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)
