Just in time for Christmas, Hollywood has released The Golden Compass, a film based on the first book of a trilogy of children's novels written by atheist Philip Pullman. Pullman is not a fan of his fellow childrens' writers J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis. He denounced the Lord of the Rings trilogy as "infantile" and absolutely hated the Chronicles of Narnia, calling it "morally loathsome" and "one of the most ugly and poisonous things I've ever read."
This is downright weird.
Some critics have objected to the overdrawn contrast between the forces of light and the forces of darkness in Christian fiction, but Pullman's trilogy is no less Manichean. The only difference is that in Pullman's world the evil regime is run by God Himself. Pullman pictures a kind of Calvinist moral structure, run by a kind of Catholic network called the Magisterium, and behind the whole oppressive system is a tyrannical God. As Pullman envisions it, the church kidnaps and tortures children and subjects them to hideous experiments in which their bodies are separated fro their souls and the children are turned into zombies who are then left to die. Pullman's trilogy finally ends with God being killed, the collapse of the Calvinist moral rules, and the emergence of sexual freedom.
Profoundly stupid stuff. I was not surprised to discover that Pullman is a big fan of atheist Richard Dawkins. Pullman speaks of religion in terms that could be lifted directly from The God Delusion. Pullman has been quoted saying it is not even possible for God to exist. "Every single religion," he says, "that has a monotheistic God ends up by persecuting other people and killing them because they don't accept him." Actually this is flatly untrue of Judaism and Hindusim and only in a very qualified sense true of Islam and Christianity. It would be more accurate to say that every atheist regime, from Communism to the Nazi regime in Germany, has systematically persecuted and killed its opponents for practicing traditional religion and for not accepting their secular race and class-based ideologies.
Certainly Pullman knows that there is nothing oppressive or murderous in today's Anglicanism. He is free in his native London to believe or not to believe. What is it then about religion that he's so strongly opposed to? For Pullman, as for many atheists, the problem with Christianity seems mostly to focus on sexual freedom. Reviewing Pullman's work in The Atlantic Monthly, Hanna Rosin writes, "The most curious aspect of Pullman's theology is the primacy he places on teen sexuality...the whole series builds up to a celebration of losing your virginity." So here is Pullman's case against religion. Basically, religion is what asks you to pull your pants up. This may be termed Pelvic Atheism.
True to form, Hollywood has stripped Pullman's movie of its overt anti-religiosity. The evil guys in the Hollywood version are not God's minions but a kind of amorphous Nazi-type dictatorship. Pullman can take solace, however, in the fact that the movie will probably lead a lot of people to read his books. Aren't we fortunate to have an atheist children's novelist whose main objective seems to be to corrupt the minds and morals of the young?
Reader Comments ( Page 7 of 35)
91. Dawn... you're not reading your own words. Talking about how the christians are right and the jews were wrong to an atheist is like telling us how Santa is right and the Easter Bunny is wrong. As far as we're concerned all your prophesies and miracles are fiction. They don't validate anything other than you saying "This happened... really!" And no, they're not delusional. They've just been taken in by the greatest con game in history... as have you.
Somber at 1:12PM on Dec 17th 2007
92. I have to say, Dinesh, that you don't sem to know which side of the fence you're on. You condemn people who have no religion. Then you condemn people who have a different religion. To be honest, I'm more of an agnostic, and I find it hard to condemn one religion without condemning them all. I can admit that some aspects of all religions are valid, particularly the parts that talk about peace. Not that that would interest you too much, Dinesh, seeing as you're more interested in dogma than central messages.
Dvon13 at 1:21PM on Dec 17th 2007
93. I never said I was any better than anyone emma. I was not trying to be unkind.
___________________
Thank you dawn, but you were and I only used sarcasm to point out the hidden messages of superiority in comments like yours. See, you yourself didn't realize that you might have offended people until you read my post.
I am not defending the Jewish prophecy. Again, I was making the point that you are claiming to know the only truth, but other people out there feel the exact same way (like the Jews). That is why it is so important NOT to tout your religion as the only truth (even if you do believe it), because in a world of about 19 major recognized religions, subdivided into 270 large groups and thousands of small ones (over 34,000 Christian "spin-offs" alone), plus atheists and agnostics, it just doesn't sound very kind or humble.
emma at 1:28PM on Dec 17th 2007
94. Takes brandon by the neck via his chain and swings him around...puts dippity-doo on his hairlick, parts his pelvis into an extremely wide split!
