Al Mohler Nails it on "The Golden Compass"

I've thought about writing some on "The Golden Compass" (book here, movie here) by Phillip Pullman.  Fortunately, Al Mohler has saved me the trouble. 

I can't think of a better short introduction to the issues surrounding this than Mohler's December 4 commentary - The Golden Compass -- A Briefing for Concerned Christians.  Mohler clearly lays out Pullman's anti-God agenda and the dangers it poses.  Yet, he praises Pullman for his writing and the makers of the movie for their production values. He made one comment to the effect that the production values were better than Lord of the Rings.

What is good is that he doesn't encourage Christians to boycott the movie, but to be informed and respond appropriately, and I would even say winsomely.  This is good - I'm already hearing calls to boycott the movie and I think that is a mistake. In fact, I joined a Facebook group called "What if we didn't boycott The Golden Compass."  I realize that there are children who shouldn't see the movie, but my take is that if a children's story can rock the faith of an older teenager or adult, you didn't have much of a faith to begin with.  Not saying you should go see the movie, but as I mentioned in my C. S. Lewis post a few days ago - we ought to have a faith that is confident and not threatened by false religions, or anti-religion - the Christian faith ought to be able to stand in the face of that kind of stuff.

One thing Mohler brings out that was also referenced in the Atlantic article (which I blogged about here), is that this discussion gets back to sex.  Here's Mohler:

Yes, and it has to do with sex.  Surprisingly graphic and explicit sex.  Pullman believes that the Christian church is horribly repressive about sex and that this is rooted in the idea of the Fall.  As he told Hanna Rosin of the Atlantic Monthly, "Why the Christian Church has spent 2,000 years condemning this glorious moment, well, that's a mystery.  I want to confront that, I suppose, by telling a story that the so-called original sin is anything but.  It's the thing that makes us fully human."

Ah, there it is, the Christian church is against sex and that is the problem.  Although that is an inaccurate criticism, it always finds it's mark. Certainly God is not against sex, but there are lots of Christians who treat sex as if it is inherently evil, though possibly redeemable, rather than take the biblical view that sex is inherently good, though corruptible.

But I have to give Pullman and the critics credit - they've got us on the run on this one - I'm not sure we've raised a good apologetic against this criticism.  There are many of us who will say to Pullman and others "nuh-uh, we aren't against sex."  But the problem we have with that is the same problem Richard Nixon had.  When Nixon said "I am not a crook," what do you think people thought?  They thought he was a crook.  And of course we all know the funny little quip about the government - never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

In other words, we've got to do better than "nuh-uh" apologetics.

But for the time being, let's don't get our skirts all wrinkled over this movie.  Let's recognize it for what it is - as Mohler said, a great story told with cinematic excellence, but a false story about which we must be informed and able to give intelligent responses.

Comments

[Headless Unicorn Guy]

Something that just came up on an MSN Search on "Golden Compass" -- an article "Boycott Cedited for 'Golden Compass' Lackluster Opening" where Christian groups are claiming victory, that their Christian Boycott torpedoed the movie.

If this is legit, you're going to see some insufferably smug Christian Activists in the near future.

Cementing the reputation that Christians are bitter scolds, ALWAYS denouncing something.

This is the thing most folks miss: its a FANTASY book about a FANTASY world ...

I'm seeing something of a disconnect with reality here, anyone else? -- Josh

No more of a disconnect with reality than Christians who were gloating in the last Harry Potter flap about how God Will Judge Harry Potter For His Witchcraft -- i.e. a FICTIONAL character. This caused my writing partner (a burned-out rural pastor) to lose it and do a LiveJournal rant about "Do you really think God can't tell the difference between a real person and a fictional character?" (I've even run across Christians on some blog comment threads who believe Left Behind is not only NON-fiction, but act like it's the 67th to 88th Books of the Bible! Tell me THAT's not a disconnect with reality!)

[Mwalimu Daudi]

Mwalimu, "Piss Off The Christians" is a viable marketing strategy.

