Golden Compass

When watching The Golden Compass I thought that it’s only purpose was to entertain. I was brought into a magical wonderland with adventure, daemons, and a pretty sweet polar bear fight. I made no connection to underlying themes of atheism or any attacks on Christianity; I thought I was only being treated to a kick ass movie. Yet there was a controversy over Philip’s book and movie. Some people found that his story did attack Christianity. When interviewed Philip was asked about some people’s claim that his book attacks Christianity. He didn’t exactly deny these claims. He states that “some things done in the name of religion are very bad. That was what I was trying to describe in my story.” Philip was also asked if the main point of the story was to promote atheism. He responded with “it doesn’t matter to me whether people believe in God or not, so I’m not promoting [atheism].” In Philip’s mind he was not promoting atheism he was just writing a fantasy story. Although Philip does not care if people believe in the “Authority” what he does 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 doesn’t seem that Philip had a hidden agenda he was just writing a story.


Today. 2 Nov. 2007. Msnbc.com. 21 May 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21595083/.