The Golden Compass: Don’t Take Your Kids To This Movie

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…”(Isa. 5:20).

What is Nicole Kidman thinking? Doesn’t she do any research about a project before she agrees to be a part of it? Is she a militant atheist, too? I don’t think so. Why would even a nominal Christian be a part of this???

The main villains in the series of books are the Magisterium, Cardinals, and the Pope and includes a heroine that is a young girl who sets out to kill God. The truly sick thing about the movie is that they have made it APPEAR as if it is an innocent film with exciting effects and a fairytale story. They have removed from the movie the appalling anti-Catholic/Christian themes from the book.

From Snopes (Yes, this is so God-awful people have apparently mistaken it for an urban legend):

The Golden Compass, a fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman that is scheduled to be released into theaters on 7 December 2007, has been drawing fire from concerned Christians. The film is based on Northern Lights (released in the U.S. as The Golden Compass), the first offering in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy of children’s books, a series that follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assassins to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.

These books appear to be the atheistic answer to the wonderful Narnia books by C.S. Lewis.

The Catholic League:

A film called “The Golden Compass” opens December 7. It is based on the first book of a trilogy titled His Dark Materials. The author of this children’s fantasy is Philip Pullman, a noted English atheist. It is his objective to bash Christianity and promote atheism. To kids. “The Golden Compass” is a film version of the book by that name, and it is being toned down so that Catholics, as well as Protestants, are not enraged.

The second book of the trilogy, The Subtle Knife, is more overt in its hatred of Christianity than the first book, and the third entry, The Amber Spyglass, is even more blatant. Because “The Golden Compass” is based on the least offensive of the three books, and because it is being further watered down for the big screen, some might wonder why parents should be wary of the film.

The Catholic League wants Christians to stay away from this movie precisely because it knows that the film is bait for the books: unsuspecting parents who take their children to see the movie may be impelled to buy the three books as a Christmas present. And no parent who wants to bring their children up in the faith will want any part of these books.

“The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked” is the Catholic League’s response. It provides information about the film, “The Golden Compass,” and details what book reviewers have said about Pullman’s books; a synopsis of his trilogy is also included.

Here’s Bill Donahue talking about it.

Do not be sucked in by this movie. It’s just the latest effort to undermine religion by militant atheists.

Do warn your children about this movie. The trailers are very enticing. My fifteen year old was looking forward to seeing the movie, and was planning on reading the books, until I told her what they were all about.

Please look into this. Nice Deb isn’t a fundie prude. I had no problem with the Harry Potter books. I have no problem with Halloween. But I can not stress enough, after looking further into it, how demonic these books are.

The message is the opposite of Pinocchio, which teaches that a person needs to practice moral restraint in order to be fully human. In Pleasure Island there are no rules, and Pinocchio and the lost boys can do whatever they want which leads them to sprout floppy ears and tails. Only a jackass thinks that a world without rules is a good idea. But there are a lot of jackasses out there.

In the last book of the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass, the heroine defeats the senile God, leading to ‘free will’ for all, or self-deification. What militant atheists don’t understand, or appreciate, is that God has already given us free will. They demonstrate that when they reject God, and embrace atheism. God doesn’t want to force himself on anyone; he wants to be chosen freely. But that’s not good enough for the militant atheists. They want to force their disbelief down our throats. They believe in free choice for everything but God.

Throughout his trilogy, Pullman repeatedly emphasizes the goodness of physical life. (IfyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo).

Christians do that too, but of course within certain boundaries. No such boundaries, here. Free will means free whatever you want, whenever you want it. No holds barred. Is this a message you want your teenagers to hear?

Here’s some interesting background on New Line studio boss, Robert Shaye.

UPDATE (Nov. 13):

A lot of people are finding this post by googling “Golden Compass Hoax”.

Where’s the hoax, folks?

Seriously, I wish it was a hoax.

