Ok, This isn't just about the golden compass (though I will get to that). I just titled it that to get your attention. This is really about why I don't see rated R movies. Many intelligent people, my teachers and classmates especially, have made fun of me and those like me for not wanting to see rated R movies or any movie that I don't deem worthy. Something they say a lot is, "Those who won't see that movie think that if they see it, they will become it. If they see a movie about gay people, they'll be forced to be gay." And then they laugh.
The main problem with this fallacy is that many of us aren't sure whether its true or not. We often just laugh along with them and say, well, I guess they're right. But let me assure you that the whole idea is at best, a half-truth.
When it comes to our children it may be somewhat true. We hope that our kids are learning their morals from us, and not the media, but TV can be very convincing in its point of view. Kids who don't really have their morals in place yet are easily influenced. So yes, we do worry that if they see a movie that glorifies violence, they'll want to act it out.
I do not believe we do it for the same reason when we restrict ourselves however. I realize I cannot speak for everyone. But for me, I don't watch immoral movies because its putting myself in a place of darkness. I (and many others) believe that in order to gain the guidance and influence of God, I should try to be clean. When I watch things that are what I consider immoral, I decline my chance to have divine guidance: not just during the show, but lastingly afterward. When I don't have God's help in my life, I make unwise choices, its harder to deal with trials, and especially it becomes harder to resist temptation. My temptations may have nothing to do with the movie. For instance, I may never have been tempted by infidelity, but perhaps I''ve always been tempted to yell at my kids.
So what am I saying? Am I saying that a movie that glorifies homosexuality will make me yell at my kids? Maybe so, if that is what one of my personal struggles happens to be. We still always have a choice in our actions. But why make it harder on ourselves than it already is?
That being said, my objection to see immorality doesn't necessarily extend to an objection to see everything that disagrees with my beliefs. For instance I don't believe most of what is in the Nicene Creed, but I don't have objection to reading it. On a lighter note, the science fiction and fantasy I read is all bunk. I don't believe any of it to be a true depiction of life, yet I still feel ok about reading it. Why? Because I don't believe that reading or seeing something that is untrue is darkness. I believe that God allows us to suspend reality occasionally. I don't believe subjecting ourselves to untruths really has any relation to subjecting ourselves to immorality.
Maybe that is elementary and obvious to you. But I have to ask then, whats all this hullabaloo over the Golden Compass series? I have to first admit that I have never read it, and I haven't yet seen the movie. But from what I've heard, the series presents a world in which there is no God. Rarely has a series been so bold as that. Even so, its a fantasy isn't it? The rest of it is all fantastical, and so is that. Why can't we just accept it as a fantastic story in which people can do things that are impossible in reality, and in which there is no God, which to many of us is pure fantastical fiction?
Now there are some philosophy's and untruths that I do think can be darkness, simply because they are more than untruths: they are anti-truths. This is why I try not to read anti-Mormon literature. Instead of just informing me what others' beliefs are, anti-Mormon literature is trying to tear down my beliefs, and that to me is pure darkness. So let me say that if the Golden Compass is actually trying to dissuade people from believing in God, then its very possible it is darkness, not just fantasy. If there are people that read it and say, you know, this is true. There is no God because of the points presented in this book, then I guess I won't see it or read it. A movie just isn't worth losing the influence of the spirit over for me. And though it can be different for everyone, I know I don't want to subject myself to Anti-god media, any more than I want to see a rated R movie.
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14 comments:
Yea! Great Post. I would like to point out, however, that there is a God in these stories - called "The Authority" - he is just not the same as the God you and I believe in. A bit like Zeus in some ways, and less like a true Supreme Being. Personally, I think what really has them in a fit is the way the Church is written. In Lyra's world, the Church is the Government, and with their power and their need to control they do some pretty bad things. Understandably, I think the Catholic churches is taking this personally. Did the Davinci Code get this much bad press?
Why waste time on garbage when there is so many good things to fill our time and minds with!
I love your post!
actually, I didn't see "The Authority" as representing God at all. I didn't get one single vibe in this movie regarding the nature of God. I think the closest thing "The Authority" resembled to me was the great and abominable church. I think it was a pretty good representation.
