Just a few weeks from the writing of this article, a new movie will be released entitled, The Golden Compass. The movie is based on the first in a trilogy of books which the author calls His Dark Materials. These books are written for and marketed to children and are considered as children’s books by Random House Publishing whose synopsis of the story can be read at http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/index.html.

From the trailer, the movie seems to be a great adventure story with lots of action, interesting and engaging characters and splendid special effects. It does look very entertaining. But every story has an underlying message, and the message in this case does not lie under very deep.

In his story, the church is the villain, and embodies cruelty, cold-heartedness, intolerance and the like. The characteristics we value most, such as love, kindness and compassion, originate somewhere other than with God.

The author of the books in question, Philip Pullman, is an atheist, or at the very least an agnostic, and flavors his storyline with this specific view in mind.

I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say. I think it's perfectly possible to explain how the universe came about without bringing God into it, but I don't know everything, and there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away. [Philip Pullman, as quoted in the website Philip-Pullman.com]

To be fair to Mr. Pullman, he has in fact seen the negative aspects of religion as we all have. It is only too well known that some of humanity’s worst atrocities have been perpetrated in the name of religion. None of this, however, is of God.

Jesus was not an oppressor and gave no authority for His followers to be anything but light and salt in this dark and unsavory world.

I’m afraid, however, that Mr. Pullman like many others throughout history has thrown out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. They have missed the point God made for us when He sent His Son to be born to a poor Judean couple, be demeaned by His own brothers and eventually crucified by His own people as a sacrifice to cover our sins, not His. Why do we not look at what God has done for us and base our judgments about Him on these things, rather than on what others claim to do in His name?

At any rate, you may have to decide for yourself whether you want to support such ‘artistic work’ by buying tickets to see the movie or purchasing the books for your children (or yourself) to read.

Me? I think Jesus was crucified once because people were willing to listen to lies others told about Him. I don’t want to have any part in doing that again.