You said that there was a definite Christian slant in the Narnia books. Duh. The books and movie were written and made in a dominantly Christian society, they are going to dominantly portray Christian values. Things made in Iraq, granted that things are stable enough that the culture can safely get to that point, are probably, if they portray religious anythings at all, will portray mostly Muslim values. As far as Narnia not getting it’s share of flaming that The Golden Compass has so far gotten, once again, refer to what I said about our American (and European and Canadian and so forth) dominant religion: ta da! Surprise! Christianity! People aren’t going to try to take the other position against something they already believe in and support; they don’t need to, nor do they want to. And why should they? To keep their minds open? Naw, that takes too much time and energy and life is kind of full of other important things to worry about.

Anyhow, on to other subjects discussed here, I have no opinion on the movie or story or books or author myself, as I was not aware any of these things existed until I happened to see some banner about the movie on myspace not too long ago, and even then I thought, “Is that some new dating site or something?” Therefore, I won’t discuss the content but I can discuss people in large groups, and mostly it’s the ones who happen to be a part of a large belief system who are getting all the attention because it smells scandalous and people love scandals, who try to oppose things like this without first educating themselves.

I think it is a little sad that after wide-spread email account possession for several years that people can’t seem to discern from badly-worded and written forwards about things of this nature (I’m talking about several emails banning things like this or warning me of this or that…I just got one telling me that aspartame in diet sodas causes MS) usually are fake or mere over-reactions. Take the aspartame for an example: the email went on and on about how “doctors” found in many “diet soda drinkers” that “nearly everyone who drank diet sodas had MS.” Were there links to the JAMA website? Were specific doctors’ names or credentials spelled out for me? Was there an admonition Moroni 10:4-style to seek out the information and learn it and read it for myself? No. My point is this: when people jump the gun and try these mass email list banning-things, it isn’t usually based on well-formed opinions, but they say just the right things to fire people up and then they get their heads all wrapped up in strong opinions that they refuse to let more informed and passive people talk them down from.

The Bible-thumpers who try to ban stories and things like this are running on their own agenda. Naturally, they are functioning from a belief that the whole world, or as many people as possible, should believe as they believe because that little clause is right there in most belief systems, so they think that by mass-banning this book and movie and other such books will be fulfilling that duty to their beliefs, and as someone said earlier in this thread (I would look you up but that’s an awful lot of comments and I am too lazy right now to go to the work) they take those actions of banning as values in their religion, and they take it that they are adhering to their beliefs. Fine. However, as is said in the LDS religion, it’s not just the Mormons who will go to Paradise; it’s those who have followed what they believe to be true with all their hearts, and if they did not know any better and the opportunity was not presented to them to know any better.

From what I read here, not with any other research, I can say that if the atheist and anti-God messages are portrayed as blatantly as many of your peoples’ posts have lead me to believe, then I personally do not support that, and I don’t really have a desire to read the books or see the movie right now, partly because deep down I still think that it is all just a new dating website, and because I don’t hold with a message like that. Maybe my faith is weak, or maybe I just don’t want to have those ideas bouncing around my head and constantly in battle with other ideas out there that my mind and spirit have been exposed to.

Basically, my opinion on this issue is: even if it is in your belief system that something is blasphemous and evil, it is not your right to try to take it away from everyone else. You cannot and should not be able to practice that type of mind-control, because that’s what it will come down to. We have our free agency, and it is not man’s place to try to take it away. One guy tried that once, and he lost out probably as much as any being could.

Those are my thoughts.

Also, though, I gather some idea of what a movie will be like from reading critic’s reviews. Roger Ebert and Eric Snider are both favorites. I’ve seen so many movies over the years that I”ve gotten to a point where I’m more likely to agree with a professional critic’s opinion than with friends who fawn over mindless drek like The Wedding Date.

Just kidding.

I didn’t see Brokeback Mountain because I can’t stand Heath Ledger’s massive forehead and beady eyes.

Not kidding.

If a child is old enough to read a complex series they are old enough to have a discussion with their parents about the contents. We will not withhold honest reading material from our kids. We WILL discuss ideas, symbolism and themes. That’s how my parents did it and that’s how I ended up reading The Master and Margarita at 11 years of age.

I have no problem going to see The Golden Compass at the Provo Towne Center theater. Anyone else want to come too?

Of course you can have an opinion on a film’s subject without having seen it! The subject (i.e., the general storyline, the events of the plot, etc.) isn’t a matter of opinion. What’s a matter of opinion is what the film means — what it’s trying to say, what point it’s making. That’s where different viewers will have different experiences.

Of course you don’t have to shove potato chips up your nose to know you wouldn’t enjoy it. Why? Because of facts: You know what potato chips are like, you know how small your nasal cavity is, you’ve had things accidentally lodged in there before, etc.

By the same token, you can absolutely have a valid opinion about a movie based on facts. You don’t like sci-fi movies. You get restless when a movie is over 2 1/2 hours long. A movie based on a Jane Austen novel sounds boring to you. Those are all opinions based on factual elements of the film — its genre, its running time, its source material — so you’re on solid ground.

Here’s what it boils down to. Think of your opinion. Now think of what that opinion is based on. Is it based on something factual about the film, or is it based on something that could be open to interpretation? If it’s the latter, then unless you’ve seen the film, all you’re doing is repeating someone else’s interpretation — which could vary wildly from your own, if you were to see it yourself. Best to couch those arguments in terms of “This person whose opinion I trust says the movie is anti-God,” not “That movie is anti-God.”

Well said, Brazen Hussy.

Going back to Eric’s original article, I do feel it is possible to have an opinion about the film’s SUBJECT without having seen the film itself, especially after having read all of the varying worthwhile opinions expressed here. And since no one has discredited the spoilers from the book presented in these posts, I will take them at face value and abstain from both the books and the movie. I think my family and I will be none the less intellectual for skipping such distasteful (to us) subjects. But I have no problem with the fact that it is out there for others to exercise their free agency.

Oh, one more thought. Regarding His Dark Materials intended as a foil to the Chronicles of Narnia, there is a significant difference as Narnia merely advocates Christianity without disparging the opposing viewpoint, while HDM seeks to discredit and destroy Christianity/organized religion. One seems so much more intolerant and hostile than the other.

http://www.film-finder.com/Detail.asp?ID=45868

At least they called the film “a convoluted mess.” I can’t imagine it being more than that but here in Philly & in NYC it has gotten decent notices. I probably won’t see it myself. There’s only so much time and one has to make choices. . .