by cab1000 22 Replies latest jw friends
I had a chance to be with a group of JW's yesterday. My wife thinks she overheard a couple of them talking about an announcement from the platform about avoiding the "golden compass" movie coming out. I know that other religious groups have spoken out against this film, but I would not have expected the witnesses to announce that formally. Has anyone heard anything about this?
(Forgive me if it has been covered already, I did a search, and did not see anything.)
Sounds like the WTS has joined the Catholic league in denouncing this movie.
(just had to say it)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300737,00.html
From what I've read the film doesn't carry the "anti-religious" content as much, or even at all, as the books do.
I saw an interview with Pullman and he said what he was trying to do in the books was show 1) What happens when "religion" becomes a power to control others 2) That people are afraid of there being a spiritual side to life. Whether its a "God" or some other means.
Thanks to this board I became aware of this movie. I am now reading the book as well as listening to the audio book, and I find it very entertaining and well written. I can't wait for the movie to come out in a few days.
Excellent series. Denounces organizations, not religion - though has an interesting take on the nature of spiritual beings, which makes at least as much sense as the society's version of things.
I've never seen the society condemn a specific film before - though lots of genres of film that "christians would certainly want to avoid".
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
This is a rush transcript from "The Big Story With John Gibson and Heather Nauert," October 9, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I propose to discover a world much like our own in a parallel universe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is heresy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the truth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you familiar with the prophecies of the witches?
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: You think she is that child?
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN GIBSON, CO-HOST: That is a clip from the new film "The Golden Compass." It hasn't even been released yet but it's already rubbing some people the wrong way. The film stars Nicole Kidman and is based on the first book of a trilogy by Phillip Pullman. A series geared toward children that has been criticized for being anti-Christian. The Catholic League is urging Christians to stay away from this movie, saying Pullman's objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism to kids.
FATHER JONATHAN MORRIS: I'm also concerned about overreacting, I'm not into that. I know Bill and I are friends, but we probably disagree on a few things in this matter. But what I'm concerned about is not so much the anti-Catholic part, but the intellectual dishonesty of Pullman in this series. The book itself. The book is pretending like there is, there has been in the past, your religious societies where everything is happy. The fact is, you look in history, not a single civilization has been anti-religious. He takes heroes and he turns them into devils and he turns devils into heroes. It's intellectual dishonesty. This is an adult's game and it should be set in adult's terms.
GIBSON: Bill, "Golden Compass", Catholic bashing, is this film fomenting fear of priests?
BILL DONOHUE, CATHOLIC LEAGUE PRESIDENT: Oh, I don't know about fomenting fear of priests, I think what the movie is designed to do is exactly what Pullman admits to. He wants to denigrate Christianity. He wants to sell atheism to kids. This is not me talking, it's what he said. That's why we put together a booklet on this.
NAUERT: He's literally said that.
DONOHUE: Absolutely, he's said it is my goal to go after Christianity, I want God to be dead in my works. I want to undermine Christianity. It's all in our book, we put together a 23-page booklet on this subject. There is really nothing left to discuss about this. Look, the movie is based on the least offensive of the three books. And they have dumbed-down the worst elements in the movie because they don't want to make Christians angry and they want to make money. Our concern is this, unsuspecting Christian parents may want to take their kid to the movie, it opens up December 7th and say, this wasn't troubling, then we'll buy the books. So the movie is the bait for the books which are profoundly anti-Catholic and at the same time selling atheism.
GIBSON: Father Morris if a movie is pushing atheism, should it get a PG rating?
MORRIS: Well, this is the point John, you know coming to the belief that there is no such thing as transcendence, there is no such thing as heaven, there is no such thing as destiny, that's a big deal. Now if that's an issue that adults come to in a very serious way, it should be presented in a serious way among adults. Putting a PG rating on it I think is saying this is a conversation that's worthy of kids. And that's my problem with this film.
GIBSON: You have this gateway thing. I mean if the movie were not leading kids to the book, would you object to this movie just on the face of it?
DONOHUE: No, I would not, because the only time they mention anything about the Catholic church is the use of the term "magisterial". But everyone knows if you read the books, what the "magisterial" means, the Catholic Church. And it is explicitly anti-Catholics, not just about transcendence. This is about the pope, the cardinals, the bishops, the magisterial and the teaching body of the catholic church, and the Catholic Church is painted as an evil force which kidnaps children, performs experiments on them. There is no other way to read this. I mean I'm just taking what even the friends of Pullman have said. And I'll — give the man his own integrity. He wants to be known as the Christopher Hitchens for kids. He wants to sell atheism for kids.
NAUERT: There were lots of concerns of course when Harry Potter first came out. Do you see this as being worse than Harry Potter?
MORRIS: Well you know Harry Potter is fiction, it's presented in a fiction way. Now, again, we have to be careful that there isn't ideology pushed. These books by Pullman, is — they're fiction of ideology. And ideology is a big thing. It distorts minds of kids. Have you ever met a really happy kid who is an atheist? I mean, give me a break. We have to spend our time helping kids become happy people. I don't think this is the way.
DONOHUE: Harry Potter was innocent. This is pernicious.
NAUERT: Ok. Good to know.
GIBSON: All right thanks, to both the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue and of course Father Jonathan Morris, thanks to both of you.
Content and Programming Copyright 2007 FOX News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2007 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon FOX News Network, LLC'S and Voxant, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.
NOW, it is a movie to be watched..... thanks! :)
I clean an office where several of the staff are '
I clean an office where several of the staff are evangelical christian. Someone put out a memo that this movie was to be boycotted by all Chirstians. It was very stern warnings not to let you children see such blasphemy. I had not heard of the series of books but now I can't wait to read them and see the movie. WooHoo, sounds like a party to me.
Oh and at a circut assembly I have heard a CO be specific that JW's should not watch Star Wars films. He went on about the demonic storyline and likeness. Ya just gotta ask, how does he know about the storyline ??? hum....
I think just books, movies, T.V. shows etc. you should make up your own mind on what you view, if you have small children maybe use caution, however, it's still up for you to decide what you view or read. I am never living that closed minded life again, I have a brain and I don't mind using it.
I hate ignorant people who try to keep others ignorant as well.
My son read this book and it's sequel and loved them. We WILL be going to see this movie.
changeling
