Comments on: The Golden Compass controversy

By: Pullman gives grounds for libertarianism?

Pullman gives grounds for libertarianism? — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:51:34 +0000

[...] look at Pullman, and is well worth a read. At the time of the Golden Compass controversy, I wrote a piece which concluded with this sentence: “[Above all else,] Pullman’s story is about the fight [...]

By: Gordon D

Gordon D — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:54:58 +0000

Crazy. I think this tallies well with your previous story about the rap music including hate lyrics. In both cases there is a ‘message’ or ‘agenda’ that some people want to ban it for. I’ve never seen a more consistent web site than this for this kind of news stories.

By: John

John — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:16:25 +0000

Dave, I don’t think most people DO find the deeper meaning in fiction, unless it’s more explicit. Bill Donohue admitted that himself: “The movie is basically innocuous”… but seems to fear that atheism will seep from the pages or something.

Liam, agree that kids won’t get the allegory.

Quinney, I’ll take that as a compliment. (Wouldn’t I?)

By: David Richards

David Richards — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:13:20 +0000

Liam, some Americans will have seen Father Ted but not many, I know about it because my son lives in Britain and bought me the box set, I love it! And by the way there is a box set sold in America so it’s definitely something that people have. (Also noticed it available for rent on Netflix.) I agree with you all, this is a silly fuss and will draw attention to the movie, it will accomplish the total opposite of what it’s meant to.

By: Atheism Continued « Worldgirl84

Atheism Continued « Worldgirl84 — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:05:50 +0000

[...] agree with the rest of this post which states that Bill Donohue (president of the Catholic league) is “on the warpath” [...]

By: Dave Powell

Dave Powell — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:16:10 +0000

I read the first book about a year ago and never twigged on to the atheist undertone. But then i’m quite thick when it comes to interpreting the deeper meanings in fiction, unless its blatantly obvious.
I think allowing your children to be open to different points of view is the best thing you can do for them.
I don’t think my wife would be very keen on me discussing philosophy with my 10 and 7 year olds. But if they ever ask me a direct question i’ll be honest with them, and hopefully that will counter balance the christian teaching they get from the rest of the family.
Both of my kids love reading, so i’m hoping that by the time they are teenagers they’ll pick up some of the books from my shelf aswell as the bible.

By: Liam

Liam — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:14:40 +0000

Will people never learn that making a big silly fuss about things like this gives a massive publicity boost to the film/book whatever?

Are any of the US readers of this site aware of the Irish TV comedy ‘Father Ted?’ It was a brilliantly surreal masterpiece about three Catholic priests sharing a home on a remote island off the Irish coast.
In one memorable episode the tyrannical bishop orders Ted and his reluctant housemates to picket a local cinema showing a pornographic film named ‘The Passion of St Tibulus’. The picket consists of them standing outside in the freezing cold holding placards bearing the legend: ‘Down with this sort of thing’ and: ‘Careful now’. Of course it becomes the most successful film in Irish history (google Father Ted by the way, well worth it if you’re not familiar with the programme).

Another point, does anyone really think children will be interested in Pullman’s allegories? I took my 7 year old to the cinema the other week and we saw a trailer for The Golden Compass. Funnily enough she didn’t say: ‘Dad this is flatly contradictory to our Sunday liturgy’. She said, and I paraphrase: ‘Look, a giant talking bear!’

By the way I’m a Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday while doing what most sensible Catholics do about the sillier parts of the faith, i.e. quietly ignoring them.

By: Quinney

Quinney — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:58:53 +0000

Dangerous atheists like me don’t care about such things, but I’m glad there are reasonable christians like you to make religion look like it has even a minute chance of survival.