| Statement by Bishop Robert J. Baker on The Golden Compass The
movie The Golden Compass opened in theaters across the country on
December 7, 2007. The movie is based on the first of a trilogy of books
written by a self-proclaimed atheist author, Philip Pullman, who also
has stated in published interviews that his goal in his books are:
• To kill belief in God
• To undermine the basis of the Christian Faith
Set in a fantasy world in a battle between good and evil, Pullman
turns everything upside down. God is evil. Satan is good. The seemingly
innocent battles are against an evil named the "Magisterium." It is
clear to even the casual observer that this is an attack against the
Christian Faith and, more specifically, against the Catholic Church
whose teaching authority is known as the Magisterium.
I encourage the Catholic Faithful to avoid The Golden Compass
and to support the many good efforts of the film industry, such as
The Narnia Chronicles and the recently released award-winning film
Bella, that seek to build up our culture rather than tear it
apart. I especially urge caution to parents in their duty of protecting
and nourishing the faith of their children, whose faith could be
compromised by viewing and taking in the subtle message presented in
The Golden Compass.
I encourage you to review the question and answer material in the
December 14th issue of The One Voice and on the diocesan web
site, www.bhmdiocese.org, available the week of December 10.
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