Thank you, BBC.
First, Catholic Igor Toronyi-Lalic‘s take on The Golden Compass:
I didn’t find The Golden Compass offensive at all.
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The main message was so convoluted, there was no serious atheistic content, and it didn’t seem obvious that they [the Magisterium] were religious in a way that I understand it.
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There’s no need to call for any boycott of it.
The whole thing is about polar bears – it’s nothing to do with the Magisterium.
I’d be far more offended if I was a polar bear. The polar bears are ludicrously portrayed – I don’t empathise with them at all.
And now, the atheist, Nigel Floyd:
… the problem is that there is so much missing from what is basically a corporate product that you’re going to be very disappointed if you have read the books.
I don’t think it’s true that they’ve watered down the atheism – although the last three chapters, where they talk explicitly about the concept of Original Sin, are missing.
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My feeling is that there are hints of what will go on to be developed much more clearly in [the second part] The Subtle Knife, but not enough for card-carrying atheists like me.
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I would obviously have liked to have more atheism.
The problem is that everything is present and correct, but it’s present and correct in a very truncated form.
If you see it, let us know what you think!
[tags]atheist, atheism, Philip Pullman[/tags]