the Golden Compass

There has been a widespread panic in the Christian community about the Golden Compass, a movie in theaters. The outcry rises from the fact, allegedly, that "bad wins and good loses." This is, of course, troubling. Because we all know that can't happen.

But that's not what the movie is about at all. Good overcomes evil in the movie without a question. The real reason Christians are all upset: the Church is the bad guy in the movie. Ah-ha. Makes more sense now, huh? The author plays with classic Christian vocabulary to cast an power-hungry, hierarchical light on the Church. The movie uses words like "heresy" for free thought and "imposing" and "reigning" for the power of the church. The (quite brilliant) author even refers to people's souls as their "demons."

Something to keep in mind before one attacks this movie: this movie degrades an earthly power trying to call itself Christianity. It looks surprisingly like the very church that Christianity claimed was corrupt during the Protestant Reformation. Why are we all getting so upset? We all said this was a bad idea too! The church attacked in this movie is not the church as we now know it, it is the ever-looming potential that the church could become if she loses sight of her purpose and identity in Christ.

Now, I (this is Michelle if it wasn't obvious already) do agree that the church is looked upon very negatively in this movie, and particularly in some of the other books in this series, the church in its present form is being attacked. I do not doubt that at all! But telling the world to not see the movie is not the answer.

From this movie, I was reminded what picture I need to fight. I need to love the crud out of people, so that someone could never peg me as part of that sort of an institution. And more importantly, we need to keep our church leaders responsible, honest, and close to Christ.

So... whether or not you see the movie is of course up to you, but please refrain from attacking it without seeing it. You might be surprised what you learn about the world... and the way it sees you.