My Golden Compass Reply/Review

A post from a Facebooker:

This is a great topic. I am not a Christian...and think the double-standard and rationalization Christians employ is downright humorous. I love the sci-fi fantasies, not because they are anti-Christian, but because they ask the GOOD questions. And to me, the questions are way more important than the answers. 

Tell me, why is Harry Potter not ok, but Chronicles of Narnia is ok, and Golden Compass is not ok? All have magic, two have Wizards, all have religious undertones. 

If people's faith is so shallow and tenuous that a creative, fantastical story threatens it, than it is not worth very much by anyone's standards.

And here's my reply:

Harry Potter is judged by Deuteronomy 18:10-12. If we speak about it's values and the characters, there're hatred, vengeance, lies, and murder. Yes, there're also love and friendship (friendship which I like about Harry Potter because of their support to family and friends), but the love being portrayed is only limited to the ones who also love them and hate towards there enemies. The Christians are taught to love one another, even those who persecute them.

The Chronicles of Narnia has parallels to The Bible. The author is a Christian. The CON teaches love to everyone (even those who have wronged them), forgiveness, peace, unity, and faith.

Now, the Golden Compass (i like this movie, really, so much). I know all about its controversies and the author trying to "kill God (he says)". When I was watching the movie, I had all the issues in mind. So, as I watched the movie, I was really critically thinking deep about this movie asking myself, "how does this movie be anti-God?" Here's what I figured, it's nothing anti-Christian or whatsoever, it's just anti to religious systems/doctrines/practices that forced their people/followers to do as these churches/religion tell them to. At first, I even figured it to be anti-Vatican for it was really where a big society was involved. Vatican & the Pope were so influential to many people. And I think, that's why Pullman hated so much about God because he experienced something about religions/Christianity that he did not like. Maybe he experienced a justice system in a church where e.g. excommunication was involved. Well, it's clearly see.n in the GC, Asriel was to be killed for he was against the Magisterium. Some justice system of churches do not follow the bible. Like e.g. say the Roman Catholicism, you're out when you're against their doctrines (praying to the rosary, praying to the saints, etc) for who would want you to join their group if your not conniving w/ them.

I love my church and where I am now. They help me grow spiritually with God. We base our principles directly to God's Word and we do not have add-ons such as praying for the dead, praying to whoever saints/statues for I have never seen in the bible to pray for the dead, & praying to those icons are against God's commands for which He said, "you shall not have other gods before me nor you should bow down to idols".

Why I like this movie so much? It's the love of Marisa to Lyra. You know that Intercission scene? It was where I stopped thinking deeply about this movie and by then I knew it's not killing God, it's killing a religion or church that did not fully base their doctrines upon the Bible. Pullman just needed guidance and journey to God's Word and besides, Pullman loved the Truth (the alethiometer) and he wanted to find the absolute Truth, which's Jesus Christ, "He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6) But he does not know it yet. What about you, do you seek the Truth?

Also, another thing. There's this another controversy, it's the word daemon. Daemon is an evil entity of us, it's our own sinful nature. When we were born, we, all of us, no one exception, were already sinners (Romans 3:23). And the only way to control this nature/daemon of ours is to open our hearts to Jesus Christ (the WAY, TRUTH, LIFE). If we control ourselves on our own, we would fail for it's already in us that we are sinners and we can't be perfect and sinless, but Jesus IS perfect and sinless and He is the Son of God. The Pullman wrote that the Magisterium was trying to control the lives of the people by separating them from their daemons; we could never be separated by our sinful nature, not even a church or religion. A church could never control you (though some were in the habit of doing & this was where Pullman was trying to point out); it's our free choice if we wanted our sinful nature to lead us to eternal damnation or let Jesus take control of us and let us enter the eternal life (remember, He is the way, truth, & LIFE).

Once we have Jesus, we'll be a new person: "When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. The old life has passed away and a new life has begun." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Do christians believe you go to hell if you don't believe in god? (Yahoo! Answers)

if this is true then isn't it unfair that the native aboriginal australians who had no idea of christianity because of their geographic location were damned to hell through no fault of their own?