Hmmmm.....if that is the case I wonder then why we don't see "Piss Off The Muslims", "Piss Off The Blacks", or "Piss Off The Gays/Lesbians" campaigns. Think of it - if denigrating one group is so lucrative (and using the resulting protests as free publicity), why not send profits sky-rocketing and stomp everybody in the face? I can turn on CNN and see the grievance-mongers for these groups protesting something pretty much every day. They are far more visible – not to mention hip - than those stuffy Left-Behind Christians! And how much more overhead, really, can it take to demonize everybody if the Christian Campaign comes so cheaply? After all - if this is such "quality stuff" it should not detract from the bottom line one penny.

But, then again.....as soon as one of these aforementioned groups cast so much as a baleful glance Hollywood's way, the moguls of the silver screen trample each other in a race to apologize. Now why do you suppose that is? It seems a serious waste of a good marketing opportunity!

[Ken]

Mwalimu, "Piss Off The Christians" is a viable marketing strategy. All you need to do is start the process, and "Angry Christians Denounce Your Book/Movie/Whatever" runs on by itself as a self-sustaining publicity generator. And it's FREE -- you don't have to pay for a marketing consultant or an ad campaign.

And Christians have a reputation for hating good-quality projects and pushing "Just like Left Behind, EXCEPT..." shlock. I'm a veteran of 30 years in various SF fandoms; in the Eighties there was this saying going around: "It's gotta be good! The Christians are denouncing it!"

My writing partner (a burned-out pastor in rural PA) got in big trouble with the church ladies when he joked in his LiveJournal that he was available to generate publicity by putting on his "Reverend" hat and denouncing your book/movie/comic/whatever. I suggested he try it for serious (we're both trying to break into the F/SF/Horror market) and charge for the service -- he needs the money.

[cool dad]

My opinion on The Golden Compass is less analytical and more emotional as a child of God. It may be overly simplistic for some, but I think it rings true for others.

[Mwalimu Daudi]

Opinions are like bellybuttons - everybody has one. In that spirit I have three major disagreements with you on this, Pastor Wayne:

1. An excellent question to ask might be: Why should Christians bother to go to see The Golden Compass if it is so blatantly anti-Christian? While a boycott would not necessarily put a stop to movies like it, success at the box office would definitely encourage the writers and producers to make more. To be honest, my sympathies are with the boycotters who are taking a somewhat risky stand - Hollywood takes a dim view of its critics, especially in the Christian community.

2. While I do not condemn those who go to see the movie or read the books, I also don't see any benefit in joining them, either. There are some in the Christian community who argue that for Christians to be engaged with the world we need to see movies like this. I ain't buying that anymore. I did that with "controversial" movies like The Last Temptation of Christ and books like Harry Potter. All that happened was that I got gypped out of some of my hard-earned dollars to watch/read some piece of second-rate fiction. There was nothing new or even intellectually engaging about them. Afterwards I felt like I had given in to penny ante blackmail. I should have paid more attention to what the writer of Ecclesiastes said:

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
It was here before our time.

3. The notion that those with Pullman's views on sex "have us [Christians] on the run" is frankly incredible - and inaccurate. Pullman's views may be wildly popular in Hollywood, academia, and with many people in the general public. They may dominate what we see on TV and in the movies, but I think that you mistake dominance for winning the argument about a healthy roll for sex in our lives. When it comes to valid criticism of Christians I am willing to give the devil his due - but no more than his due.

[Brian]

Some other links you might find useful :

Interview with Pullman by Peter Chattaway

Review by Jeffrey Overstreet

Mars Hill Audio Podcast with Alan Jacobs from 2000 talking about Pullman's trilogy. (haven't listened to this yet but just assuming it's pretty good cause it's Ken Myers)

[Josh]

Thats funny. I was reading your C.S. Lewis post this morning and thinking about this deal with "The Golden Compass". If anything it makes me want to go out and buy the book to see what all the hub-bub is about.

This is the thing most folks miss: its a FANTASY book about a FANTASY world so of course if they want to kill off their god who's crippled up and old and hardly worth the trouble thats their business...I mean if they were real people it would be.

I'm seeing something of a disconnect with reality here, anyone else?

[rushmeon]

rushmeon let me know if you can assist me with some tips on my blog.

cheers