A Christian Responds to The Golden Compass 1

The only thing Christians need to fear about The Golden Compass is that by ignoring it they might miss a great opportunity to share their faith.

Until a month ago the only thing I knew about the movie The Golden Compass was that it was based on a series of children’s book and that it starred James Bond and the guy from Lonesome Dove. Then I received a handful of emails that warned me to stay away from the movie because the author, Philip Pulman, was a devoted atheist who wrote the books in order to “kill God.” I did my research on the books, the author, and the upcoming film and came to only one conclusion: I needed to see this movie.

I have now seen the film and I walked away from it with 3 talking points that Christians can use to discuss their faith with others who have seen the film. As I spoke about yesterday, people get much of their theology from movies. Movies can only point toward a truth. If we, as Christians, are ignorant about the half-truths the culture is hearing and believing then we can never connect them with the source of real truth, Jesus. I completely understand that some refuse to buy a ticket to a movie they disagree with because the act of buying a ticket monetarily supports the filmmakers and their agendas. However, you should not ignore something that is a potential conversation starter about the faith you hold so dear. Being in the world means that we must engage the world. Ignorance is not an option.

Before we discuss these 3 talking points I want you to have at least a working knowledge of the story and of the controversy. On Sunday I will post the first talking point. Until then, you’ve got some reading to do.

Updated: Links now work
Plot summery of the book from Wikipedia
Synopsis of “Compass” controversy from Snopes
Feature Cover Story from Entertainment Weekly