I Won!

Now I have to finish the story.

This Is How I Feel About The Golden Compass

I have been hearing all sorts of stuff from all sides about the upcoming movie The Golden Compass, and as someone who has read the books, I feel that I must speak.

1. This is not a children's movie. The Golden Compass is rated PG-13. The book it is based on is found only in the YA/teen section of most bookstores, as well as the sci-fi/fantasy section, not the children's section.

2. Yes, Philip Pullman, the author of the novels, is an atheist. I don't believe that this is reason enough in itself to reject something out of hand. For some people, it is. I also don't believe that Pullman wrote his books with the purpose of indoctrinating children against God or organized religion or whatever. I think he set out to write a good story, and his personal beliefs happened to creep into it. It happens with Christians too. And Jews and Catholics, et cetera.

3. I don't wish to invalidate anyone's opinion. An opinion that does not agree with mine is okay. I'm not out to persuade the world to my way of thinking. I have no problem with strong opinions. What I have a problem with is uninformed opinions. I felt this way with The Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter as well. (What makes one bad and one okay? Is it arbitrary? It feels that way sometimes.) People got up in arms based on rumors and other people's uninformed opinions. When I see a comment about The Golden Compass that begins with, "I haven't read the books, but . . .," I don't even feel compelled to read it. I hear opinions and read articles that quote other articles, not the books or the author. Uninformed opinions are dangerous, and in some ways are worse than not taking sides at all.

4. I'm going to quote something my best friend said to the teen writers we mentor. (They've been having quite a debate among themselves about the movie.) They were talking about the verse that says, "Whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, think on these things." "God made Pullman and God gave Pullman the gift of storytelling and writing. To ignore this gift because Pullman doesn't believe in God would be to ignore something that God created. Granted, it isn't as lovely as it could be (if Pullman were to submit to God and let God manifest the gift to the fullest extent) but it still has some loveliness in it (and touches of truth and purity and nobility). I think that we, living in a fallen world, are sometimes so quick to toss out the entire package instead of seeing that there is something of God there. We often miss Him because we are so worried about getting our hands dirty.

I'm not saying that these books should be studied and meditated on- but I think that the good parts should be admired while we keep aware of the "negative" parts. Reading a good writer can improve your own writing. I read good writing because I want to learn how to do that. I also want to see how a world view can permeate a work, because that is what my world view should do. If I only read mediocre work (and sadly, much of Christian art is just that) then I will never be anything but mediocre. But if I can navigate the muddy waters, leaning on the Holy Spirit to guide me, and find the good and pure and noble wherever it may hide, then I may be able to use my gift more fully."

5. I just want to say that I'm not defending the books' screwed-up theology. When I loan them to people, I always say, "The theology is screwed up, but it's a really good story." And I don't loan them to people that I think will have a real problem with them. We all have different tastes, and we all have different standards. For some people, these books (and possibly the movie, but not having seen it yet, I feel I can't directly comment) could be a real stumbling block. For me, they aren't--they contain a lovely story that I could hardly put down, and it did not read to me like an offensive attack on my faith. If it had, I wouldn't have bothered with finishing the first book, let alone the other two.

Let me end by saying that I am not attacking anyone's opinions or singling anyone out. I have heard things from all sides and all places, which is why I felt the need to speak up myself, since I have read the books. I just think that the way uninformed opinions are propogating themselves is a shame, and I also wanted correct the misconception that the books and/or the movie are for children. That is all. Jumping down from my soapbox now.