National Blog Posting Month
A Political Break, Let's Talk Religion.
Thank you for your comments. I'm not sure what happens to this group now that Nablopomo is officially over. I thought I'd sign off with a bang!
This December, cinemas all over the country will be releasing the highly controversial "The Golden Compass". This film is based on a trilogy by Phillip Pullman. "The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass".
I must say, that I've read all three books and they are wonderful. I find it fascinating when people or religious groups condemn books. There is a great article that explains some of the controversy here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071130/golden-compass-re...
I find it funny that people are bothered by a "fictional" fantasy's portrial of what happens to you when you die. I didn't hear any controversy for "The Time Traveler's Wife". In this book, you just go to different realms neither heaven or hell. Why didn't anyone make a big deal about this?
Books like Bram Stoker's "Dracula" or Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" don't cause this kind of controversy. There are fiction.
Catholic author Sandra Miesel complains that "every clergy person is portrayed as evil and their daemons take the form of snakes and frogs."
Well, with the sexual abuse scandal the Catholic Church has been facing (or trying not to face) I would say that is the most accurate representation of the clergy in a work of fiction. As far as snakes and frogs...didn't God create those? Why would she view them as "evil"? She sounds very fragile in her faith.
You may want to argue that these books are directed toward children and this is inappropriate. Well, as a parent that is your choice. My daugther and son starting read these books when they were about eleven years old. When they got to the Amber Spyglass, which is where the controversy takes place, they were about thirteen years old. We talked plenty about what was going in the book. It was a wonderful experience.
We treated this book, the same way we treated "Huckelberry Finn" or "Farenheit 451" with a lot of discussion. That's the beauty of what a good story does, it brings people together, even when they don't agree.
Go read the books. You decide if you like them or not. As far as the movie, I think it's going to suck. The books are too good to make a movie out of. That's strictly my opinion.
This December, cinemas all over the country will be releasing the highly controversial "The Golden Compass". This film is based on a trilogy by Phillip Pullman. "The Golden Compass", "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass".
I must say, that I've read all three books and they are wonderful. I find it fascinating when people or religious groups condemn books. There is a great article that explains some of the controversy here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071130/golden-compass-re...
I find it funny that people are bothered by a "fictional" fantasy's portrial of what happens to you when you die. I didn't hear any controversy for "The Time Traveler's Wife". In this book, you just go to different realms neither heaven or hell. Why didn't anyone make a big deal about this?
Books like Bram Stoker's "Dracula" or Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" don't cause this kind of controversy. There are fiction.
Catholic author Sandra Miesel complains that "every clergy person is portrayed as evil and their daemons take the form of snakes and frogs."
Well, with the sexual abuse scandal the Catholic Church has been facing (or trying not to face) I would say that is the most accurate representation of the clergy in a work of fiction. As far as snakes and frogs...didn't God create those? Why would she view them as "evil"? She sounds very fragile in her faith.
You may want to argue that these books are directed toward children and this is inappropriate. Well, as a parent that is your choice. My daugther and son starting read these books when they were about eleven years old. When they got to the Amber Spyglass, which is where the controversy takes place, they were about thirteen years old. We talked plenty about what was going in the book. It was a wonderful experience.
We treated this book, the same way we treated "Huckelberry Finn" or "Farenheit 451" with a lot of discussion. That's the beauty of what a good story does, it brings people together, even when they don't agree.
Go read the books. You decide if you like them or not. As far as the movie, I think it's going to suck. The books are too good to make a movie out of. That's strictly my opinion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by thebluestbutterfly on
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Well....I have not read these books. I will eventually.
It is amazing the things that are marketed towards children these days. I recently saw a commercially encouraging children to help their parents make their house more energy efficient. Translation: a commercial telling children to tell their parents to install light bulbs and so on.
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Permalink Reply by Alida on -
I know what you mean. I wonder when I see stuff like that if parents really just follow along. Getting off the subject for a minute, a few years ago I remember Abercrombie & Finch in the middle of a holiday controversay because they had marketed panties (very provocative ones) for pre-teen girls. It was quite the uproar.
I remember thinking, who in the world would buy that for their girls?
I think parents need to monitor what their kids do, see, read etc, etc. I just hate groups denouncing books as "evil" or people railing against the author because he is an atheist. That just reeks of hatred and intolerance. Atheists are not necessarily immoral, any more than Christains are completely moral. It just doesn't follow. As an adult, I can read what I want. As a parent I allow my kids to read what I think is appropriate.
I'm an extrememly faithful Catholic. I've read all kinds of books, "Hilter's Pope", "Papal Sin", both non-fiction that put the Catholic Church in a terrible position. It's where the church is, not reading about it, doesn't change it. Knowing about what going on, can lead to positive changes. I've read fiction that doesn't follow doctrine, it's fiction. I loved "Good Omens", "To Reign In Hell" and "Only Begotten Daughter". Were they controversial, not in my opinion, they are works of fiction.
I agree marketing companies and commercialism are not the moral pillars of society. As parents it's our right and responsibility to be the moral compass for our children.
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