Comments on: All the Hub-Bub over the Golden Compass http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/ Conversations in Theology and its interaction with Culture Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:13:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Henry Honzo Imler http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5235 Henry Honzo Imler Sun, 30 Dec 2007 01:48:11 +0000 http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5235 Wonders - I am not trying to be smug (far from it), just list out and understand what leads to Christians attempting mass boycott/protests against media pieces. I can give you the stated purpose thing (again, I did not say I am <em>evaluating</em> the motives, only trying to <em>list</em> them.), provided they are accurate quotes from the author. Gringo mentioned in passing the other day that he was being misquoted. However, I bet his overall aims are not that far off. What I do know is that other parts of the movie/books have been overstated by Christian media. My father in law, a pastor, went to see the movie with me and left wondering what the big deal was because the christian media hype did not match the content of the movie. His only real complaint is about how in the universe that Lyra lives in, the people's souls live on the outside of their bodies and manifest themselves as animals called daemons. The word daemon is the only thing he can find in the movie that trips him up - and the author took the Greek idea of guardian spirits that had the same name and used them here - a cool idea, in and of itself, but the author is digging at Christians a bit with the similar sounds. But - that is it. That is all he could come up with to complain about and it is really just a use of word sounds. I will say that the [movie -> book] issue in this case might warrant not seeing the movie. I am in the middle of the first book and I don't think it is a book I would want my young children reading (Lyra gaining through lies and manipulation and her "uncle" brining out a chewed up severed head during a board meeting). However, I enjoyed the movie and am enjoying the book emmensely. Now, even if bocotting this piece is justified, there are plenty of other media pieces that we have gotten up in arms about. Then there are claims about the evil cloud of secularism that is tearing apart this county and the kingdom of God. Dogma, Last Tempation of Christ, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, anything with Dan Brown's name on it (movie and book) - all of these things are seen in the Christian media and, as a consequent, in the minds of laypersons as the start towards the destruction of Christendom. I know the hype is there, I have seen it in the churches and on the faces of people I know. I am trying to explain it. I agree with some measure of it, I disagree with some measure of it. and I am asking for help in my understanding of what is going on. Wonders - I am not trying to be smug (far from it), just list out and understand what leads to Christians attempting mass boycott/protests against media pieces. I can give you the stated purpose thing (again, I did not say I am evaluating the motives, only trying to list them.), provided they are accurate quotes from the author. Gringo mentioned in passing the other day that he was being misquoted. However, I bet his overall aims are not that far off. What I do know is that other parts of the movie/books have been overstated by Christian media. My father in law, a pastor, went to see the movie with me and left wondering what the big deal was because the christian media hype did not match the content of the movie. His only real complaint is about how in the universe that Lyra lives in, the people’s souls live on the outside of their bodies and manifest themselves as animals called daemons. The word daemon is the only thing he can find in the movie that trips him up - and the author took the Greek idea of guardian spirits that had the same name and used them here - a cool idea, in and of itself, but the author is digging at Christians a bit with the similar sounds. But - that is it. That is all he could come up with to complain about and it is really just a use of word sounds.

I will say that the [movie -> book] issue in this case might warrant not seeing the movie. I am in the middle of the first book and I don’t think it is a book I would want my young children reading (Lyra gaining through lies and manipulation and her “uncle” brining out a chewed up severed head during a board meeting). However, I enjoyed the movie and am enjoying the book emmensely.

Now, even if bocotting this piece is justified, there are plenty of other media pieces that we have gotten up in arms about. Then there are claims about the evil cloud of secularism that is tearing apart this county and the kingdom of God. Dogma, Last Tempation of Christ, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, anything with Dan Brown’s name on it (movie and book) - all of these things are seen in the Christian media and, as a consequent, in the minds of laypersons as the start towards the destruction of Christendom. I know the hype is there, I have seen it in the churches and on the faces of people I know. I am trying to explain it. I agree with some measure of it, I disagree with some measure of it. and I am asking for help in my understanding of what is going on.

]]> By: jr. http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5229 jr. Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:18:14 +0000 http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5229 Um... wow Oyarsa.  I don't think that the reaction to GC is what put visions of theocracies in Honzo's mind (though he never used that word). If you don't think many conservative evangelicals (which Honzo and I both are) think either a) America used to be a theocracy (in the good way) and/or b) it needs to be that again, then you need to pay more attention. And it's not a 'direct assault on our families'.  Hollywood went out of its way to strip the movie of its religious overtones.  I would think fundamentalists would be doing a little happy dance right now; big, bad, liberal, Jew-run Hollywood reacted POSITIVELY to Christians as their target demographic.  But we're such a culture of complainers that we can't be satisfied with that. A bloody, acontextual gorefest like the <em>Passion of the Christ </em>becomes one of largest moneymakers of all time just because Mel Gibson is a Christian (albeit a drunk and an anti-Semite, but who cares?), but we refuse  even to <u>watch</u> <em>Golden Compass</em> because somewhere in its lineage there was an atheist.  So clearly, it can offer nothing to us either as an artistic piece, an escapist fantasy OR a teacher of truth. I think THIS is the attitude that Honzo is questioning, and rightly so. Ad furthermore, even if it WERE an all out assault (let's say the tagline was "Let's Go Kill God, Because We're All Gay, Liberal Clone-happy Baby Killers"), does that give Christians the right to react so cruelly and violently?  No, it does not. Um… wow Oyarsa.  I don’t think that the reaction to GC is what put visions of theocracies in Honzo’s mind (though he never used that word).

If you don’t think many conservative evangelicals (which Honzo and I both are) think either a) America used to be a theocracy (in the good way) and/or b) it needs to be that again, then you need to pay more attention.

And it’s not a ‘direct assault on our families’.  Hollywood went out of its way to strip the movie of its religious overtones.  I would think fundamentalists would be doing a little happy dance right now; big, bad, liberal, Jew-run Hollywood reacted POSITIVELY to Christians as their target demographic.  But we’re such a culture of complainers that we can’t be satisfied with that.

A bloody, acontextual gorefest like the Passion of the Christ becomes one of largest moneymakers of all time just because Mel Gibson is a Christian (albeit a drunk and an anti-Semite, but who cares?), but we refuse  even to watch Golden Compass because somewhere in its lineage there was an atheist.  So clearly, it can offer nothing to us either as an artistic piece, an escapist fantasy OR a teacher of truth.

I think THIS is the attitude that Honzo is questioning, and rightly so.

Ad furthermore, even if it WERE an all out assault (let’s say the tagline was "Let’s Go Kill God, Because We’re All Gay, Liberal Clone-happy Baby Killers"), does that give Christians the right to react so cruelly and violently?  No, it does not.

]]> By: Wonders for Oyarsa http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5225 Wonders for Oyarsa Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:10:00 +0000 http://www.masstheology.com/2007/12/29/all-the-hub-bub-over-the-golden-compass/#comment-5225 Good grief, Honzo. What a smug and condescending list! I do think you missed one item: The knowledge that Pullman's stated purpose behind the books is to destroy the Christian faith, coupled with the fact that these movies are marketed to our kids. That sort of thing pisses us off - it's a direct assault on our families, and so we complain about it. For that we are to be branded as a bunch of theocrats? Good grief, Honzo. What a smug and condescending list! I do think you missed one item: The knowledge that Pullman’s stated purpose behind the books is to destroy the Christian faith, coupled with the fact that these movies are marketed to our kids. That sort of thing pisses us off - it’s a direct assault on our families, and so we complain about it. For that we are to be branded as a bunch of theocrats?

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