The Golden Compas, Part II
Is The Golden Compass anti-gnostic propaganda? If it is, should the Christian Community embrace it?1
I was talking with a good friend of mine last night after Heroes. On the boob tube an ad ran for The Golden Compass, which prompted a shift to that topic. My friend was telling me that the books argue against a certain god, but not the one that Christians often posit.
He said that the “god” in the books is the first created being and has duped everyone into thinking that it is the real god. It might have even been reordering creation against the plans of the actual creator.
Does this sound like anything you have heard of before? Perhaps the demiurge of Gnosticism?
Now, I have not read the books and I am sure that some of you know more than I about Gnosticism. It just sounds like the god being railed against is not the god that I often talk about. If so, should “we,” i.e. the Christian community, be up in arms?
Has anyone else come across anything similar here?
Plus - Fighting armored polar bears. How can you not want to see a movie with fighting polar bears in it? It’s better than sharks with figgin lazers on their heads.
- Given that the Christian Community rejects the “Gnostic” worldview [↩]
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Comments
Dan,
Your words have been running through my mind the last few days. I can’t decided how exactly to respond to you. I agree and disagree with each of your points at the same time!
While I would grant the appeal in not supporting that which goes against my faith, I see the flipside as well. What fantasy world posits a biblical worldview (operating word - fantasy)? If that were my guiding light, I would have never seen Narnia (Jesus is an actual lion and mice are good at swordplay? I don’t get that from Matthew or any of the minor prophets) or the Lord of the Rings. I guess what I am getting at is that a story does not have to have a biblical worldview to be a captivating story or has to be pro my type of Christianity in order for me to get anything out of the story.
There are two questions here:
1) Is the film anti-christian or not?
2) Can one gain anything from watching a anti-christian film?
Sometimes the best anti-christian messages contain useful critiques. After all, hearing what keeps “them” (you know, the others) away from our community are valuable insights as to how we can improve our community.
I will tell you guys right now you guys must be nuts. This movie wich i belive to be a step in the right direction along with eragon and a few others. The theory of parallel universes is out there it is true if it is found or not does not matter. But the fact of the matter is God is still one, here in our souls life trees air everything. How we dont know. Just as dust or the life we live is all around us as well. Its all in what you belive. One person may say hey i see no proof in god and well this movie was made so i belive it. i see it with my eyes although fake. Did they have movies when the bible was made no they had books paper and pen to depict the storys written within the bible. all i am saying if you dont keep your mind open nothing will change if you dont like change sit in your closet and pray and dont critisise where you dont belong. if your mind is open to many possiblitys such as parallel worlds to our own then kudos to you free speach and free thinking is what keeps our lives in tact. thats why were not all dead yet and thats why people who cant live with change just want to fight it. Live free and you will find the way open your self up and you will be much happier. I am a presbyterian i do not go to church every sunday but I go as much as I can I like to see the bible as a series of story’s in which all the fellings of a human are shown kindess love hate evil peace and laughter are all what this world is what all of us strugle through so just love what you have and keep your mind free.
brought together. Whether it really happened or not who knows story’s change get removed and added modified over 2 millenniums one thing is for certain my love for god and the love he has for me will never change
I haven’t seen the movie or read the books, just summaries of them both. The movie seems to be anti-Christian in that it posits an unbiblical worldview in general. If it is anti-anything specifically, maybe it’s anti-theism. The movie may be worth seeing, but not worth supporting with our money when we have better options.