For my entire life, I have loved going to the movies. I don’t go as much as I would like anymore, because I have a family to provide for and while I can probably afford the ridiculous prices being charged, I would rather use my money on something else. Plus, much of what is out there is not worth seeing, but I digress… I find a certain childhood excitement relived in me when the lights dim, the colored light flickers on the screen and the boom of surround sound fills my ears. This grips my imagination and sends a thrill through my body that something enjoyable is about to happen. I like being transported to new and creative worlds. For me though, the experience is more than just amusement, it is an opportunity to consider what is being said about reality, life, God, mankind, values, beauty, and the list goes on. Most people go to simply be amused, and in doing so, they check their brains at the door and don’t really consider some of the themes that are being expressed by the writer, the director, and the movie in general. I can hear some of you thinking to yourself, “who wants to think while I’m watching a movie?” Call me nuts, I don’t want to accept anything uncritically anymore.
On Friday night, I tried to round up my three boys and take them with me to see a movie that I thought they would enjoy, and that I knew they would need to discuss with me. It was The Golden Compass. So much had been stirred up in the evangelical Christian community that I knew I was going to see it and I was going to get in front of this thing with my boys so that they could think well about the message being presented by this movie. Of course, man’s best laid plans and all that took over… two of my boys went to friend’s houses to play and spend the night, which left me with my oldest son Brent. He took pity on his old dad, and went with me. We went to the theatre, got our tickets, popcorn and drink and proceeded on to theater room #10.
Did I mention that I like going to movies? I really enjoyed this one too. It was a visual feast for the eyes… the scenery was spectacular, the effects were top notch, and the story was fairly compelling. The cast was filled with a number of excellent actors, and overall, I found the movie engaging. But I also found it troubling, to say the least…
You see, the movie is unmistakably atheistic in its premise and goal. It communicates brilliantly the naturalistic worldview, and as I understand it, by the time the trilogy is completed, God is killed. Having only seen the first movie in the trilogy, I have relied on the insights of others whom I trust to give me some guidance. At the end of this entry, you can click on any of the links while they are still active and read what these other writers have to say.
After the movie was done, I took Brent to Arby’s and we sat down to a late night dinner. I asked him a variety of questions to see what he ascertained from the movie:
- What group of people were ridiculed for believing that there is absolute truth?
- As Christians, do we believe in absolute truth?
- Who is seen as being enlightened for trusting only in the “truth” of science, knowledge, and experience?
- What do you think the Golden Compass represented?
- How did the movie portray the souls of mankind?
- What happened to the soul when a person died? Is this how the Bible presents what takes place at death for the soul of a person?
- Do you think that you would have picked up on everything that we talked about without me being with you?
You have to understand, Brent is 14, has been raised in a home where his mother and I have tried to promote biblical understanding and a respect for truth, and my conversation with Brent showed me that when this trilogy is done, there are going to be children and teens who will affirm a naturalistic worldview without realizing it. To his credit, Brent was able to answer my questions, but some of what I asked he did not pick up on his own. I am quite certain that many adult believers will view this movie and think innocently about it. That is why we must never check our brains at the door. That is why we must question everything.
My hat is off to Philip Pullman for writing a story that is shrewd enough to draw a person in through the imaginative world that he has created to communicate his atheistic beliefs. He has done for Atheists what C.S. Lewis did for Christians in The Chronicles of Narnia. I have no doubt that this movie will be very influential in the years to come. It may fall on its face initially or it may succeed wildly, but ultimately, I believe that it will take root and serve as a creative apologetic for atheists to use with their children. My desire in writing this entry is not necessarily to get people to see the movie, but to encourage those who do see it, and especially if you see it with your children, that you ask the right questions to help process the intention and message of this movie well.
I don’t have all the answers. As a matter of fact, I probably have more questions than answers. What I do know is that I want my children and Christians everywhere to interact well with opposing points of view. Hopefully, this entry is a step in the right direction.
What follows are some links to websites that you may find helpful related to the movie, The Golden Compass.
The Golden Compass: A Primer on Atheism
The Upside-down world of Pullman’s “Golden Compass”: Where Bad is Good and God is Banned