UPDATE ( November 26):

Whether Pulman is a militant atheist or a militant agnostic is up for debate, now that he’s backtracking as the movie is about to be released. He has most certainly characterized himself as an atheist:

He told an Oxford literary conference in August 2000: ‘We’re used to the Kingdom of Heaven; but you can tell from the genera thrust of the book that I’m of the devil’s party, like Milton. And I think it’s time we thought about a republic of Heaven instead of the Kingdom of Heaven. The King is dead. That’s to say I believe the King is dead. I’m an atheist.

Virtually everyone who writes about him, characterizes him as an atheist, but that’s frankly neither here nor there. What is undeniable is that he’s profoundly anti-Christian. His own words:

* “What I fear and deplore in the ‘faith school’ camp is their desire to close argument down and put some things beyond question or debate. It’s vital to get clear in young minds what is a faith position and what is not - so that, for instance, they won’t be taken in by religious people claiming that science is a faith position no different in kind from Christianity.

*“I am happy to support you and argue for your aims, and pour ridicule on faith schools and the teaching of creationism and pester the BBC to open up Thought for the Day…

Peter Hitchens on Pulman:

*In his worlds, the Church is wicked, cruel and child-hating; priests are sinister, murderous or drunk. Political correctness creeps in leadenly. There is a brave African king and a pair of apparently homosexual angels. The one religious character who turns out to be benevolent is that liberal favourite, an ex-nun who has renounced her vows and lost her faith.

His stated objective is to “undermine the basis for Christian belief”. This is no secret. It’s no hoax. Those are his own words.

Brent Bozell has more with The Christmas Crushing Movie.

Tim Graham at Newsbusters is covering this story, too: Newsweek Writer Enjoys The Atheist Denouncing The Conservative ‘Nitwit’.

Nearly every commenter at Newsbusters made the same point, namely:

Notice how atheists like Pulman love to pick on Christians, but are strangely silent when it comes to Islam?

Here’s an excellent review of the film from NRO’s Gina R. Dalfonzo.

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If you want to see a pro-Christian, pro-family, pro-life movie that slipped in under the radar, and has already won a “People’s Choice” award, Bella is the movie for you.

Brent Bozell says preview audiences consistently gave it standing O’s.

This is its opening weekend.

UPDATE:

Rotten Tomatoes’ critics give Bella a 38% fresh rating.

Rotten Tomatoes’ users give it a 94% fresh rating.

Here’s what one savvy user wrote:

Bella is a winner. The critics are doing what the critics do. When they get uncomfortable that they are losing control, they go into tomato throwing mode. Just like at the Toronto Film Festival. The critics demonstrated their lack of integrity when they shrugged it off and they demonstrated their irrelevance when Bella won the coveted People’s Choice Award.

This is a movie with depth.

UPDATE:

Good news.

Looks like Bella is beating all of the anti-war films at the box office.

It’s also now playing everywhere!

UPDATE (November 29):

Looks like The Golden Compass is going to have some competition this holiday season.

Disney’s Enchanted is already getting great reviews.

Thanks to Retired Geezer.

 

Iraqi Soldiers Collect $1000 For Victims Of CA Wildfires

Feel good story of the week you won’t see in the MSM:

Members of the Iraqi Army in Besmaya collected $1000 in donations for the victims of the San Diego wildfires to support Besmaya’s San Diego residents.

The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers in Besmaya. In a speech given during the presentation, Col. Abbass stated that he and the Iraqi soldiers were connected with the American people in many ways, and they will not forget the help that the American government has given the Iraqi people. Abbass was honored to participate by sending a simple fund of $1,000 to the American people in San Diego, to lower the suffering felt by the tragedy.

Richard S. Lowery from Op For says:

Here is an example of Iraqi charity and gratitude which touched my soul. Imagine how incredibly generous these soldiers are. They have little to support their own families. It’s not enough that they are fighting daily to bring peace to their country. They are actually reaching out to help unfortunate Americans.

H/T: Drew at Ace Of Spades HQ 

Edwards’ Campaign Tries To Kill UNC Video Story

A UNC Journalism student’s video about John Edwards’ campaign headquarters apparently ruffled the feathers of some top level staffers of Edwards’ campaign.

