This is SO depressing

It's not a film i'll be watching either

Be an athiest if you want, but don't try and shatter other peoples thoughts

Wow, I've read the books, but didn't really get that theme from them. It was more about anti-fundamentalism than anything. (He defied fundamentalism as a religion that is "right" at any cost even if that includes killing a child)

Seriously, pick up the books first. If you don't care for them then don't go see the movie, but don't pass judgment on them just yet.

On the other side of the coin, I never noticed any religious theme in The Chronicles of Narnia. I must be overlooking something. Maybe you have to be religious in the first place to see it.

They have billboards up all around Hollywood already about tha movie. I was planning on seeing it. I think I'll respect God and stay away from it.

In Narnia that bad people killed God or the Lion who was supposed to represent God, however he came back to life

I'd never heard of these books till just now, so I did some research. It's kind of interesting that almost as many christian denominations support the book as there are opposing it. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury seems to like them..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main...7/bodark17.xml

They kill a god not The God. The world they are in is polytheistic. Think Greek in that regard.

Really? CS Lewis was a big Christian writer. Aslan was the personification of Christ because he came back from the dead.

If you are more interested in him as an adult author read the Screwtape Letters.
It's not as good as his previous works, but it shows him in a different light.

I guess with all the centaurs and minotaurs and fauns I was thinking more along the lines of the god mithra on the coming back from the dead part. Seemed more fitting for the fantasy timeframe.

I've also read His Dark Materials several times, and I have to say, you should read them before you dismiss them outright.
They really aren't any different than the Harry Potter books as far as sending any messages.

Ok first of all as i believe, god isn't a human form like Jesus apparently was, so the only way they can 'kill god' is to just stop believing in him/her/it because it's between god and the person..it's not like you shoot an arrow or gun into the sky and god is gone for other people..just a thought

Sounds like an interesting movie(s), but I won't let my daughter watch--not yet, any way.

I am just reading these books for the first time at the moment!! I'm halfway through the last one....absolutely love them! Can't wait for the first movie....

As for people being atheist if they want, but not trying to shatter other people's beliefs, if other people's beliefs were strong enough they wouldn't be shattered no matter what people thought. And, er, sorry but Christians and so forth seem to think its perfectly acceptable to shatter the beliefs of atheists whenever they feel like it. Shouldn't it work both ways?

So many seem to think that atheism means being against God. But it's an absence of belief in God - so you can't be against something you don't believe exists. It's much more of a passive ideology than others attribute it to be.

If we can have films like The Passion of The Christ without all the atheists jumping up and down, why not this one?

Shows how weird my father is. He actually hated the idea of the Passion, he didn't even watch it!! But the youth group i went to (Salvation Army) all loved it.

Btw it's not just athiests that get poked at, it's also us pagans, and pretty much any non mainstream religions or the "multi-goddess" ones.

On another thingy, i keep forgetting the difference between Agnosticism and Athiesm..which one believes there is something out there but doesn't know what, and the other says there is no God whatsoever?

I am such a twit - I didn't even read the link and so didn't realise you were talking about The Golden Compass. I am just reading this series at the moment and it is beautiful - it does start to get quite religious (or anti-religious) in the end, but it's not anti-God - more the institution of the way the church can become fundamentalist and imperialistic. There is a LOT in there that is very reverent towards God and faith - these books are anti-establishment, not anti-God. In fact, the way he has described the angels is magnificent and they are beautifully realised.

And it's not aimed at children at all - it's classed as young adult fiction.

And one of my favourite things about these books are the daemons - the animal embodiment of your soul, who lives outside of you but is part of you, and whose life is intertwined with yours and who is your constant companion, guide and love throughout your life - as you are for them. I love that the daemons of children can shape-change, representing the endless innocence and imagination of the child, and then settle into one form as you reach adulthood. On the website there is a section where you can `meet your daemon'. Mine is a tiger, called Inachus.

It's one of the most beautiful concepts I've ever come across in a story.

This is one of those instances where parents will need to determine whether they want their children to see it or not. Same goes with any movie that is, or isn't, geared towards children.

As for the Chronicles following the Christian belief...if you've read all of the books (the first book isn't the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), you can definitely see it. In the first book, Aslan breathes the world into existence, etc. You also learn where the lamp post comes from. But, it's really clear with the sacrifice of Aslan...he sacrifices himself for others, only to arise again.

