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(12) After watching the movie The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman I did not at first understand how the movie was connected to Christianity. After analyzing what I watched and listening to Mr. Hughes I was able to make a few connections. The movie comes off to be just a fantasy film with an interesting story line. Once looking into it, I was able to see how the magisterium in the film related back to the catholic church. Through out the film there was also a lot mentioned about ancestors, and though it was not directly stated; the ancestors the film was referring to are Adam and Eve. After doing further research, it was made clear that a free thinker is a person who forms their own opinions about religion on the basis of reason. Thus including atheists, This being said it is seems that Philip Pullman was trying to attack Christianity in some form. I also viewed several sites where people were bashing Pullman, claiming he is trying to lead children to become atheists and is attacking Christianity. And though Pullmans books relate back to Christianity much more than the movie, the movie is still a watered down version. In response Pullman states "[His Dark Materials is] a story, not a treatise, not a sermon or a work of philosophy. I'm telling a story, I'm showing various characters whom I've invented saying things and doing things and acting out beliefs which they have, and not necessarily which I have. The tendency of the whole thing might be this or it might be that, but what I'm doing is telling a story, not preaching a sermon." After viewing that it is hard to tell why Pullman made this movie, was an attempt that in hopes children would see the movie, like it, then want to read the books? Or was it simply a story meant only to entertain children? This is hard to answer, because yes I viewed the movie and at first was not able make any connections, therefor I am assuming children would not make a connection either. The Golden Compass is a fictional story written by an atheists, the goals of the movie are hard to determine. Though it seems as if the public would have changed their opinions about Pullman, if it was not known that he was an atheists.

Works Cited

"What is a Freethinker?." Freedom From Religion Foundation. http://www.ffrf.org/nontracts/freethinker.php

"Quotes." His Dark Materials.org. CR 2003-2008. http://www.hisdark materials.org/information/Philip-Pullman/quotes