Christian groups slam Golden Compass

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I haven't seen all of the Veggie Tales videos/movies, but I've never seen any criticism of beliefs or specific dogma taught. There may be a biblical retelling here and there, but they're not of the "Jesus loves me, this I know" sort.

In fact, the ones I've seen have hardly featured any biblical stories, only cute parables that teach kids kindness, and otherwise downright silly and clever songs and sketches.

Of Golden Compass - I found the movie to be an enjoyable enough watch, though violent enough (in one moment specifically) that I wouldn't choose to take a child under 13 to it regardless of the religion issue. Let's just say that directly following the particular moment I refer to, the grown men directly to my left and right had their hand over their mouth in the exact same fashion as my hand covered mine. [Side note: Nicole Kidman? Generally tired of her.]

To say that the "religion isn't in the film," as is being reported widely, is a little silly. The veil is really quite thin (both the atheist and the non-committed but spiritual person in our group thought so.) My problem with the line of the film (and with other hard-line atheists who bother me as much as extremists of any religion - I am a fierce believer in respecting that each person's beliefs are as true and real to them as mine are to me, and I would no more want to insult theirs than I would want mine insulted) is that ALL of the church is bad, ALL of it is brainwashing and ALL of it is out to hurt people. Certainly, some people, some cults, some historical periods of most religions have brought pain and suffering. I continue to resent the implication that all people who participate in church are doing so because they are not intelligent, and that all church leaders are out for their own good. That is simply not my experience.