Scouting Magazine and The Golden Compass

[ASM915]

Well, SCOUTING Magazine's article "GUYS READ GUYS BOOKS" just went against the dread "G's". In the list of books for older Scouts, the articles author has listed Pullman's "THE GOLDEN COMPASS". Ms Jacobs must have been on vacation on a deserted isle last fall when the movie version created such controversy among the religious community, that the movie bombed immediately. Not to say that the book might not be a good read, but considering it promotes Atheism with the main characters goal being to killing God in the last book of the trilogy, is this what we want our Scouting reading on their own. It might be a good book to read, if it is being read with "THE LORD OF THE RINGS", showing a comparison between good and evil.

 

So much for an organization that insists that you believe in a higher power to be a member, and goes all the way to the Supreme Court to keep the membership exclusive.

 

Maybe Irving is gently informing us in a round about way that membership requirements may be changing soon to get the numbers up.

[Gold Winger]

Gee, I missed all the controversy. I thought that the movie was pretty good. Read the first book too and enjoyed it. Have yet to read the second and third but that will happen in a couple of weeks.

 

 

[Trevorum]

Huh? I saw the movie and I guessed I missed all that controversy stuff. I tought it was a typically cheesy kid's fantasy story, very similar to Narnia. Instead of talking lions, this one had talking polar bears. Both drew a strong and distinct contrast between Good and Evil, in the vein of such fare. The critics must be the same folks who were convinced that Harry Potter was the work of Satan.

[Apache Bob]

I read the article about getting boys to read. After finishing it I came away with the thought that the book(s) that have gotten boys, and girls, reading the most in the past several years was 'Harry Potter'. Nothing was mentioned about that series.

 

[ScoutNut]

Read about the controversy. Thought it was silly. Saw the movie, and liked it. It will not win any Oscars, but it was interesting. I will go see the next one if they produce it.

 

It is a fantasy, similar to Harry Potter and the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe series. I really doubt that any kid reads a book and then dissects it for deeper meanings. They get kids hooked on reading and their imaginations working overtime. That is a GOOD thing, and any book that does that is good in my opinion.

 

Heck, my son read, and liked, Mein Kampf. Somehow I doubt he will suddenly turn into a Nazi because of reading a book.

 

[packsaddle]

A now-retired history prof at Southern Miss used to tell his classes that one of the two favorite books carried by Confederate soldiers was Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables". They thought it meant, "Lee's Miserables". There could be a kernel of truth here. From the website:

http://www.lesmis.com/pages/education/novel_author_2.htm

"Indeed, Confederate soldiers read the novel voraciously, calling themselves "Lee's Miserables."

 

I didn't see the movie. It looked too much like a "cheesy kid's fantasy story, very similar to Narnia. [but] instead of talking lions, this one had talking polar bears."

Thanks Trev. I think we are on the same wavelength...you might consider wearing the aluminum foil?

[elfdream]

The controversy came when the author himself spoke of having an agenda when writing these books. He was an open atheist who wrote these books to be a sort of "Anti-Narnia-anti C.S. Lewis' thesis. You can find this documented in just about any interview he gave. In the movie the anti-religious elements were watered down considerably. In time though the original intent of the author will be forgotten. Who remembers what the book Bambi was really about? Hint...it wasn't about deer frolicking the forests. There were deeper social metaphors at work there but now its a Disney movie.

 

I've had friends who could barely make it through the first book and others who read them and liked the but never noticed the anti religious elements at all. However I don't think these books have the appeal and the wide fan base that other fantasy works have garnered over the years such as Lord of the Rings, Narnia and Harry Potter. To me it was a bit of a non-issue.(This message has been edited by elfdream)

[Gold Winger]

Interesting that's he's anti-religious because much of the first book focuses on how if you don't have your soul, you'll die.

