It would seem at least to this ex-witch that this film is much more than what meets the eye but still nothing to fear being a Christian of knowledge and experience with these things. But when reading what others have said about both the books and the film it occurs to me that there is a great deal of missing information as to what's going on behind these works, as the works are well put together and told as "Harry Potter" was. The problem here is that the modern Church has NO real understanding of the TRUE DANGERS under the surface of this series of books and films, there is a core structure under the surface..hidden from normal view. It is my belief that this will make "Harry Potter" look like "Dr. Seuss". The film is based on the first book (published as "The Golden Compass" in the US and "Northern Lights" in the UK and Europe) of Philip Pullman's best-selling, award-winning trilogy, "His Dark Materials". For some time during the pre-publication process, the series of novels was known as The Golden Compasses (Plural). Pullman then settled on Northern Lights as the title for the first book, and continued to refer to the trilogy as The Golden Compasses. Meanwhile, in the UK, Pullman had replaced The Golden Compasses with His Dark Materials (a title that Pullman had taken from a line in Paradise Lost) as the title of the trilogy. But according to Pullman, the publishers had become so attached to The Golden Compass that they insisted on publishing the US edition of the first book under that title, rather than Northern Lights, the title used in the UK. And because the book was known as The Golden Compass in the US and Canada, New Line Cinema chose to use that title for the film adaptation of the first book.
The movie itself is a master work of story telling and special effects, that's for sure BUT on principle because of what it is teaching children about God and life Bill Donohue, the president of The Catholic League, has condemned "The Golden Compass" as a "pernicious" effort to indoctrinate children into anti-Christian beliefs and has produced a 23-page pamphlet titled "The Golden Compass: Unmasked" in which he maintains (and Rightly so) that Pullman "sells atheism for kids." As a Los Angeles Times article on the Golden Compass controversy noted :"[Pullman]'s never hidden his skepticism about God or his rejection of organized religion"..... Ironically though, this debate was exactly what New Line was trying to avoid by softening the religious references in ""The Golden Compass".
When we have movies like "the Golden Compass" which is assumed controversial on it's topics the producers will always love it when people get irate about it because it's free press and this is as well a great way for TRUE believers to express the facts against Atheism and the Occult which are MANY. I can personally confirm on the evidence of his own statements, however, that Philip Pullman is indeed an atheist of the militant kind. He objects to the dogmatism and authoritarianism of organized religion (BUT let's be real here, any TRULY SAVED PERSON can have the same objections to religion as he does.)
However his problem is not these simple issues that all atheists use as their "Sounding boards" and "Talking Points" his real issue is with the God he denies exists! These views play a prominent role in his trilogy of books called "His Dark Materials" (Referring to God's DARK PURPOSES for earth) guess he didn't read where the bible says "In him is NO darkness at all." in 1st John, but what do the real facts matter when your intention is to PICK & CHOOSE what fits your agenda?
The Golden Compass is the first volume and from what I gather based on reviews and discussions of "The Golden Compass" and the other volumes of the trilogy, if they have any real purpose at all it is more on the order of encouraging freethinking ( With Insults to God thrown in for Good measure I guess) and the critical examination of religious dogma which is a good thing. BUT it's what is under the radar that insults free thinkers of all makes and models thus propagating HIS BRAND of "Spiritualistic Atheism" draped in Witchcraft as the savior of mankind from the evils of religion.
Doesn't this view make the point of atheism which Deny's all SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS TO DEITY moot by using a self proclaimed "spiritual religion"as the savior of atheistic thought? Are atheists now attempting to REPLACE one form of spiritual belief system with another one and thus promoting witchcraft as a part of the atheist belief system? I know a lot of witches that would take issue with that line of reasoning! How can Witchcraft STAY PURE if Atheistic ideas are injected into them?
If this is the plan then, we as the Church are witnessing a major shift in the atheist mindset as well as witchcraft to "If you can't beat them with science and reason then JOIN the spiritual market place with something that hates Christianity just as much. And to those who find their world view of atheism and spiritualism threatened by these ideas, all I can say is : you should have seen it coming, the bible did! The book of the revelation predicted this very thing when it said that modern religions would come together as a ONE WORLD SPIRITUAL FORCE in the last days as a form of the Old religion of witchcraft mixed with a hatred of God unheard of from the beginning of time till now ( Revelation Chapter 17).
It is very important to understand that this NEW anti God "Super-Religion" that will deny and attack TRUE Christianity by LUMPING ALL RELIGIONS TOGETHER creating something FAR WORSE, how can that be in any way Atheist as we know it to be?
This film and those like it to follow are the FIRST shots across the bow of the church toward a many headed monster to come. In the same way that each of the books becomes progressively more aggressive in its denigration of Christianity so too will the films in their promotion of atheistic ideals increased under the influence of magic and evolutionary science combined in this NEW attempt to dethrone God in the lives of our children and to replace Him with a kind of "atheistic Sorcery" which will become more and more prevalent in these last days.
