News-Record.com

My decision not to go was dictated by my personal schedule over the weekend. I plan to go ASAP.

Others, however were probably swayed by the e-mails and church notes about the movie. Many of which contained lies about the whole book series. Seems pretty clear that a lot of church leaders felt threatened by a little competition in the area of children's literature. Threatened enough to stoop to dishonesty.

Which makes, I think, an interesting point about the whole enterprise of the Christian religion: they understand that they can't succeed without catching children early in their lives, before they learn how to think for themselves. So when they encounter a threat to that pipeline of church members, such as this movie or something like Harry Potter, they go to extraordinary lengths to squash the threat.

"before they learn how to think for themselves".........
"So when they encounter a threat to that pipeline".......

namtac you come across as one who believes there is some huge Christian conspiracy to undermine our children (i.e. brain wash) before what you describe as 'before they can think for themselve'. my guess is that you probably don't have children and that you are not Christian. if you by chance do have children and you raised them with your hands off approach to child rearing, i imagine they are fairly undisciplined and willing to grab hold of any idea that makes them feel good.
i suspect most responsible parents want their children to be raised with their values and beliefs and it IS our job as parent to mold their minds. if i didn't teach my child (before he/she could think for themselves) that putting their hand on the burner of the oven would cause them harm or that running into the street in front of a car might kill them, would i not be remiss in my duties as a parent? what you seem to fail to understand is that children grow up and at some point begin to formulate their own set of values and beliefs and hopefully we as parents have guided them the very best we knew how and then the hardest part comes in turning them over to God and trusting that He will oversee them.
scriptures gives us insight as to how God would have us rear our children......
" Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.".....................
" Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."......
" Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [be] pure, and whether [it be] right. "............
"The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him."

Anonymous, I won't discuss my family if it's all the same to you. I have my reasons, not related to the subject at hand.

You do have a good point, that children do need to be raised with instruction by their parents. But what is optimal? Teaching them that they should avoid any thought that is contrary to what their parents think? Or teaching them as they grow how to evaluate any idea they encounter and decide whether it has some good in it?

The people who have campaigned against this movie and against these books have very likely never read them for themselves. How they can categorically state the story is harmful is hard to see. They say "It's because the heroes kill God," but has any of them tried to discover why the god of this fantasy world might have made its murder a good thing? I've read the books, and I know the answer to that question. It's worth reading the books to find out what they have to say, even if you disagree with the philosophical and theological underpinnings, because along the way, you'll find that there are some things that you'll agree with anyway.

did the religious campaign work? I'm not buying it. claiming credit for the mediocre opening weekend is like the governor of Georgia claiming credit for the rain, just because he prayed before looking at the weather forecast. if the fundie boycott was such a driving force in the marketplace, we wouldn't have Harry Potter!

without checking the numbers, I'd guess the Golden Compass did about the same as "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on its opening weekend - and for the same reasons. the reviews were weak, and the American public are probably as burned out on blockbuster-fantasy-book-recreations as I am.

but despite the critical response, I do intend to catch this movie on the big screen while I still can. I am a big fan of the books - just because Pullman writes better children's literature than I thought still existed. although the movie is - apparently - disappointing to fans of the book, and to others even when they hold no preconceived notions.

of course Pullman's atheism (which is expressed - more or less - in his stories) automatically spells "boycott!" to some. but whatever your theology, the books are excellent: engrossing, accessible, and celebrating the "triumph of the human spirit" (gag for cliche) against authoritarianism and the harshness of growing up in the real world.

I am kind of annoyed that they tried to film the first book in less than 2 hours - isn't a good epic supposed to run at least 150 minutes nowadays? and I'm hoping this movie does well enough so that the next two can be made - better.

bottom line - I don't believe the Jesus people killed this movie, and I'm still itching to see it. babysitter, anyone?

Not me. (baby sitter, that is). I'm busy still nurturing my grown kids (and grandkids)- one a lawyer, and the other a fine homemaker mom. It is well established by now, both by science and common sense observation, that media DOES highly influence kids in many ways - violence, drug use, sexual habits, et al. ("You do have a good point, that children do need to be raised with instruction by their parents.") Yeah, it really does just make good sense. Young minds are undeniably highly impressionable; and for parents NOT to protect and nurture their young children in positive directions is both irresponsible, and potentially criminal (drug use, gun availability, etc.).

It is also irresponsible for atheists and humanists to derogate Christian parents for seeking to guide their children away from the lust-driven depravity, which literally dominates contemporary American media. Yes, indeed they do know "that they can't succeed without catching children early in their lives, before they learn how to think for themselves." (Namtac)

In fact, EVERYONE knows this: communists, atheists, free-thinkers (who teach thier children early how to be free-thinking). The question is NOT whether or not intelligent parents should seek to influence their children in the direction of their own particualr commitments, but WHICH ones they choose to emphasize.

Christian (all) parents know full well that children are NOT capable of "choosing" which belief system they need to embrace. The wise and intelligent home schooling Christian parents we have known do not "brainwash" their children, but rather teach them dilligently (Deut. 6) the truth principles of God, all the while helping them to also know the philosphies and beliefs of non-biblical systems as well; being confident that the truth of the Scriptures will stand firm in the market place of ideas and that full disclosure of the the consequences of sin so obvious in the surrounding culture will easily enable them to shoose light over darkness.

My committed lawyer son is highly intelligent, widely-read and a very strong Christian apologist. Your deragatory characterization of Christians who oppose godless, anti-biblical "entertainment" is truly biased and lacking in research, and honesty about the human situation as witnessed in the news stories crowding page and screen.

I have read the book but have not been able to get to the theater yet, so I won't chime in on whether it was the boycott or the style of the film (too brief or too complex?) that led to less-than-blockbuster numbers. I hear the Will Smith remake of a remake of a remake, which set records, is actually pretty mediocre itself. Star power makes or breaks movies. The hobbit movies made it because the fan base is huge, a la Potter. They also happen to be well-made.

I agree that the books are well-written, and the god-figure worthy of destruction. If Christians read such a book with the god-figure clearly depicted as some Mayan/Aztec bloodthirsty monster, or some such, they'd be quite happy to find a strong little girl standing up to save children from its clutches. The mask of church-like trappings Pullman employs to clothe his Magisterium is just too close for Christian comfort: but what if one understands the leaders of this psuedo-church to be like the Borgias, say? Christian churches have a history rife with their own monsters, don't they? That doesn't mean throw all the notions of Christianity out. But again, wouldn't one wish for someone to do their best to topple such a behemoth?

As for raising children by restricting access to media: I am all for it. Christians have every right to train their kids any way they wish...right on through denying evolution, if that's their choice. The consequences, then, will be balnced on all sides, from being upright (or uptight) to being ignorant of basic science.

My hope is that the more moderate minds among us will lobby hard to keep politicians of the same ilk from gaining the highest offices of the land. That is of far greater import than a Hollywood product.