The American Humanist Association just put out this release:
Take a Stand Against Censorship! Go see “The Golden Compass” at a movie theater near you.
For what reason should you go see it?
Because the religious right doesn’t want you to see it. And some media commentators are saying that that’s reason enough.
But there are even better reasons. “The Golden Compass” is a Humanist movie, a potential blockbuster based on the “His Dark Materials” book trilogy of Philip Pullman.
They go on to talk about how William Donohue‘s Catholic League is trying to censor the movie from you. Because you’re not smart enough to make up your own mind about the movie’s messages.
For those curious, what is Pullman actually promoting in his books?
For Pullman, however, his books are a positive Humanist response to the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia and their thin, black-and-white Christian morality. Pullman’s books promote such humanistic values as opposition to organized dogma and totalitarian concentrations of power, and support of intellectual curiosity, kindness, love, courage, and courtesy.
Blasphemy, really.
It turns out Pullman will be receiving the 2008 International Humanist Award at the World Humanist Congress this June in Washington D.C. (I’ll be there — I can’t wait!)
By the way, if you want some behind-the-scenes background on how the movie came to be made, The New York Times has a fascinating article on that today.
(Thanks to Maria for the link!)
[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]
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