First up from the God Machine this week is an aggressive push-back in some religious circles against “The Golden Compass,” a new children’s film starring Nicole Kidman, based on Philip Pullman’s “The Northern Lights,” an award-winning fantasy novel aimed at teenage readers.
Apparently, Pullman, a professed agnostic, includes subtle anti-religious themes** in his “Dark Materials” trilogy, which in turn has made the film, which opened yesterday, controversial. There are, to be sure, different schools of thought on the controversy, even among reasonable people. My friend Morbo, for example, argued that the religious right is overreacting to a harmless children’s story. My friend Kevin Drum, meanwhile, thinks Christian conservatives may actually have a point on this one, given that the story is “every conservative Christian’s nightmare of what the secular left’s real agenda is.”
In the books, a malevolent Magisterium, based loosely on an exaggerated Catholic Church gone wildly astray, is the story’s antagonist. In the movie, the story has been sanitized and is free of anti-Catholic subtext. But what I found interesting is that some religious right activists don’t care.
[T]he sanitized version of Pullman’s book has failed to appease the Catholic League, which gathers some 350,000 members, and which has already been sending out leaflets denouncing the film.
“The Catholic League wants Christians to stay away from this movie precisely because it knows that the film is bait for the books,” said president William Donohue.
“Unsuspecting parents who take their children to see the movie may be impelled to buy the three books as a Christmas present. And no parent who wants to bring their children up in the faith will want any part of these books,” he added.
So, to Bill Donohue, kids might see the movie, then might pick up the book, and then might get to the third book, and then might pick up on Pullman’s anti-Christian subtext.
It seems like a bit of a stretch, but expect to hear quite a few complaints. Whether this boosts attendance at a movie that’s received luke-warm reviews — people are often more curious about movies that spark controversy — remains to be seen.
Other items from the God Machine this week:
* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, recently asked six high-profile, hyper-wealthy televangelists for their financial records, under the suspicion that they’re using their ministries for personal gain. It’s been about a month, and so far, only two of the six churches — Kenneth Copeland Ministries of Newark, Texas, and Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo. — have agreed to cooperate with the inquiry.
* I didn’t realize it, but apparently Bill O’Reilly thinks the “War on Christmas” is over: “During the December 4 edition of his Fox News show, Bill O’Reilly declared victory against the secularists in his ‘war’ on Christmas. Discussing the issue with Alexia Kelley, executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, O’Reilly asserted: ‘Now, first of all, you don’t deny that, a few years ago — and we won this war, largely — that there was a very effective movement underway to wipe out, in the public square, all vestiges of Christmas. Stores were ordering employees not to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ Towns were suing to get the crèche off the public property.’ O’Reilly later claimed: ‘If I had not done the campaign, then the forces of darkness would have won.'” There was never really a war, of course, and I have no idea who the “forces of darkness” are, but if O’Reilly is convinced he won, will he finally stop whining about all of this?
* Fairly significant changes at TV preacher Pat Robertson’s media empire: “Robertson announced [Monday] he has stepped down as the Christian Broadcasting Network’s CEO. He’s handing the reins to his son, Gordon. After nearly 50 years of overseeing the multi-million-dollar organization, Robertson, 77, said he’s ready to turn over some of the day-to-day operations. He cited his lacking technological skills as the main reason for his departure. At first blush, I thought Robertson’s move could spell trouble for the Religious Right’s old guard. Then I realized there’s probably less to his announcement than meets the eye. Robertson will stay on as CBN’s chairman and will likely continue to host the ‘700 Club’ several times a week. He reassured his co-host, Terry Meeuwsen, this morning that he would be back tomorrow. (I’m secretly happy about this because Pat is so much more interesting to watch than Gordon. Gordon lacks his father’s charisma and propensity to speak before thinking.)”
* And finally, in case you missed it, some nut on The View insisted this week that Christianity existed before Christ, and predates the Greek and Roman empires. I know; I couldn’t believe it either. (It’s as if the “B.C.” abbreviation has no meaning.)
** I should note something important: I’ve never read any of Pullman’s books, and I haven’t seen the movie. I used the phrase “subtle anti-religious themes” after reading a few items about this controversy, but at least one knowledgeable person I spoke to this morning explained that the story is explicitly anti-Christian. Since he’s read the books, and I haven’t, he’s almost certainly right, and I’m almost certainly wrong. FYI.