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Someone sent me that link in an email (the Snopes link, that is.) Did the guy really kill God in the books? I've never heard of the guy or his books before the email.
Wikipedia quote about the author Philip Pullman:
Quote:
Pullman is a supporter of the British Humanist Association and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. New Yorker journalist Laura Miller has described Pullman as one of England's most outspoken atheists. [4]
The His Dark Materials books have been controversial with some Christian groups. Peter Hitchens has claimed that Pullman actively pursues an anti-Christian agenda.[5] Hitchens views the His Dark Materials series as a direct rebuttal of C. S. Lewis's series.[6] Although Pullman has criticized C. S. Lewis' series The Chronicles of Narnia as religious propaganda, the two series have several things in common. Both feature children facing adult moral choices, talking animals, religious allegories, parallel worlds, and concern the ultimate fate of those worlds. The first published Narnia book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, begins with a young girl hiding in a wardrobe, as does the first His Dark Materials book, Northern Lights (published as The Golden Compass in North America).
However, Pullman has found support from other Christians, most notably Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. These groups and individuals point out that Pullman's negative portrayal of the "Church" in His Dark Materials amounts to an attack on dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress, not on Christianity itself. Dr. Williams has gone so far as to propose that His Dark Materials be taught as part of religious education in schools. Moreover, even authors of works dedicated to critical appraisals of religious themes in his writing have described Pullman as a friendly and generous debating partner[7].
Other Christian writers, such as Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware, while finding his anti-Christian position troubling, "also uncover spiritual themes within the books, which, like shafts of light, break through an otherwise gloomy universe—despite Pullman’s best efforts to keep them out. In the end, the authors argue that Pullman offers an unwitting tribute to the God he intended to discredit."[8] in their book Shedding Light on His Dark Materials.
ok, i've read the books. he does not kill off God in any of the books. that being said mr pullman does have magic and witches in the books. in some ways they are very like the harry potter books. in his books a person's soul lives outside their body in the form what he calls a daemon. this is what amazon.com says about the golden compass:
'Some books improve with age--the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman's heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, The Golden Compass, a story ostensibly for children but one perhaps even better appreciated by adults. The protagonist of this complex fantasy is young Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Oxford University. But it quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own--nor is her world. For one thing, people there each have a personal dæmon, the manifestation of their soul in animal form. For another, hers is a universe in which science, theology, and magic are closely allied:
As for what experimental theology was, Lyra had no more idea than the urchins. She had formed the notion that it was concerned with magic, with the movements of the stars and planets, with tiny particles of matter, but that was guesswork, really. Probably the stars had dæmons just as humans did, and experimental theology involved talking to them.
Not that Lyra spends much time worrying about it; what she likes best is "clambering over the College roofs with Roger the kitchen boy who was her particular friend, to spit plum stones on the heads of passing Scholars or to hoot like owls outside a window where a tutorial was going on, or racing through the narrow streets, or stealing apples from the market, or waging war." But Lyra's carefree existence changes forever when she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, first prevent an assassination attempt against her uncle, the powerful Lord Asriel, and then overhear a secret discussion about a mysterious entity known as Dust. Soon she and Pan are swept up in a dangerous game involving disappearing children, a beautiful woman with a golden monkey dæmon, a trip to the far north, and a set of allies ranging from "gyptians" to witches to an armor-clad polar bear.
In The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has written a masterpiece that transcends genre. It is a children's book that will appeal to adults, a fantasy novel that will charm even the most hardened realist. Best of all, the author doesn't speak down to his audience, nor does he pull his punches; there is genuine terror in this book, and heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. There is also love, loyalty, and an abiding morality that infuses the story but never overwhelms it. This is one of those rare novels that one wishes would never end. Fortunately, its sequel, The Subtle Knife, will help put off that inevitability for a while longer. --Alix Wilber --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.'
personally i try to read books that are questionable so that i can make education arguments against/fo them. yes, i see why some people may not want to see the movies made from this series of books. i also see why some may not want to see the harry potter books. that said, i enjoyed this series of books. as for if he likes c s lewis or not, who cares? i don't like all of mr lewis' books either. some are quite difficult for me to get through.
I've read the series numerous times...and I had never connected any of it to God/killingGod. Pullman has admitted to the underlying message of the books. He's been open about his dislikes to C.S. Lewis and the idea of a god.
So would anyone allow their young child--ages 5 to 8--see this movie?
Also, for anyone who has read the book, do you think that the movie will be a watered down version of the book?
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
Psalm 101:3
So, why would I watch a movie featuring the works and thoughts of a man who denies my God?????????????
I've got better things to do with my life!
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:03 am Post subject: Tactics
The author's tactic for this new movie is that they watered down the movie's message so then little children who watch it will ask for the books for Christmas and then start thinking that maybe there really isn't a God. And, dude, the author says he's learning the Frog language. And if that's not enough for you, he hates C.S. Lewis. Don't go see the movies or read the books, trust me.
Last edited by call_me_crazy on Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:04 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Tactics
mayhem wrote:
aylaeh wrote:
call_me_crazy wrote:
he hates C.S. Lewis so stick that in your juice box and suck it. Don't go see the movies or read the books, trust me.
EXCUSE ME? i'm really trying to not take offense to this comment. telling someone to *suck* something?
i'm not going to say anything more because if i do i'll only get more angry.
I am curious to what everyone's view of Harry Potter is...
all i have to say about it is that i think the harry potter series is an entertaining set of stories. you just have to keep in mind that they are fictional.
Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Tactics
aylaeh wrote:
mayhem wrote:
aylaeh wrote:
call_me_crazy wrote:
he hates C.S. Lewis so stick that in your juice box and suck it. Don't go see the movies or read the books, trust me.
EXCUSE ME? i'm really trying to not take offense to this comment. telling someone to *suck* something?
i'm not going to say anything more because if i do i'll only get more angry.
I am curious to what everyone's view of Harry Potter is...
all i have to say about it is that i think the harry potter series is an entertaining set of stories. you just have to keep in mind that they are fictional.
Well one could argue the same thing with the trilogy.
When I read them, I had NO IDEA about the backing of this book. And frankly, if this link wasn't passed on to me, I would have continued to be oblivious of all of this. My point is, these kids watching the movie, will read the book, and unless they are educated in theology, they aren't going to put two and two together. To me, it was just a fictional story.
It's all about how you take it. Harry Potter? I've read 'em all, as I'm sure millions of people have. I took it for exactly what it was - fiction. People will go on about how it promotes withcraft and whatnot, but it is what it is - a book. If people want to pick apart underlying messages, fine. I would have more of a problem with blantant wizardry than the trilogy.
As for the motives of Pullman, if that is what he intended, then that's what he intended. Does it mean that the reader must take his work for exactly what he put out? No. Take it with a grain of salt. I doubt schools use this book as part of their curriculum, so unless you are seriously sitting down with this book to uncover all that Pullman weaved into this, I wouldn't worry so much about "Pullman trying to suck people in and atheise little children."
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