What Can Christians Learn From The Golden Compass?

I have read “The Golden Compass” and recently read “The Subtle Knife.” These are not books I would recommend for my children, but they are books I would recommend that Christians read. Why? Because these books show how the world reacts to God as a result of horrible atrocities from those who claim to speak for Him. These books can help Christians better understand the reasons that the world distrusts and even hates the Church.

The Church has a very long, negative history and most Christians have done very little to repair this sordid past. Consider what the average non-Christian knows about the Church. The Church went through a period that could be defined as the acquisition of wealth (many churches throughout Europe look more like museums than worship houses). The Church had a period of tyrannical rule culminating in the reformation when the Church was known for killing those who did not have the same beliefs (many pilgrims came to North America to escape such tyranny from other religious groups).

What does the world hear from the Church today? They see so-called Christians committing horrible acts: protestors at clinics intimidating and even threatening women; hate-filled protestors at military funerals; televangelists stealing millions from the offerings sent in by donors from around the world; high profile pastors with prostitutes; and even children harmed because of pedophile priests.

Most Christians simply claim that their specific religious group had nothing to do with these events. However, the world sees the Church as one group, not fifty different religious denominations. When you try to explain the differences between various religious groups, the world sees a Church that even fights among itself.

The recent outcry from Christian groups concerning “The Golden Compass” shows just how much we need to work on changing the world’s perception of the Church rather than trying to convince the world to do things our way. How can we expect the world do things our way when it is contrary to their very nature?

What is the point in trying to force theaters to ban the movie? Philip Pullman, the author of this book series, is an acclaimed atheist. Why then should Christians expect these books to be written with a Christian view? Maybe we should explain that these books demonstrate the world’s reaction to a church that has done horrible things in the name of God. We can use this as a means to open discussions with non-Christians. We can discuss and compare religious intolerance and intolerant religions. We can show the differences between religious people and true followers of Christ.

Jesus and the early Christian Church did not demand that governments allow them to pray openly in public places. They did not insist that the Jewish people stop stoning Christians. They did not petition the Greek theater or Roman Coliseums because they were presenting anti-Christian entertainment. They concentrated on proclaiming the Good News of salvation to non-Christians, ministering to the needs of Christians and non-Christians, worshipping God and fellowshipping with and teaching fellow Christians.