Does anyone have specific examples of how Phillip Pullman's the Golden Compass promotes Atheism or attacks Christianity?

Answer 1

One of the characters in the book says, "For all of the churches history, it's tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. When it can't control them, they cut it out." That is an attack against Christianity saying that we try to control things and are disrespectful to things we can't. We don't try to control things, we try to save them or reform them. The Magisterium is supposed to be a version of the Catholic church gone wildly astrayed from it's roots, as said the director of the movie towards the book. A nun also says, "The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all." The author, Pullman, is one of the most outspoken athiest, and by attacking Christians through children and young adult stories, he is attacking the point of a good novel and makes it one of the most sacreligious books in history. I recommend that the only people who should even be able to read it are athiest. They already have a mind of their own the book can't change. I think that the book was written well, and the storyline is interesting. Lots of action. I don't think that it is an evil book, or that Christians shouldn't read it. Just, you have to understand that the whole point of the story, through all the books, is overthrowing God, who is portrayed as a weak, outdated, horribly idiotic figure. ... The angels who were thrown out of heaven are the ones who win in the end. I found it less enjoyable than it could have been for those reasons, and I don't have much respect for the author using a children's book to promote his agenda... but it isn't like there aren't thousands of books that promote agendas, including Christian ones. As long as you understand that it is a fictional book, and that it isn't portraying the truth in any way, the storyline can still be enjoyable. Answer Response to previous answer To always be telling one's self while reading a work of fiction that it isn't true is to deny the work of the fiction its wonder. When you read books, you must enter them completely and be with the characters every step of the way. Or else what imagination have you? Angels and cliff ghasts are magical creatures and so have perfect place in the book. When they must never be tolerated is in the hideous world of magisterial control. Everyone is free, especially the poor angels who were expurgated from Heaven. You must always be as good as the goodest person on Earth can be, as good as Lyra maybe and you always be as free as the freeest person on Earth could be, as free as Lyra maybe, and never be controlled. Find your own way in the world. When you put the book down, you enter another world, which you must enter completely. Or else what imagination have you? I found insulting remarks about Christianity, but did not identify an agenda. An agenda has no place in a book and would not be identifiable as the happenings in the book are not at all in touch with the happenings in the Universe we live in. They are happenings completely divorced from our world. Only something as sharp as a subtle knife can differentiate those worlds.

Answer 2

"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman is known for its criticism of organized religion, particularly the oppressive nature of the church depicted in the story. The book explores themes of free will, questioning authority, and the exploration of multiple perspectives. While some readers interpret these themes as promoting Atheism or attacking Christianity, others view it as sparking discussions about the role of religion in society. Ultimately, interpretations may vary depending on individual perspectives and beliefs.