Associate Professor C.A. Tuggle said two top staffers for the former North Carolina senator demanded that the school drop the segment from the student-run television program “Carolina Week.” They also asked to have the video removed from the YouTube Web site.

Tuggle said they threatened to cut off access to Edwards for UNC student reporters and other student groups if the piece aired.

Republicans are the ones who are supposed to be the Fascists, remember.

“My gosh, what are they thinking?” Tuggle said. “They’re spending this much time and effort on a student newscast that has about 2,000 viewers? They’re turning a molehill into a mountain.”

The innocuous video by graduate student Carla Babb questions the location of Edwards’ choice of the posh Southern Village Shopping Center for his campaign headquarters, when he is Mr. “Two Americas”. (My words). The issue had been discussed recently in the student newspaper, The Daily Tarheel.

In the video, James Edward Dillard, a columnist for The Daily Tar Heel, says that the location conflicts with Edwards’ campaign goal of reducing poverty in America.

“To pick that place as your campaign center, when you’re going to be the man who advocates on behalf of the poor, I just think, why not turn the media’s attention to somewhere where there are huge, huge problems,” Dillard said.

The piece was posted on YouTube before the broadcast in order to meet the deadline for an MTV “Choose or Lose” news contest.

Despite the complaints, Tuggle said the piece will air as scheduled on Monday and will remain on YouTube here: the video.

The Edwards campaign would not answer questions about the incident.

I don’t know what the big deal is. Everyone already knows what a ridiculous phony Edwards is.

Don’t they?

Hat tip: Sobek at IB.

Quote Of The Week

Ann Coulter on Islamofascist Awareness Week:

If liberals want to face real fascism, try showing up on a college campus and denouncing fascism.

Let’s review some of the weeks highlights:

Monday:

Nonie Darwish speaks at Berkeley, and is constantly heckled and interrupted. Brenda Walker from VDARE, was there:

Even more alarming than the crazy ideas (not new on campus) was the level of bug-eyed hysteria. Many of the troublemakers were in such a state of agitated delirium that they appeared incapable of applying reason to ideas. Instead, they felt a compulsion to shriek insults at a middle-aged woman who, unlike them, has actually lived in an oppressive society. The deranged heckler chorus looked like they needed cult deprogramming.

Sadly, truly free speech exists today on the Berkeley campus only for Stalinist ideology.

Tuesday:

National Project To Defend Dissent & Critical Thinking In Academia dispatch the Raging Grannies, (or as I like to call them: Commies Who Like To Drown Out Critically Thinking Conservatives Dissenting from the Liberal Monopoly On Campus) show up for Ann Coulter’s speech at Stanford.

They embarrass themselves by singing horrid, commie songs to the tune of nursery rhymes like all lefty battle-axes do.

Unruly crowd harrasses Rick Santorum at Penn State.

Wednesday:

David Horowitz forced off the stage by leftist Brownshirts

The booing started when David Horowitz walked on the stage and the interruptions lasted until the talk was cancelled.

Nice job, Emory!
It was a dark day for Emory University. The Emory crowd stood one by one with their backs to David Horowitz.
The communists fell into line- Horowitz just pegged them but was having a hard time with the interruptions that were constant.
There were continuous outbursts coming from this crowd.

Finally a member of the university security staff told the crowd to sit down or they would be forcibly escorted out of the building.

You know what happened next… The place erupted.
Video and more pictures to follow.
It was shameful.

Thursday:

A rowdy Islamist is booted from building at George Washington U.

A Democratic strategist defends the disruptive brownshirts who shut down Horowitz’s speech at Emory on The O’Reilly Factor.

Friday:

Things winding down…

Some small protests at Columbia this morning:

While the rally included some graduate and undergraduate students, the crowd consisted largely of local residents and activists from The World Can’t Wait, a nonprofit organization aimed at driving out the Bush administration.

As always, Coulter is right.