Recently, a friend of mine journaled about the movie, The Golden Compass. He elaborated on some common views about how Christians should respond to the movie. Here is a excerpt from his thoughts:
I've had a close friend mention the movie to me recently and pledge his steadfast desire to tell all of his friends not to patronize the movie. I've also gotten a few group invitations to boycott the movie. I don't want to make it seem as if I feel more enlightened or to be derogatory when I say this, but I'll be blunt. Why wouldn't I go see the movie? Well to be honest, I'd rather go see American Gangster, but I'm lost on why I should boycott this movie. Is it because the author is an atheist? What is Peter Jackson's faith (the director of Lord of the Rings)? ..... Let's think this through and not jump on the baptist boycott bandwagon. If you take your kid to see this movie is he going to end up wanting to kill God? Seriously?....
Go focus on your friendships with non-Christians and work on loving them instead of fighting against an innocuous movie. If you want to have intelligent conversation with a non-Christian about the movie, go see it. You're going to see about 10 other movies in the theater that year that are also directed by an atheist and have themes not in accordance with biblical living. So, why not go see a movie that would enlighten you to an opposing point of view and might be entertaining? I have a good friend who is studying the Koran. In detail, in order to better understand Islam. Is it because he's questioning his faith? Is it because he has a Muslim friend who he's targeted and befriended? No, it's because he wants to be educated. Are you afraid of the movie because it might educate you to a different point of view. Is it because the Church is afraid of a non-bible thumping point of view? Think about it! Anyways, long story short. I think this is a silly battle, and I hope we're more critically thinking as a body of Christ to fear a movie like this. It's a naive point of view to think we can defeat the work of Satan in people's lives by not going to see a movie. That's about as weak as the SBC's Disney boycott because of gayday. Don't tell me I can't go to the Magic Kingdom. I love Space Mountain.You know what? Call a non-Christian friend up, Buy him and yourself a ticket, then afterwards go out for a beer and have a talk about the movie and about God and salvation.
To begin, let's look at the details. The movie, The Golden Compass came out this past December as a movie geared towards children. Many Christians have been told simply that this movie is bad, and they should not see it or allow their children to see it. Based on this, it is my belief that many Christians today severely underestimate what this movie is about. It is NOT simply a children's movie based on a book written by an atheist author! The issue goes far deeper. Yet this is what many in my camp (including my friend) seem to believe. And many have boycotted the movie because of this very reason. What goes unnoticed is the deeper underlying motives of the book's author. Although Phillip Pullman has publicly denied allocations that the movie is trying to promote atheism, let's look at some statements Pullman gave a few years ago about the books that the movie is based on. The following comes from Christian Post. com.
Even though the British author has taken a more palatable approach in marketing his books as the movie date draws near, comments made in past interviews have been more indicative of his position.
In an interview with Third Way, a Christian newspaper in United Kingdom, Pullman said of the third book in his trilogy: “Of course, I don’t say, ‘There is no God.’ “I say: ‘There is a God, and here he is dying’ – and this is what I was particularly pleased with, as a result of an act of charity. And he goes ‘with a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief.’”
When his books were released in Australia in 2003, Pullman told The Sydney Morning Herald that his “books are about killing God.”
So, is Pullman simply an atheist author trying to make a movie? Absolutely not!!! He is trying to destroy the Christian faith, starting with our children! Have we so easily forgotten how impressionable children are? Still, some simply want to make the argument that we should not "Baptist Boycott" this movie.
Now, whether those knew the underlying conditions of the movie or not is another story. But let's assume they did, and still wanted to view the movie because they want to have something to discuss with non-believers. Surely, this justifies purchasing a ticket and promoting the movie, doesn't it? Not at all! Again, let me remind you that the movie's underlying theme is the death of God! Can we not simply take that point and use it in discussion if we are so interested in "intelligent conversation?"
"But i need to see the movie in order to discuss it," some might say. Do you? Do you really need to see a movie about killing the Almighty Creator of the world and the Initiator of your salvation in order to have a conversation about God? I am reminded of how agents in the IRS determine if a check is a fake. They do not learn to distinguish between a real check and a fake one by studying the different types of fakes. They can easily spot the fakes because they have studied the true checks, and know what they are supposed to look like. In the same way, we as Believers must not conform to the patterns of this world(Rom. 12:1-2) in order to understand it. We must not even view theology as a trampoline in order to please man (or ourselves). Are we trying to please man or God?(Gal. 1:10)
So in conclusion, it is my belief that we should not see the movie because of the underlying motif of its author. Of course, there will be some who will want to argue, but instead let us draw near to Christ, knowing that His Word is profitable for reproof and training in righteousness. But don't take my word for it. If this topic interests you, check out Al Mohler's stance:
