First 5 Minutes of Golden Compass Available

[photon]

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thegoldencompass.html

Looks pretty good, I can't wait to see the whole thing.

[SportsJunky]

I'm a sucker for these types of fantasy movies but I'm continually let down. I hope this one is watchable but the early reviews that I've read say it's a miss.

[lambeburger]

I heard that this movie is controversial because it apparently has atheist undertones. Does anybody know why it comes across this way?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

I heard that this movie is controversial because it apparently has atheist undertones. Does anybody know why it comes across this way?

the author is an atheist himself. Heck, I'll go see the movie just to spite the people who are starting boycotts on it.

[Berger_4_]

All I know is that the books were astounding. I really would like to see it, but I have this feeling that I'm gonna be disappointed. Movies are never as good as the books were.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

I heard that this movie is controversial because it apparently has atheist undertones. Does anybody know why it comes across this way?

It's amazing, I read a christian website that wanted it boycotted, the priest said something to the affect that it was not a good idea for children to be indoctrinated like that.

I'm guessing he does not understand or conceive of the word irony

[driveway]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

I heard that this movie is controversial because it apparently has atheist undertones. Does anybody know why it comes across this way?

SPOILER ALERT!!

The books are a brilliantly constructed polemic that seek to fundamentally undermine the philosophical underpinnings of, specifically Christianity, but also all human religions. The fundamental story is: two children set out to kill God and free humankind from His tyranny. From what I've read it sounds like in this first film the studio has 'turned the volume down' on a lot of the theological undertones, but it won't be possible to do that in the second two films without fundamentally changing the plot (such as the scene where they kill God, or visit the after-life) and I can't believe that Pullman would authorize a film version of his stories (which are phenomenal and deserve to be ranked at the top of any list of young adult literature and in the top ten of English fiction, period) that would detract fundamentally from his vision.

He has been quoted as saying the following: "It is my goal to go after Christianity. I want God to be dead in my works. I want to undermine Christianity."

and

"Of course I don't say: 'There is no God.' I say: 'There is a God and here he is dying,' and he goes with a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief."

I troll a conservative American BBS and they are absolutely loosing their minds over this movie.

[photon]

**SPOILER ALERT AS WELL**

Well to be fair it's not God they set out to kill, but a malevolent being who has set himself up to be God. It has a gnostic flavour to it.

In the books the Church is headed by this being who grabbed the reigns because he was the first conscious being and set himself up as God, and the Church sets out to control humans, to "suppress and control every natural impulse. And when it can't control them, it cuts them out" (from the book).

The Archbishop of Canterbury actually supports the movie, he says the movie attacks the constraints and dangers of dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress and control.

The goal of the "good guys" in the book is to destroy the Kingdom of Heaven who's hierarchy has been about controlling people and in it's place setup the Republic of Heaven.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by habernac

the author is an atheist himself. Heck, I'll go see the movie just to spite the people who are starting boycotts on it.

So, is this like the atheists answer to the Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe? I bet those Christian groups didn't have a problem with that book/movie.

[Bobblehead]

Calgary Catholic School Board has now removed this book from their libraries.(per news on the radio this morning)

I guess it was OK for it to be there before, but now that some student may want to read it they decide it isn't appropriate.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Calgary Catholic School Board has now removed this book from their libraries.(per news on the radio this morning)

I guess it was OK for it to be there before, but now that some student may want to read it they decide it isn't appropriate.

Thats a pretty simplistic argument.

They hadn't read or researched the book or author before they bought their copies of it.

Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book.

And it is their right to not have the book available, its not like they're demanding that the book be pulled from the shelves of chapters and the public library.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Thats a pretty simplistic argument.

They hadn't read or researched the book or author before they bought their copies of it.

Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book.

And it is their right to not have the book available, its not like they're demanding that the book be pulled from the shelves of chapters and the public library.

Perhaps. But if they have made the decision that this book isn't appropriate then isn't it incumbent upon them to check the rest of the books? Or is it just the ones that get publicity?

They have now drawn a line in the sand and should be consistent with that throughout their collection. I know that for practical reasons they probably won't, but the principle rubs me wrong. This book was just fine last week, but after some publicity it is now pulled.

I'm curious if this is a kneejerk reaction, or did the person/people who made this decision actually read this book?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Perhaps. But if they have made the decision that this book isn't appropriate then isn't it incumbent upon them to check the rest of the books? Or is it just the ones that get publicity?

They have now drawn a line in the sand and should be consistent with that throughout their collection. I know that for practical reasons they probably won't, but the principle rubs me wrong. This book was just fine last week, but after some publicity it is now pulled.

I'm curious if this is a kneejerk reaction, or did the person/people who made this decision actually read this book?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not disagreeing with you here. And the reality is probably that they would like to check all of these books, before they're even bought because its a monumental waste of money, however its an impossible task.