According to this article, the film is being accused of being both too religious and too anti-religious, while the filmmakers have made a very conscious effort to exclude the religious themes and make it more about the alternate world and the courage of the girl to do whatever is necessary even without knowing what that might be. Even the group who is so adamantly against this movie (without seeing it, mind you) is saying that the movie itself seems innocuous but it might make people want to read the books and be exposed to the ideas contained within.

OK, first of all...NONE of the critics have seen the movie. How can you be so offended by something you haven't seen? Isn't this the same as some Catholic groups going after Kevin Smith's Dogma because of it's "blasphemy" while not realizing that it's a satirical comedy with a giant rubber poop monster in it?

Second of all I am actually more offended that the group is afraid that someone might read the books. You can read anything and it won't necessarily affect your faith unless you let it. How many people read The DiVinci Code and they didn't all turn away from The Church. While the author may present an alternate idea of the world, the books themselves are fiction. If you're scared your child or other adults might actually open their minds and be aware of other ideas besides what they are spoon fed, the problem goes a lot deeper than anything these books might present. You cannot prevent people from being exposed to other ideas, and I have always thought that raising human sheep who believe what they are told is dangerous. There is nothing inherently wrong with questioning the world around you, and looking at other ideas.

Not only that, Heidi, but the books are so obviously pure fantasy that even though they do have religious themes - well, pretty much the whole series is based in religion - this is an alternate reality with so much in it that is so clearly fairy tale that to be offended by them is just prudish, IMO.

Cindy - the central protagonists in the books are children, and I can see how people may think these works are directed at children (particularly people who criticise the film and books but haven't actually seen it or read them, like these critics), but they were written as young adult fiction and from what I have seen of the film I don't believe that young children should be allowed to see it, regardless of its themes. I felt the same way about the LOTR movies, too.

There are far, far worse works out there that are targeted at children and shouldn't be, than this charming and, yes, confronting story.

lol but they did jump up and down, and cry. along with saying stuff like mel will never get work again etc, etc.

Yes it should work both ways. I don't go around telling people what religion they should follow, and neither should anyone else.

And a jehovahs witness did " try " and shatter my beliefs when i just lost my mum, but i was one of the stronger ones.

I agree Susan - I believe in faith, I believe that people should follow what is in their hearts but I don't agree with proselytising, barging into people's houses on Sunday mornings and bashing them with fire and brimstone, the `spreading of the word' that is such a central tenet of so many religions....faith is a beautiful, personal thing. People should be allowed to come to their own faith in their own way. Some people think it should be shared, and derive a great deal of comfort and enjoyment out of doing so. But to be preached to against your will in your own space? I think that shows a remarkable lack of tolerance, which should not be a part of any faith.

I won't be watching it. Not because of the subject matter, but because it has Nicole Kidman in it. She isn't the most talented actress around and since she's had all of her botox and plastic surgery I can't even stand to look at her. Don't these people have mirrors to see how ugly they look after plastic surgery? The term "Plastic" sure fits.

So far as the subject matter of the movie, pretty much anything is fair game these days. I'm sure many will go, but it doesn't sound like a block buster so I don't think it will be in the theaters very long.

lol that is the main reason i wont watch it.

Your so right Sarah!. My mum had only been gone 2 weeks so you can imagine i was still upset.

When this woman came i took it as a "sign" in my hour of need so i invited her in. When i explained about my mum just dying i was expecting to hear what i was always brought up in my church to hear which is basically that she would be happy and healthy again over the bridge?. Instead she firmly told me that only the chosen ones would be going there and that my mum was no more than a speck of dust on the road.

At that point i lifted her arm to get her to stand up, opened the door and told her to leave

I'm not a fan, either, Natalie - but in this movie she plays the role of Mrs Coulter, one of the evillest characters I've ever read in any story. She is perfect for the role - cold, hard, heartless, beautiful, manipulative. I'm sure she isn't that way in real life but out of everyone I know who's read the books we all think that character couldn't have been cast more perfectly.

Susan - that is appalling. We often have JWs patrolling our street - and the ones that come our way always have children with them I mean, it's one thing to bash others with your religion but quite another to bring children along for a sympathy vote and to get in your door. I can't believe anyone that uses a child in that way could have honourable intentions. Although it could be argued that that is the whole point of this thread!

My secretary's mother was a very fanatical JW. She was psychotic and put her daughter through all kinds of torment and hell. I think a great deal of it was mental illness, but a lot of it was her twisted beliefs, too.