"The Golden Compass", Christians, and Boycotts: It Ain't Gonna Work, People!

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are a Christian who is easily offended by being stereotyped, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE! It contains content and comments that some might find objectional.)

It was my wife who first told me about a movie coming out during this year's Christmas season. "The Golden Compass" is supposed to be a children's movie about good versus evil. Sounds like standard fare for kids. With some big-name actors like Nicole Kidman participating in the project, it's a given it will get a lot of exposure. Then she directed me to some of the pre-release press concerning the movie. It's quite interesting, to say the least.

"The Golden Compass" is adapted from the book of the same name, the first in a trilogy called "His Dark Materials", written by British author Philip Pullman. An award-winning author, Pullman is an atheist who admits he doesn't think it's possible that there is a God, and that he has a difficult time with concepts like spirituality. According to one of the leading urban legend-debunking sites on the Internet, Snopes.com, Pullman made it quite clear in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003 that "my books are about killing God." Of course, this sits well with Christian organizations, who have blasted Pullman for his attempts to expose young readers to atheism. Now emails are circulating about how the movie and the books should be boycotted. (You can see the entire Snopes article here, including some sample emails on the subject that are making their rounds over the Internet.)

As a Christian, of course I'm concerned about an author who wants to "convert" impressionable young children to atheism. However, this is a fictional story, and these days kids are a lot smarter than what we give them credit for. My bigger concern is what the efforts of the Christian community will do to promote the very thing they want to condemn.

If you look at recent history, you'll find that Christians really aren't very good at conducting effective boycotts. In most cases, their efforts have backfired, producing the opposite effect of what they were trying to accomplish. Anybody remember the movie "The Last Temptation of Christ"? Based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, the movie focuses on Jesus's last moments on the cross, and what might have happened if he had taken himself off the cross and had a normal life. The novel wasn't that great, and the movie wasn't all that hot either. Yet people went to see it in droves. Why? Because the Christian community screamed bloody murder about the "sacrilege" the movie promoted, and naturally people wanted to see what the stink was all about.

You can add to this list things like the book and the movie "The Exorcist" (I borrowed the book from a friend, snuck it home, and read it straight through one night without sleeping...sorry, Mom and Dad); the TV series "Soap" (Billy Crystal's openly gay character made some Christian leaders nearly faint with hysteria); the Disney boycott (Disney's children's movie production decreased, while the companies that produced PG-13 and R movies did a booming business); and, uh, oh, yeah - can you say "Harry Potter" (seven books and five movies later, the popularity of the young wizard with the scar on his forehead shows no signs of abating)?

Anyway, what I've decided to do is this: I'm willing to risk my salvation to find out exactly what Pullman's books are promoting. I've purchased "His Dark Materials" and will be reading all three books in the series. I'll write reviews of all three books, and will be as fair and balanced as Fox News. (Okay, let's just say I'll try not to take sides.) That way you can find out first hand if these books are something you want your kids to read, or to avoid. And your souls will be safe because you're not reading the damning literature.

But in the meantime, if your children DO want to see the movie, I have a suggestion: Take them. Let them ask their questions. And answer them honestly. You'd be surprised at the dialogue you can have with your kids about why you believe the way you do. Hearing from Mom and Dad why a belief system is held to can strengthen a child's faith much more effectively than, "Because I said so!" or "Because the (insert favorite spiritual leader's position) teaches it and that's that!"

And as to how effective a boycott REALLY is, I'm curious: By a show of hands, how many of you Christians decided after reading that first paragraph that you'd better ignore the warning and read this article to find out exactly what about it could be so offensive to Christians? Uh-huh, I thought so. What a great advertising gimmick, huh? And this is what you can expect the masses to do as the outcry from the Christian community ramps up. It's the same mentality that drives people to the scene of an auto accident, building fire, or other disaster. They're horrified, yet they want a closer look to see if they can catch a glimpse of blood. When it comes to some topics, morbid curiosity won't be overcome by the word of a few concerned individuals. Deep down, we're all from Missouri (the "Show Me" State).

Anyway, check back later in the week as I start my review of the series. I hope you'll find it enlightening. And let's hope I don't fall under the influence of the Dark Side while I'm at it...!

To read the review of "The Golden Compass" (Part 1), click here.