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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Vatican blasts "Golden Compass" as Godless and hopeless

By Philip Pullella

Dec 19, 2007

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Wednesday condemned the film "The Golden Compass," which some have called anti-Christian, saying it promotes a cold and hopeless world without God. In a long editorial, the Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano, also slammed Philip Pullman, the bestselling author of the book on which the family fantasy movie is based.

It was the Vatican's most stinging broadside against an author and a film since it roundly condemned "The Da Vinci Code" in 2005 and 2006. "In Pullman's world, hope simply does not exist, because there is no salvation but only personal, individualistic capacity to control the situation and dominate events," the editorial said. The film, which premiered earlier this month in the United States and stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is an adaptation of Pullman's acclaimed novel "Northern Lights". The Vatican newspaper said "honest" viewers would find it "devoid of any particular emotion apart from a great chill."

In the fantasy world created by Pullman's trilogy, 'His Dark Materials', the Church and its governing body the Magisterium, are linked to cruel experiments on children aimed at discovering the nature of sin and attempts to suppress facts that would undermine the Church's legitimacy and power. In the film version all references to the Church have been stripped out, with director Chris Weitz keen to avoid offending religious cinema goers. Still, some Catholic groups in the United States have called for a boycott, fearing even a diluted version of the book might draw people to read the bestselling trilogy. The Vatican newspaper said the film and Pullman's writings showed that "when man tries to eliminate God from his horizon, everything is reduced, made sad, cold and inhumane".

The U.S.-based Catholic League, a conservative group, has urged Christians not to see the movie, saying that its objective was "to bash Christianity and promote atheism" to children. The Vatican newspaper called the movie "the most anti-Christmas film possible" and said that it was "consoling" that its first weekend ticket sales were a disappointing $26 million. New Line Cinema, a unit of Time Warner Inc, had hoped the film would pull in between $30 million and $40 million. It is doing better overseas but New Line sold the foreign distribution rights to help cover the movie's cost.

[The Vatican making itself look stupid again. I guess they will never learn that these polemics against books and films only encourages people to see what all the fuss is about. Silly people.]

6 comments:

wstachour said...

Excellent. A Vatican condemnation amounts to an enthusiastic endorsement for me. I MUST see it (and take my little nieces to it).

I'm always amazed at the logical contortions the church makes to ensure its viability: any other world view is "hopeless." Without "redemption" (as they define it) we ought to just slash our wrists.

It's also interesting to me that promoting atheism to children, as they see it, is criminal--because they understand that kids are hugely impressionable; but any suggestion that the Jesus hooey ought to be kept from them until they're not so impressionable is an attack on religion!

Juggling Mother said...

"it promotes a cold and hopeless world without God"

Perhaps they should go see the film. Or even better, read the books. They are quite definite about the existance of the "authorty" (God) - we even get to meet him later:-).

Lyra's world is "cold and hopeless" because it is ruled by a curch/people who are interested in the supernatural rather than the here and now!

CyberKitten said...

JM said: Lyra's world is "cold and hopeless" because it is ruled by a curch/people who are interested in the supernatural rather than the here and now!

Very true. The Magisterium's mission was to *make* the world 'cold & hopeless'. Asriel, Lyra & the other characters brought hope, warmth and life back *into* the world! They wanted things to be in glorious colour whilst the Magisterium wanted everything to be in black & white.

craziequeen said...

For crap's sake - it's a fictional kid's book!

They are just hitching their wagon to the latest star.

Who was it said 'There's no such thing as bad publicity'?

cq

dbackdad said...

Wunelle said, "A Vatican condemnation amounts to an enthusiastic endorsement for me" -- He-he. I can't argue with that. That anyone would follow the edicts of an organization that has it's morality firmly esconsed centuries in the past is beyond me.

CyberKitten said...

wunelle said: I MUST see it (and take my little nieces to it).

[grin]. I'll be very interested in your review.

wunelle said: Without "redemption" (as they define it) we ought to just slash our wrists.

Weird isn't it? I've actually been asked why, as an atheist, I just don't kill myself right now? Some theists are just too strange!

wunelle said: It's also interesting to me that promoting atheism to children, as they see it, is criminal--because they understand that kids are hugely impressionable; but any suggestion that the Jesus hooey ought to be kept from them until they're not so impressionable is an attack on religion!

Kinda ironic isn't it? They think its find and dandy indoctrinating children into *their* beliefs but really get annoyed if they think that other people are trying the same thing!

CQ said: Who was it said 'There's no such thing as bad publicity'?

Dunno... but it's very true. I wonder how many more people went to see the movie or read the book(s) to see what all the fuss was about?

dbackdad said: That anyone would follow the edicts of an organization that has it's morality firmly esconsed centuries in the past is beyond me.

Religion bemuses me too. Catholicism even more so.