Bridget at 1:29PM on Dec 17th 2007
95. Dvon13,
On one occasion, Dinesh has said he doesn't "know" that there is a god. This implies that on a deeper level he is agnostic, but that's atheism's noncommittal little demon brother, so Dinesh will refuse to acknowledge this. A Christ-Warrior can't afford any chinks in his chain mail.
Mokele-Mbembe at 1:29PM on Dec 17th 2007
96. Dawn
"The Jews misunderstood this prophecy just as you have."
How could the Jews misunderstood something THEY invented? The
messiahship is a Jewish tradition and the Christians stole it! They
then distorted its meaning, how hard is that for you to understand?
The prophecies from the Old Testament are apocalyptic books that
described the destruction of Israel first by the Assyrians then the
Babylonians. Their need for a savior was in the messiah who would
recapture Israel for themselves and install the kingdom, a political
office! Not a celestial kingdom for all as the Early Church fathers
have twisted it! . How can a Christian not get it? Read your bible
for crying out loud!
goddess1prevail at 1:34PM on Dec 17th 2007
97. I'm a victim of a hate crime.
That wasn't a hate crime.
Well I hated it.
danny at 1:40PM on Dec 17th 2007
98. "For Pullman, as for many atheists, the problem with Christianity seems mostly to focus on sexual freedom"
WTF?
Dinesh out does himself with each consective blog. A statement like this is REALLY a stretch and gives the impression that Dinesh is, once again, grasping at straws.
Above all else, what I find most interesting about Dinesh's blogs is the amount of hate that seeths just below the surface. His writings do not ever come across as intellectual; they simply come across as name calling.
Ken at 2:02PM on Dec 17th 2007
99. 58. "Linda... I'm curious. In a nutshell, how do you define good and evil?
And in addition, do you believe that human beings or human society tend towards one or the other?"
Somber at 12:02PM on Dec 17th 2007
---------------------------
Good: that which promotes all levels of Maslow's Hierachy (from basic to highest,):
physical needs (physiological needs, shelter, etc);
safety needs (security of family, employment, body, morality, health, resources and property);
love and belonging needs (friendship, family, sexual intimacy);
esteem needs (confidence, achievement, respect for self and others);
self actualization (morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts)
AS LONG AS the meeting of these needs does no deliberate harm to others, or attempts to minimize the harm to others.
Evil: can be viewed in many contexts (societal, political, religious, etc)
Basically: Anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings. As you can see, this can be taken subjectively (If I steal that iPod from you, I will be happy to have an iPod), so evil must be considered in the context of societal good and common mores.
I believe that most societies attempt to define good and evil through legislation and moral teaching (i.e. golden rule); however, a society can be brainwashed into a bastardization of 'good' or 'evil' (i.e. Hitler's Germany)
It's hard to say whether individuals tend towards good or evil, because almost no humans grow in a vacuum, but are influenced by society and parents.
Some individuals appear to have genuine personality disorders and have no sense of conscience. Those individuals can be called 'evil'. More often than not, society teaches individuals that being good is preferable to being bad.
Thank you for the question, Somber.
Linda at 1:56PM on Dec 17th 2007
100. Well put Mr. Hays, my foot. You sure can talk the talk but, you can't walk the walk can you sir. Why don't you really explain to these kind people who are holding up you words so in doing such a great job that you aren't atheist you walked away from your salvation. If your man enough to sit there and blaspheme my Jesus then you should be man enough to let all know how, someone or something happen and you left your salvation behind. OH, Yeah, the Bible thumper is back. If you purposely take your under age child to this movie then you are to blame for what happens down the road. If you are to be so gullible by this sacrilege of a movie then you have no one but, yourself to blame when evil things come your way. Why, don't you explain to them Mr. Hays just where did the demons go when Christ drove them out of the body and they asked to go into the pigs. The pigs then jumped over the ridge and killed themselves but, where did the demons go. Listen, Satan is a liar and he has his own little merry band of demons going about this earth to see who they can devour, boy they are having a feast today. Rita
Rita at 2:00PM on Dec 17th 2007
101. It's only a book Douche Denish,
It’s a children's book...don't read it if you don't want. The library should file them all under creative FICTION, place them next to another popular best selling fiction, the bible.
goddess1prevail at 1:58PM on Dec 17th 2007
102. dawn,
You are wasting your time with W. Hays.
