Why do people hate The Golden Compass book?

ramunematt wrote: Because it criticizes religion.

ramunematt wrote: Well the book’s theme is about the abuse of power. What better way to portray this than Christianity?

Still, I find it funny how these Christians are so blindly hypocritical by claiming this book series is trying to sell atheism to kids yet they send kids to Sunday school, Jesus camp, private Catholic schools, church, etc.

Derdev on Golden Compas wrote: The church has taken a strong stance against this book for many reasons.

1. The story talks about a world where everybody has a fellow spirit known as a demon which they raise into a monster to protect them (which is a warning flag to most conservative christians). There was a similar sentiment within the church about the pokemon craze.

2. The series culminates in the protagonists traveling to heaven and assassinating God, who is a senile and deluded old man. Not only is it graffic, it depicts an act that the church would understandably not want to promote.

So no, it’s not because it “promotes atheism” it’s because it’s a series with a very sour message. In fact the writer of the series has come out and publicly declared that he is trying to oppose the christian message being put out, mentioning many “horrible” christian authors including C. S. Lewis.

I’m sorry but if you come out with a book series with the soul intent of creating a counter balance against christian literature, than you are not going to be well received.

On a personal note, the author seems somewhat petty, if what he is truely attempting to write these books just to spite other authors.

I figured I would present the other side of the arguement as my good friend Ramunematt has pointed out his side very thoroughly already.

ramunematt wrote: Well the book’s theme is about the abuse of power. What better way to portray this than Christianity?

Still, I find it funny how these Christians are so blindly hypocritical by claiming this book series is trying to sell atheism to kids yet they send kids to Sunday school, Jesus camp, private Catholic schools, church, etc.

PS3KICKS360 wrote:
I love that book and the points it makes. I dont think it was written to bash christianity though.

goku1003 wrote: But think about it if you dont beleive what the book says it isnt really counted as bad.

Maggot Face wrote:

Not according to Pullman.

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Pullman.


Pullman read the Narnia books as an adult and found them deeply disturbing. “Lewis was celebrating, upholding certain activities and attitudes which I am explicitly against, such as bullying, racism, misogyny. Girls are no good, says C.S. Lewis. Girls are only good as long as they act like boys. If they’re tough, they’re okay, but intrinsically they’re inferior. People with dark skins who probably come from somewhere sinister like the East, and almost inevitably smell of garlic, are always a sign of evil or danger."

In the final Narnia book, “The Last Battle," the older girl is excluded from salvation because she has become too interested in lipstick, nylons and invitations. “In other words, she’s growing up. She’s entering adulthood," says Pullman. “Now this for Lewis, was something . . . so dreadful and so redolent of sin that he had to send her to Hell. I find that appalling."



He obviously doesn’t believe it, and a lot of others don’t either, but according to him, it’s absolutely DEPLORABLE.


He denounces C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Harry Potter series because he doesn’t agree with them. He doesn’t believe them, so he says that they’re bad.