And I think it was a combination of publicity for the book, and also some parents that were aware of the book.

As far as a kneejerk reaction, sure absolutely, isn't everything that happens after the fact. I remember when Catholic schools had to pull copies of the Crucible off of their shelves and that was a big kerfluffle.

But private schools aren't exclusive in pulling books after the fact, public schools have done it as well.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Thats a pretty simplistic argument.

They hadn't read or researched the book or author before they bought their copies of it.

Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book.

And it is their right to not have the book available, its not like they're demanding that the book be pulled from the shelves of chapters and the public library.

Right... as long as they use censorship and book burning tactics behind closed doors its okay... "god" knows closed minded and uneducated Christian views have never harmed anyone, worldwide for thousands of years… might as well keep it up... heaven forbid their offspring have the ability to make an informed decision... whether it be a fictional book that makes them ask questions and dig a little deeper or an article or whatever its just asking for trouble, sheep can’t be sheep if they start to think they are wolves, best to nip that in the bud by hiding fictional books that may or may not lead them to question Christian values. Good solution… I mean I totally understand it... I wouldn't want to defend Christianity against an informed person asking logical questions, so they would be sunk if a child wielding a fairy tale asked “Hey how does this apply?”

you know the fact that you wrote this:

"Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book."

and you were serious I think says it all.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

Right... as long as they use censorship and book burning tactics behind closed doors its okay... "god" knows closed minded and uneducated Christian views have never harmed anyone, worldwide for thousands of years… might as well keep it up... heaven forbid their offspring have the ability to make an informed decision... whether it be a fictional book that makes them ask questions and dig a little deeper or an article or whatever its just asking for trouble, sheep can’t be sheep if they start to think they are wolves, best to nip that in the bud by hiding fictional books that may or may not lead them to question Christian values. Good solution… I mean I totally understand it... I wouldn't want to defend Christianity against an informed person asking logical questions, so they would be sunk if a child wielding a fairy tale asked “Hey how does this apply?”

you know the fact that you wrote this:

"Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book."

and you were serious I think says it all.

Wow, just wow. You took a really big leap here didn't you.

This isn't about book burning or censorship. We don't have the angry parents writing letters to Chapters and Indigo or buying the books and burning them in front of bookstores. The Kids are free to pursue the books outside of the school.

You do realize that these schools have educational/religous based curriculum. And as a school they have the right to keep what they see as an anti-religion based book outside of their libraries. The book was written not only by an atheist, but an atheist that has outright stated that he wants to tear the Religion down, states that God is a evil entity that needs to be killed, now why would they want to support this author's book or even want it to be stocked in their library?

Its not like the school library is the only source to get this book, and the students even have the right to go and see the movie. So where's the censorship here, I'd more or less call it a protest then a book burning. And again under a free society they have that right.

you know the fact that you wrote this:

"Which is understandible since they don't have the resources to pre-screen every book."

and you were serious I think says it all.

I don't know that you were serious in asking this. The fact that the book got into the system and then is being pulled certainly goes towards a lack of resources. Again we've seen it happen before, for the most part they buy books based on top sellers or popularity with their age groups. They don't have the time to read through every book, and that could either be laziness, or lack of resources.

Or are you going to point to some evil conspiracy where they bought these books and are eventually going to have a Dixie Chick style book smashing and burning protest, because frankly I really like fire and I'd like to put that in my calender.

[ken0042]

About the outcry over censorship- I say meh.

To me it's like a Jewish school finding a book in their library that denied the Holocaust.

[AC]

Originally Posted by ken0042

About the outcry over censorship- I say meh.

To me it's like a Jewish school finding a book in their library that denied the Holocaust.

Huh? Wouldn't it be more comparable to a Jewish school finding a book denouncing the Jewish religion?

Comparing it to denying the Holocaust is a little extreme and strange in my opinion.

Denying a concrete historical event and the basis of a faith-based religion are entirely different matters.

Perhaps I'm just not understanding you properly, or maybe it's just me.

[photon]

That the Archbishop of Canterbury supports the movie while they're banning the books just seems odd to me. I don't think the book promotes an atheist view, it promotes an anti-oppressive religion view.

[MarchHare]

I hope Calgarians remember this next time the census-taker comes around and asks which school board you want your tax dollars to fund: the one that bans books or the one that doesn't.

I love this quote from the school board's spokesperson:

“Our children are exposed to a wide range of information,” said board spokeswoman Judy Mackay. “One of our responsibilities is to help them understand how that fits with their belief system and to equip them with the skills so that they understand how they can fit that into their own belief system.”

How could anyone say something so ridiculous with a straight face?

[cSpooge]

Originally Posted by habernac

the author is an atheist himself. Heck, I'll go see the movie just to spite the people who are starting boycotts on it.

He's not actually an Atheist he's Agnostic.