A Concern Many Have Expressed...

by Andrew Phillips

While we don't make it a habit to use this bulletin as a forum to discuss current books or movies, a recently released movie has raised a great deal of questions about faith. The Golden Compass is a fantasy movie with recognizable stars designed for children. The recent success of movies like Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia have spurred on the production of similarly eye-catching, imaginative movies. This movie, however, is based on a series of books designed to undermine the Christian faith. Whereas C.S. Lewis paints a beautiful picture of serving God in Chronicles of Narnia, Philip Pullman promotes the exact opposite view in "His Dark Materials," the series upon which The Golden Compass is based.
Many of you have asked about this movie, and a simple google search reveals several articles written about it. From what I understand, the series starts innocently enough, yet ends with the main characters killing the character who represents God. This means that the movie might not have anything in it that is overtly offensive to Christians, yet after viewers have become emotionally invested in the characters and involved in the plot, later movies will likely promote this idea of "killing God." Pullman has been outspoken on this point, with several quoting him saying, "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief."
Of course, numerous movies are produced each year that overtly promote agendas and glorify ungodliness. Each Christian has the responsibility to decide which movies are appropriate, and the goal of this article is to inform, not to dictate what movies you watch. We do want to arm you with information you can use to make informed decisions about entertainment. Let's pray for Philip Pullman, for those who struggle with a similarly negative view of Christianity, and let's make sure that we do our best to show God's love to individuals in that situation. The truth has nothing to fear from attacks like this one, but we have the responsibility to help our children separate truth from fiction and man's agendas from God's Word. Historically, attacks on the Lord's Church have just made it stronger, and this movie may prompt spiritual discussions that we can use to teach the gospel.