It is clear in many of his comments he can not understand, nor can he discern between scripture, that consist of both spiritual interpretation and literal interpretation. The prophesy in Daniel was in the days of these Kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom.
The kingdom he set up is his church, which a man must have a spiritual birth to be a part of.
King David was King of literal Israel which was an allegory of the true spititual Israel that Christ would reign as King, He today sets on his throne, reigning over his kingdom. They dont understand he restored the kingdom of Israel the true Israel.
The Bible records these words. Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servents fight, that I be not delivered. (Deliverd unto death is what he was refering to).
He was and is from the loins of David. Thru his Mother, Mary, who was of the tribe of Juda.
The purpose for Him to cast out devils, heal the sick, and the miracles that were recorded in the Bible, Was to prove he was in fact the Christ the one prophesied by the prophets of old.
The law of moses, was a veil, over the eyes of the Jews, just as the Bible ,is a veil, over the eyes of the atheist.
Jesus said you must be born again ,to see the kingdom of God. Notice the word see.
The atheist, look but they don't see.
In this is the meaning, the blind led the blind and both fall into the ditch.
Helen keller said ,it is a tragedy to be blind, but a greater tragedy to not see.
The Bible said to compare natural with natural and spiritual with spiritual.
Observant at 2:01PM on Dec 17th 2007
103. This is for DNA (deluded)
"This is how they wiggle out from being tagged by the SMELL OF BURnING CORPSES the CRIES OF THE ENSLAVED caused by Hitler, Stalin,- by those atheist or quasi pagan types who devoured humans EN MASSE."
-------------------------------
And aren't you conveniently forgetting the tens of million jews who were murdered, imprisoned, displaced, forced to convert, exiled by CHRISTIANS throughout Europe for more than 1700 years?
http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/Anti-Semitism.htm
Done DELIBERATELY by CHRISTIANS of both Western and Eastern christianity.
Linda at 2:04PM on Dec 17th 2007
104. Pelvic Atheism?
Wow, I never thought I could get, er, behind an atheist organization, but now I'm tempted!
What's the pelvic atheist position on taxing churches to give pelvic atheists free Sam Adams and cosmetic surgery?
I think we should thank Denise and All Groinless Christians everywhere for this marvelous opportunity to actually unite behind a cause, form an evil army of Sane People and, well, let's just save all that for the meetings, OK?
So denise is now a dominionist, thinks atheists are an army and out to get him, Is in bed with the Bush administration, an agnostic who accepts evolution, and now,brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrump**Crassssh!
a GROINLESS CHRISTIAN!
kind of like the shakers and the essenes, I guess. Geez, you don't suppose this was from seein' ann coulter without clothes, do you?
Clif Kuplen at 2:10PM on Dec 17th 2007
105. "Jesus said you must be born again ,to see the kingdom of God. Notice the word see.
The atheist, look but they don't see.
In this is the meaning, the blind led the blind and both fall into the ditch."
I was raised as a Southern Baptist Christian from birth to teens. I was baptised, and I walked to the front of the church and was "saved" in the traditional sense - my pastor laid hands on me and I asked Jesus to come into my heart and wash away my sins. I was then told my name was written in the "Book of Lambs" and I would go to heaven.
However, as I got older and used my intelligence to search for real answers, I discovered there was no god. I never "saw" the kingdom of heaven. All I "saw" was hate for my fellow man in my church services, denouncing anything that didn't agree with the church and especially homosexuals. This is one of the greatest hypocrisies I have ever witnessed, especially since the church could be no more sure that "god" existed than did Zeus and Hera, or Krishna.
I was "born again" but all I saw was hate and hypocrisy, and I couldn't be apart of that.
The funny thing is, brian hates atheists, but according to what the church teaches, if there is a heaven I will be right there with him.
Break Time at 2:11PM on Dec 17th 2007