'Compass' movie latest target of conservatives

By Colleen Surridge

Parsons Sun

Every day in America youths are subjected to magazines, books, music, video games and television that portrays or condones all manner of immoral and illegal behavior, yet conservative organizations somehow target only one or two movies or books a year.

In recent years, the Harry Potter series was condemned for the author's supposed attempts to arouse in readers an interest in witchcraft.

Now, the movie "The Golden Compass" and the books it is based on have been boycotted by some because of some people's belief that the author is using it as a venue to steer youths toward atheism, which is a belief that there is no God.

Author Phillip Pullman is a proclaimed atheist, but his trilogy, "His Dark Materials," has been on school and public library shelves for years without a whisper of disapproval.

However, Catholic League president Bill Donohue declares the first book in the series, which has been transferred to the big screen, a stealth campaign by Pullman to lure children to atheism.

"Atheism for kids. That is what Phillip Pullman sells," Donohue said in a statement published by the Catholic News Agency. "The trilogy, 'His Dark Materials,' was written to promote atheism and denigrate Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism. The target audience is children and adolescents. Each book becomes progressively more aggressive in its denigration of Christianity and promotion of atheism."

He cautions the movie is a watered-down version to deceive people into buying the books for their children.

An e-mail campaign is circulating concerns about the movie, to be released next week, warning that it is about killing God.

The Rev. Jason Borkenhagen, pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Parsons, has received some of those e-mails, along with other e-mails that try to answer the accusations of the movie.

The e-mails never deny that the books and movie denote an anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and atheistic sentiments, Borkenhagen said. In fact, he said, the book uses a Catholic term of magisterium, which describes the teaching authority of the church, as something evil, he said.

"It is not a leap of faith to say that is what this person thinks about the church," Borkenhagen said.

The epic fantasy is steeped in religious undertones and does place the "holy church" as controlling any theology that goes against its beliefs.

It also depicts the papacy as having been done away with and "a tangle of courts, colleges and councils collectively known as the magisterium had grown in its place."

Pullman writes, "It is always possible for independent agencies to grow up under the protection magisterium, and the oblation board ... was one of those."

The oblation board is the controlling evil force in Pullman's first book.

Borkenhagen said one priest wrote in response to the controversy that at least it has people talking, but he said people talking is not always a good thing.

Still, Borkenhagen questioned ridiculing the "The Golden Compass" when society is saturated with similar material available to youths.

"I wouldn't single out this movie. There are all sorts of messages out there in movies, music and games that are dangerous. As a society, we are not careful enough about checking things out that our children will be exposed to," Borkenhagen said. "A parent should always review first what kids are going to see, and pick out what needs to be discussed. They can't make the distinctions we as adults can make, so certainly great care should be taken."

Parsons Middle School and high school librarian Robie Martin said she has read the books and bought them for both schools several years ago.

"They have circulated very well, especially the first book, 'The Golden Compass,'" she said.

While she states the other two books in the trilogy might give some parents a cause for concern, "As a librarian, teacher and a parent, I would be more concerned about the music that kids are listening to now than the books. My view is they are a well-crafted fantasy, but as with any type of entertainment, parents need to be vigilant monitoring what their children are reading, watching and listening to. I would be less fearful of the books than music, videos and computer games kids are playing. I didn't find anything that kept me from recommending it to my own children.

"In the later books, a reader can sense more the darker element, but I think its premise there is for children to make good choices and do the right thing. That is still the feeling I took away from it," she said. "If parents have any questions, though, they should first read the books, and if it does not fit their choices for their children, don't let them read it."

While alarms are being sounded by some adults - some of whom admit they have not read the trilogy - youths who have already read the books found the trilogy to be nothing more than an epic fantasy that has had no bearing on their religious beliefs.

Randy Cavender, a junior at Labette County High School, is one.

"It's a good book. I liked the whole trilogy and my mom likes it, too," said Cavender, who first read the trilogy three years ago, and about a year ago bought the trilogy to re-read it.

Cavender explained the plot of the books, including the role of the lead character, Lyra, as unknowingly being chosen by God to stop her father who is an enemy of God.

"This is a book about the battle between good and evil, and Pullman wrote it well," Cavender said. "There is no message that I found that was anti-Christian."

The books are written for older youths, written well, and Cavender said he would recommend them to others.

While he warns readers may become absorbed in them because they are good books, he said there was no hidden messages that made him turn from his belief in God and decide to follow the path of atheism.

"And, when I found out they were making the movie, I said, 'I've got to see that,'" he said. "I am planning on seeing it as soon as it's out."