like Apocolyptica need to be made, about the wonders of pagan cultures.

A Catholic perspective on the crusades would be nice too.

Or how about a story about a Catholic missionary converting Northern European pagan kings, without threatening to slit their throats.

A science fiction alternative universe dystopia about a world where Jesus was never born.


30 posted on 11/29/2007 3:22:45 AM PST by Hunterite
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To: VietVet
But the hero dying at the end, and so passing into Legend, was the point of Matheson’s story. I think the earlier version, “The Last Man On Earth,” starring Vincent Price, made that point more clearly than “Omega Man”.

In the book, the "altered" humans are more readily identified as vampires... unlike the "mutant" angle used in The Omega Man. The "Legend" part comes from the protagonist realizing at the end that he had become the new legendary monster (viewed as such by the "rest of the world").

It's been years since I read the book, but I think that's the point where it ends. In The Omega Man, the death scene is added to give Neville a Christ-like dimension (he dies protecting others, ensuring that he provides the means (serum taken from his own blood) to protect them from the plague.

I can see how the latter ending would be more appealing to writers and directors; the original ending is a bit hard to get across on film. It'll be interesting to see which way this new film ends.

31 posted on 12/01/2007 11:08:41 PM PST by Charles Martel (The Tree of Liberty thirsts.)
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To: Mr. Silverback
IMO, it’s great to let people know what the movie is based on and give them a heads up. But I think most kids will take it at face value, not looking for any underlying meaning.

How many kids asked to read The Trilogy Of The Ring? and saw what it really meant after seeing the movie. And how many of them actually read a book that is not required by the school they attend?

I’d be interested to know from parents how many of their kids voluntarily ask their parents...”Please buy me this book to read because I see a deeper meaning in the movie.”

It might get their attention if it were written in “internet-speak”. TGLDNCMPS

32 posted on 12/01/2007 11:33:42 PM PST by berdie
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To: Mr. Silverback
These all suck! Jodie Foster in Paper Moon back when I was 9 lol.... made me think I was missin’ sonething! “Girls are gross and they are makin’ out!” THEN came NEA. etc.. etc... we watch Movies with anticipation for fun or mind stimulation! But not these versions of which we get have for our 2hr. time out pre say! Have just recently SUCKED. Even the bread winners animations has gone tilt on PC
33 posted on 12/01/2007 11:38:05 PM PST by ermmt
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To: Professional

If you saw the movie “The Omega Man” with Charleton Heston, or the Vincent Price movie “The Last Man on Earth”, you have seen an adaptation of the book this movie is based on.
The book, “I Am Legend”, by Richard Matheson has vampiric zombies & a pandemic.
I can see going several ways with the story politically. We’ll have to see, I guess.


34 posted on 12/01/2007 11:46:12 PM PST by mountainbunny
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To: Mr. Silverback; OAKC0N; time4good; Mike32; genxer; PatriotEdition; Simul iustus et peccator; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic Ping List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to all note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

35 posted on 12/04/2007 6:32:44 AM PST by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: Lexinom

Excellent movie - we balled our eyes out through the whole thing.


36 posted on 12/04/2007 6:33:56 AM PST by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: sinanju

That’s the point, and it’s the way the books are set up, too, to suck you in and get its point across at the end -

the first one is just a rousing fantasy tale with protagonists and antagonists.

By the end of the last book, the protagonists “kill God” and free the people to do as they wish, unconstrained by the morality imposed by God.


37 posted on 12/04/2007 6:35:50 AM PST by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Cicero

>>Also, the anti-Christian bias is not very evident in the first volume, but grows as the trilogy progresses. Also deliberate, so kids will be drawn in before they realize what they are getting into.<<

Sounds like a certain LARGE Pseudo-Christian cult that began in the mid 1800’s in the US.


38 posted on 12/04/2007 6:39:58 AM PST by RobRoy
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To: Professional

>>I was a kid, yes, saw Omega Man. Very good, but typical 70s “bad ending”. Think about it, all the movies back then, the good guy died at the end. I hated that...<<

Did you notice that, after they used his blood to “save the world” and he died, he was in a position that looked like Jesus on the cross?


39 posted on 12/04/2007 6:41:28 AM PST by RobRoy
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To: Hunterite

>>A science fiction alternative universe dystopia about a world where Jesus was never born.<<

That theme fascinates me.

As a professing Christian who owns and has read pretty much everything C. S. Lewis ever wrote - more than once - I would like to see this movie for education/research purposes.

However, I believe that when you buy a product, you are voting for it, so I will pass. That is, unless I can download it off limewire.


40 posted on 12/04/2007 6:46:35 AM PST by RobRoy
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