I haven't read the books, but Fae has and I know that the books talk deeply about the nature of God. They sound very interesting. The series is one of Fae's favorites, and I don't know anyone as devoted to her religion and belief in God.
Anyway, the movie was great. It was like any other fantasy movie, and I left the theater feeling like I had just seen a fun cool movie. It certainly wasn't garbage at all, just the opposite.
keep in mind that I haven't read the books, so to me the government (I forget what it is called in the movie. Something with an 'M') so Both the government and the Authority just seemed like the same thing to me in the movie.
You could probably actually compare the government and authority to many things in real life.
I plan on writing a full review, but for now let me put in my two bits.
I agree with Lance on the Authority. And really, regardless of the creator's intent, what I got out of the movie was not Anti-God at all. Instead it was about the struggle to control agency. Some wanted to remove everyone's agency, and thereby save them, and other wanted to choose for themselves.
Sound familiar?
The Magesterium is the controlling body of the church, and apparently coincides with something in the Catholic church.
And in the books, the goal of all the good people is to kill God, because he's a really old angel who's gone senile. The books are pretty much anti-God, but apparently the movie was toned down a bit.
After thinking about the books some more, I believe that I came away from the series with my faith strengthened. Sometimes a church's false teachings and actions can push people into thinking, "If that's what represents God, then God is false! There can be no god." So I came away feeling that knowing God or not knowing Him is a direct result of a true church, and how thankful I am that I have that knowledge, and am not stumbling in the darkness.
If the movie had been made with Zeus as the Supreme Being, we would all be fine with it, since we don't worship Greek gods. But, really, the God that much of the world worships resembles Zeus much more than he does the only True God. So we don't need to be offended at all.
I'm sorry that the author is ridiculing some people's god, but he sure isn't talking about my God.
Thanks guys. So in other words, whether or not its anti-God, its notanti-truth. Simply because the concept of the authority was so far from the true concept of God. My visiting teaching companion said it was actually more like Anti-Satan, since the authority was so the un-god like.
Regardless, there are still going to be plenty of people who don't want to see it. And I know that is very hard for those of you who love love love it, to bear. But i say give those people a break. They are just trying to do the right thing. Sometimes its better to be ignorant than risk seeing something you don't want to see. If you must say something to these people, say, "I understand why you won't see it, and I won't tell you that you have to, but just let me clear up some things, since most of the things people say are false." Tell them what its really about, and then both sides just let each other be. Its just a movie. Don't hate me for saying so.
Silly Faralee. Who could hate you for saying so? I don't blame anyone for not wanting to see it, nor do I recommend the book to everyone, because these are sensitive subjects not to be taken lightly. I'm just always interested to get to the bottom of the bad press. Someone is threatened by this, and that is curious. Much more than being Anti-God, this book is Anti Controlling Religion. Boydell is right that it is about the struggle to control agency. Pullman had audacity to imply that what Adam and Eve did was wonderful and necessary, instead of being the biggest mistake in human history. Pretty interesting considering what we know eh?
Very clearly put. Thank you.
I once read a book where the central religion was very interesting and had many parallels to the truth of Christ's gospel. However, there were a couple chapters toward the end which included immorality and the main character's ambivalence toward it eroding into the adopting of it.
That wasn't the only reason, but I literally surrendered my testimony the day I finished reading that book. It took me 7 years to get it back.
I think if we try and lean on rationale alone when trying to discern light in the media, we will be easily deceived. In this day and age, relying on the Spirit's direction, and the Light of Christ in all of us, ends up being the only effective way to avoid poisoning our souls with darkness.
This is what the armor of God is for. This is why we read the word of God everyday and pray always.
I think that was the point of Elder Scott's conference talk.
If any of you haven't seen it, here is my review:
http://movies-lyht.blogspot.com/2007/12/golden-compass-2007.html
The movie didn't have anything that any other good vs evil doesn't have.
That's really all there was. The aspects regarding religion weren't "toned-down" at all, there were absent.
Maybe they will go further into what is described in the books. But this is just a normal fantasy movie.
The part of this whole thing that is really funny to me is the thought that "you just have to see this movie. I think it is funny when people try and convince me that I need to be more entertained, that if I don't see it, I will limited in my understanding the world around me.
Good thoughts ferf.
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