[NJCubScouter]

I just read this article (I had skimmed it the first time) and it is clear that the writer simply copied a list of recommended books from the web site of her main interviewee (the author whose face appears on the cover of the magazine and there is also a photo of him carrying books on p. 27.) I have never read the book nor seen the film in question, and more to the point, there is no evidence that the writer of the article, and certainly not any of Scouting's national policy-makers, ever have either. I don't think you can read any policy implications into this, and that is even assuming that the critics of the book are interpreting it correctly.

[Beagle Scout]

Here's what Snopes has to say about The Golden Compass:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

[ASM915]

GW,

Gee, it sounds like you fell hook line and sinker and followed through just like the author wanted, the movie first, then the book series, "I thought the movie was pretty good. Read the book to and enjoyed it". Now granted, you're an adult and can read through the symbolism that a youth might miss.

 

ScoutNut, now I always heard that PLAYBOY had good articles and stories, but would you want a Scout reading PLAYBOY because of the articles and stories? NOT! LOL. Granted, Ms Jacobs probably should have checked out her source, and then the books and authors on the list she used, before publishing her article.

 

Trev, I can see where the non-Judaic and Christian faiths may have missed the controversy back in the fall. The author and movie weren't bashing the Wiccans

and Earth bases religions.

 

NJCub, the last line in my post was meant as tongue in cheek, but you never know what the future has in store.

 

Beagle, good site and information.

 

Apache Bob, at least Harry was fighting evil.

 

I don't believe in censoring books. I would be the first to fight against such things. But I do feel that you need to know the intentions of the author, and understand what you are reading or having your children read. Maybe reading it with your son or daughter, so that you can inform them as to the meaning of the symbolism, might be a good idea. I know several people that have done that with their children throughout "HARRY POTTER" series.

[DYB-Mike]

I also noted the inclusion of The Golden Compass in the Scouter Magazine article. I have not read the books but I am familiar with the controversy. Heres an interesting twist.

 

I had read an article in a local paper a while back highlighting a book called Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullmans Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials, co-authored by Donna Freitas.

 

Ms. Freitas believes the Pullman is not promoting godlessness at all. Her theory is that the God that is overthrown is not God in the spiritual sense but an imposter God, a.k.a. a representation of a worldly, oppressive, secretive, hierarchy, a.k.a. the Roman Catholic Church. Ms Freitas is a Catholic and my guess from the article is that she is a proponent for a more open, simpler Church, such as what movements like Voice of the Faithful are striving for or like the early, more communal, Church.

 

The article goes on to say that Pullmans books are recommended by no less an august a figure than the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who feels the books raise questions that are extraordinarily deep.

 

Ms. Freitas later interviewed Pullman, who was familiar with her book. While Pullman was polite and intrigued, it appears he did not blurt out By God, shes got it with regard to Ms. Freitas theory.

 

It looks like you can get something out of a book that perhaps the author didnt intend.

 

YIS,

Mike

[CalicoPenn]

What I remember about the "controversy" is the statements by Bill Donahue of the Catholic League condemning the movie. I make it a point to see any movie that Donahue condemns - they usually turn out to be great movies (Dogma was hysterically funny). The Golden Compass is available at my Library and on my list of movies to watch.

 

Calico

[funscout]

When the controversy came out about The Golden Compass, I talked to my boys about it. I didn't forbid them from reading the book or seeing the movie, but after they heard about the author's anti-religious intent they both decided to bypass that trilogy.

[Gold Winger]

"Gee, it sounds like you fell hook line and sinker and followed through just like the author wanted, the movie first, then the book series, "I thought the movie was pretty good. Read the book to and enjoyed it". Now granted, you're an adult and can read through the symbolism that a youth might miss."

 

Usually authors want you to read the book long before the movie is made. Maybe I missed the symbolism because I have a very dim view of organized religion having had it rammed down my throat for the first 20+ years of my life by my ordained zealot father. Maybe I enjoyed it because I appreciated the dim view of organized religion that it presents.

 

I'll let you know after books two and three.