The question's best answer was:

Age old question. And no I do not believe that Christians are going to be the only ones going to heaven. I think it has to do with what kind of person you are and what kind of life you have lived. I don't expect to see Charles Manson or John Wayne Gasey or Hitler there lol. I do however expect to see Eskimos, Buddists, people from tribes all over the world, Jews, Native Americans, Hindus, and all kinds of folk, from every nation and religion. Does anyone with half a brain really believe that only Christians go to heaven? Boy, big shock in store for them lol.

I disagree with this answer because this is how the world thinks, how they view life, how they think about God. God is not minute whom you can stomp on. God is bigger than you can imagine, bigger than the universe. God is powerful than the devil, powerful than you. God can never be known in anyone, in anything, in anywhere, but only in the Bible can you find & know God. Once you build a relationship with God, He would show himself to you personally.

This is my answer to the question:

True that life is unfair. Nothing's fair. According to our little worldy minds, God IS unfair, but God judges fairly and accordingly. If it is God's will to lead His people to reach out the unreachable, then He will. If not, well, it's God's will.

Many believed in God. Even Satan believed in God but why is he condemned to hell? Because Satan didn't love nor trust God. He rebelled against God. He didn't put his faith in God but in his desires to be like God himself.

Then how can we escape hell? To enter the Kingdom of God (heaven) you must first be 'born again' (John 3) as what Jesus told us when He was still here on earth. And "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8-9)

>Accept Jesus in your heart. Let Him be in complete control of you.

>Believe that He died on the cross, shed His blood, lived again, and ascended to heaven to "prepare a place" for you until He comes back. (John 14:1-4)

>Confess all your sins to Him. (Romans 10:9-10)

>Don't wait until you die because none of us knows when we die. And when we die it's either we go to heaven or hell and Judgment Day would prevail what we did when we were still alive. All of us will only die ONCE. (Hebrews 9:27)

Loving God! (From my Multiply, dated Apr 25, '08)

A person woke up and saw beautiful sunshine. He felt God's presence. Then God asked him, "Will you love my creation if you were blind? Sing praises to me if you were mute? Listen to me if you were deaf? Walk with me if you were lame? etc.

Then Jesus asked him, "Do you truly love me?"

He answered YES, but Jesus asked a lot of questions until Jesus said, "I answered all your prayers because I love you."


Just think of it. How much do you love God?

Strange = Unique = Weird? (From my Multiply, dated Apr 24, '08)

People with strange minds are unique but the world does not see it. People does not believe that being strange is being unique, but see it as being weird because these minds are different from the world and could never fit in. These minds only have a name for themselves once they are out of sight or they have gone to the grave, e.g. like Einstein.

Just think of it. Are you strange? Then you're not weird. I admire you're unique.

What do you mean about LOVE? (From my Multiply, dated Apr 24, '08, original title: Love. Say what?)

Many are interested about LOVE. How come? Many, if not all, say they know LOVE, but frankly, not everyone understands LOVE.

I once didn't know LOVE, but did understand LOVE in some way - it's something hard to get & hard to give, then I found friends but not quite with LOVE until Jesus found me & touched my heart. There I found TRUE LOVE.

Just think of it.

How Christian are you?

Answer this question and look for the verse in the Bible:

How Christian are you?

1. I go to church. I have religion.
2. I read the Bible. I pray.
3. I have Jesus in my life. I have a relationship with Him. Do you really?
4. I serve in a ministry.
5. I do good. I keep the commandments.

Look for: Eph. 2:8-9

Here Is A Man

We think of ourselves as free and wild, but what does a man do when trouble strikes him? We find people who can provide our needs. Some seek for therapy, some for books, and some find religion. What is the difference of such things? None, as much as I can think of, but they are similar that these things can still lead to emptiness in the future.

What I think is that people can't help you, therapy can neither, nor self-help books, not even religion. Religion? You say. Yes, religion can't help you nor can it save you, but Jesus can. Jesus is not religion,, but a relationship. Our friends, family can provide little for us but they can't always provide everything that we ask or expect, but Jesus can. In relationships, we come to our friends and family. In Jesus, we come to know him personally and not from what people say who he is, and come to reconciliation to God the Father. Reconciliation always involve relationships. How can you be reconciled when you don't know the person?

Just think of it.