Golden Compass and the Catholic League

Post by **Elaine_Figgis** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:08 pm

Just saw an interview in Fox News (which swings extremely to the right). Being discussed was the fact that the Catholic League in the US is concerned about the Anti-Catholic sentiment portrayed in the Pullman books and in the movie. DC was not mention, but NK was quoted as saying that the movies references to religion were 'watered down'.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300737,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_League_(U.S.)

Laredo · Post by **Laredo** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:20 pm

Nic is catholic so I don't think she would do anything that would make so many people mad .

Germangirl · Post by **Germangirl** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:40 pm

laredo wrote:Nic is catholic so I don't think she would do anything that would make so many people mad .

There´s been talk about this for a long time on other boards, but Daniels comments I have read have never included any religious remarks. I understood, he doesn´t consider the contence of the film as being about religion.

frick35cr · Post by **frick35cr** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:46 am

the film has to be about religion as the books are rooted in it, there would be no books otherwise but its all being blown out of proportions.

I'm catholic too, christian (although cant say I'm very devout but still) anyway point is the books challenge some of the ideas, they dont take the bible to the word and rather push it further into real life context sorta so even though Nic is catholic there's absolutely no reason for her not to take the films unless she's overly sensitive and sorta preacherous about it all which I really dont believe she is. Pullman never tried to put anarchist/atheist ideas in anyone's heads, he just wrote books that challenge the idealistic ideas of the church while at the same time brings them to a new light - one that we can all understand. However all that is done very subtly and many readers, younger or unreligious ones mostly, dont even see the church parallels which is entirely fine cause at its heart a story about good vs. evil remains one.

Ang · Post by **Ang** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:48 am

If the Catholic League have problems with Pullman's books and the film then they should not read the books or watch the film. I have a lot of problems with some Catholic beliefs (and I speak as someone brought up in the church) but am willing to put up with the Church's voicing its beliefs as long as they don't impinge on my freedom.

The books are extremely religious and probably anti Catholic (in terms of the church as an institution rather than individual Catholics), they remind me of William Blake, but they don't ever name the church openly, they just use Catholic names for things, such as The Magisterium for the Leading body in His Dark Materials which I understand to be the name given to the Bishops and the Pope when grouped together. I don't think you need to know these things to understand the point of the film, and hopefully the book, that questioning the world around you and engaging with the world fully is a good thing and that you should never just follow orders in a sheeplike manner. That can apply to any narrow orthodoxy, religious or otherwise.

Laredo · Post by **Laredo** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 2:06 pm

I don't think Nic is being overly sensitive after all the crap her ex Tom has taken over his religion .

Ang · Post by **Ang** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:43 pm

laredo wrote:I don't think Nic is being overly sensitive after all the crap her ex Tom has taken over his religion .

No, she has a right to her beliefs and I would understand that she didn't want a film she was in to go against them or upset those she was close to.

I have no problem with people individually choosing to support or not support an artistic endeavour - film, book etc but the Catholic Church as a body and the Church of Scientology for that matter are both massive, wealthy and highly influential organisations who use their power to influence politics and social policy and they are as valid a target for criticisism as a political party or pressure group.

elizadoolittle · Post by **elizadoolittle** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:28 pm

hmm..this thing reminds me of what had happen to DaVinci Code..

I'm Christian and I don't feel bothered with the contents of Pullman's book. for me it's just a book and it didn't force us to praise or worship something. it's merely a fiction.

seems that every famous book has to deal with religion misunderstand.

Laredo · Post by **Laredo** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:14 pm

The more I think of it the more I think it might help the movie ... people will want to see what all the fuss is about . I remember when the Southern Baptist Convention wanted to boycott Disneyworld because they gave health benifits to same sex partners
( alot of the performers are gay ) . Me and my friends still went to Disney .

magch · Post by **magch** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:44 pm

laredo wrote:The more I think of it the more I think it might help the movie ... people will want to see what all the fuss is about . I remember when the Southern Baptist Convention wanted to boycott Disneyworld because they gave health benifits to same sex partners
( alot of the performers are gay ) . Me and my friends still went to Disney .

Haha, just like the popularity of DaVinci Code. After I read it I still didn't know what the fuss was about, personally it was just an okay book. People do take a lot of interest in anything religous, that's definitely a way to get attention in the U.S. I heard a book review on National Public Radio a while ago. I couldn't remember the name of the book but it's a book written about best sellers. The author mentioned that they analyzed DaVinci Code and found that it was almost the exact same story as in one of Dan Brown's earlier novels. However, that earlier novel did not sell too many copies when it came out, while DaVince Code became a best seller. I guess Dan Brown figured out that putting on a religious theme would draw a lot of readers' interest. Maybe Golden Compass will benefit from all the attention the Catholic Church gave to it as well. And, since it got coverage from Fox News for this reason, may not be a bad thing after all.

For those of you who are outside of the U.S., Fox News is famous for very conservative and very religious views and has very high viewer rating in the U.S.

frick35cr · Post by **frick35cr** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:44 am

Im majoring in Journalism and Fox News is the butt of many jokes

lol

magch · Post by **magch** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:30 pm

frick35cr wrote:Im majoring in Journalism and Fox News is the butt of many jokes lol

I know. I wouldn't even bother to watch it.

elizadoolittle · Post by **elizadoolittle** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:45 pm

laredo wrote:The more I think of it the more I think it might help the movie ... people will want to see what all the fuss is about . I remember when the Southern Baptist Convention wanted to boycott Disneyworld because they gave health benifits to same sex partners
( alot of the performers are gay ) . Me and my friends still went to Disney .

yeah, that is why show business always on top...the more controversial it was, the more it will success