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I suppose because their world clearly doesn't look like ours? ><;; If anything, you'd call it an alternate universe or something.. I've got Final Fantasy X-2 on at the moment, and the cultures, and creatures and everything.. looks more like a fantasy world and not like something you could confuse a kid with real life.. I suppose that since it's cartoonish to an extent, well, I dunno, I suppose most kids figure that cartoons aren't really real..video games are on different levels than books are..(no pun intended)

And I think I might have talked myself in circles right there, but I'm pretty tired as it is.. ><; (Although the headache medicine equals a few cups of coffee)

Haha, and thanks rainyeyes. I had a headache last night trying to sort out my thoughts, and now I've got a horribly sore throat and headache this morning. ><;;

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Careful now--now you're sounding like, "Only my deity matters, killing or destroying everybody else's is OK because I don't believe in them".
When I start reading this series, I'm going to be looking for signs of whether it's the actual God or the Church being destroyed. Personally, I think organized religion causes an awful lot of trouble in the world since too many people use it as an excuse to hate others or look down on them. Everyone should be able to keep their own faith peacefully. The only kinds I don't approve of are any that cause death, destruction or harm as part of their cult.

Maybe because the most uproar caused is usually because it's against one all powerful being, and thus 'offensive' to Christianity, Islam...Judaism...etc. Whereas, when there's more than one, it's dismissed as 'pagan', 'heathen' or just, a 'story'/'game'. And the fact that the place is so different helps that too (although then you have to wonder why Northern Lights -or The Golden Compass - cause so much trouble, because it's clearly set in another world..maybe it being in another world only helps it along, but the main factor is the 'type' of deity..) Rambling..sorry..

Anyway..I've read all of the His Dark Materials books. I think it was mostly against the Church..And you know, when I was reading it (years and years ago though) I didn't really take offence to it. I mean..it's a story. And a FANTASY at that..

I agree.

I'm a Christian, and I read the books when I was in middle school. I don't remember them extremely clearly when it comes to the style they were written in. However, I liked parts of them a lot because, from the point of view of a fantasy/scifi story, they're pretty unique and intriguing.

I liked the parallel worlds concept, and thought that in Lyra's world everyone having part of their soul as an animal (daemon) was pretty cool...

I was pretty disappointed with the third book, the Amber Spyglass because it got strange and preachy in several long sections. This might have happened a little in the first two, but the sections in those were easier to get past.

My feelings are that they're fiction and pretty fantastical. Though these novels are read as being about ideas present in real life, it's up to everyone whether they personally believe in religion or not - they shouldn't decide based on books like these. If they're disturbing to kids, then it should be something they discuss with their parents or religious leaders, and avoid reading until they are old enough to decide for themselves.

They do follow a quest during which the truth behind a mystery is slowly revealed, and the answer ends up being that the Church in their world is "fake." But aside from the whole atheist/eliminate the influence of religion theme that clashes with my own beliefs, when I read them I thought at least the first book had some merit, and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

Also, the churches in fantasy stories that are in conflict with the main characters usually are doing things that could be considered evil by any person who has a belief in morality. Maybe another message you could read is not that religion is bad, but that you shouldn't allow people doing bad things to use religion as a cover to manipulate you. - In other words, be smart in your beliefs, whatever they are.

OK, I went & saw The Golden Compass today at last.
Personally, I thought it was very cool & I didn't see anything anti-god in it as I've heard some say is in the books. What I see in the movie is a theme about tyranny of thought, and it IS a fact that two forces that have proven themselves in various times and places in our world to exert such tyranny are Church and State. Back in medieval times the Church DID suppress scientific thought such as proving the Earth wasn't the center of the universe pretty tyrannically, for instance.
An interesting and subtle comment on modern tyranny of thought in our world might be found if you look closely at the buildings in the city where the Magesterium is based. One building with jump right out at you.
Yes, you'll probably think "WTH???" unless you're aware of how much change has been in a certain country the past few years. Other countries very much are, I'm told...such as Germany.... wahmbulance

Aside from the intellectual review, the movie has great CGI effects. The Daemons are all interesting & it's cool that children's Daemons are shapeshifters, not yet settled in one form. The Ice Bears are awesome and I like the airship pilot with the jackrabbit Daemon & the Texas drawl and attitude. smile

I definitely recommend you try this movie.

rolleyes That's just mindless rabblerousing again. People need to go look at the things they are being told are bad and decide for themselves. AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT! :X

There's tons of Golden Compass merchandise & books prominently displayed in stores, but I don't see anybody complaining about THAT! And according to Ceribri, it's the books themselves that are actively anti-god, not this movie!

I read them and I'm still a Christian. They were very obviously anti-God, but the god that was killed wasn't actually God. Some of the arguments people use to justify their atheism make me laugh (not just in the books, but something one character says is kind of funny, as she claims to have tried Christianity and it not to have been any good / real.) I'm not bashing atheism, it just makes me laugh.

Children shouldn't be allowed to read them before they're old enough to make up their own minds, but I went to church without having any other religious input first and it hasn't turned me into a fanatical, atheism-bashing, non-Christian-killing Christian.