This is a Subtle Knife in the back of our concept of God and is more provocative than "The Golden Compass" itself and this is more than enough proof to the thinking mind that it's no longer about "gods and goddesses" with the atheist agenda, now they have begun to Aline themselves with the churches greatest enemy, it's SPIRITUAL OPPOSITE rooted in the Flesh. It is true that the Bible teaches that witchcraft is a WORK of the FLESH, so in a way atheism is merely using a form of the NON-spiritual flesh to attack that which is truly spiritual.
The Golden Compass is the least atheistic of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and is merely introducing the characters to us and NOT trying to change us as yet, BUT just wait for the other movies to come. So, in my opinion its nothing to worry about as a book or a film IF YOU AS A PARENT KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND CAN TELL YOUR CHILD ABOUT THIS SUBTLE UNDERPINNING, but if you do not understand it then your kids will never see it coming. So be wise and learn whats going on now before you have to look embarrassed in front of your kids!
Please go see the Golden Compass NOT out of fear that your child might start thinking and ask questions that's what we want them to do. That's why we should see it before they do and then go WITH THEM so they will know that this is not going to change what you have taught them about Christ. If you will do this one thing it will give you the place of wisdom before them.
The Golden Compass when ALL THINGS are looked at is a chronicle of blarnia filled with philosophical fluff and fantastic special effects which in the end, does not accomplish ANYTHING to frighten or disarm the real Christian.
The Golden Compass is a protest film against organized piety which is NOT the issue because I as a believer have a personal issue with that as well as does Jesus himself throughout scripture so that whole thing is nothing more than a smoke screen to attack the living God.We are responsible as his representatives to show all those that hate God that the "Magisterium" of organized religion in The Golden Compass is not IN ANY WAY,shape or form a fair or accurate representation of the TRUE Christian (Underground) Church. It does however fit very well with False and Phony religious hypocrisy in our day and as far as that is true...I agree wholeheartedly with it's assessment of that body of the religious majority.
Our personal agendas as ministers of the Gospel of Christ ARE NOT to get mad and object to every thing we see and hear...Think about it for a moment, IF we as believers would simply LEARN TO UNDERSTAND HOW SATAN DECEIVES THE WORLD we wouldn't get involved with his agendas OF DISTRACTION. That is all this is, is a distraction from the real problem which is the false teaching it propagates, it's not the Movie which is a great work of art and storytelling JUST ON THAT LEVEL. The church gives Satan more glory than the world ever could when we do not acknowledge that we have a message infinitely more powerful than that of The Golden Compass, it's just a fantasy story with NO TRUTH OF ANY VALUE.
We must sound the alarm BUT not about BOOKS & MOVIES it should be a focused attack saying that Religion without the true God and atheism attached to sorcery is just an excuse for despicable people to do despicable things, as if they needed an excuse. Both religion and Atheism CONTAIN ELEMENTS that do not make us proud to be what we are...True bare Atheism as doctrine states that nothing exists but natural phenomena (matter),that thought is a property or function of matter, and that death irreversibly and totally terminates individual organic units so my question is simple WHY MIX ATHEISM WITH THE BELIEF IN THE "god and goddess"?
UNLESS your losing the debate altogether on BOTH the scientific and Historical fronts and need to revamp your beliefs to better fight Christianity.
Atheism has wide-ranging implications for the human condition when understood from a purely NON spiritual position BUT when understood from the standpoint of the Occult that dynamic changes to something more dangerous at least PHYSICALLY TO CHRISTIANITY just as it did in ancient Rome and Babylon when the "Anti god governments MIXED with the Anti god religions of the day.
This mix is NOTHING NEW to the world it has happened in the past and MUST happen again before Christ returns but this is new to the modern Church which does not understand what she is dealing with. Atheism of the past has been associated with the philosophical ideas of materialism, which holds that only matter exists NOT SPIRIT; communism, which asserts that religion impedes human progress; and rationalism, which emphasizes analytic reasoning over other sources of knowledge BUT the new Atheism that is forming today will throw all that aside or at least repackage it into a more suitable religious form for the masses which I'll call "Atheistic Sorcery".
Where once it was associated with a system of thought that rejected authority, such as anarchism, a political theory opposed to all forms of government, and existentialism, a philosophic movement that emphasizes absolute human freedom of choice, an A-Moral movement from the 60's; there is however no necessary connection between atheism and these positions and this new form it is taking will embrace all of it under a new authority steeped in religious sorcery. Under this new authority atheism will hold to its traditionally defined disbelief in the existence of the TRUE and living God BUT EMBRACE THE "god and goddess of sorcery even changing current religions to form a Master religion of the Craft of old...A one world faith in the natural realms superiority over God. Though it is not a religion in the sense that Christianity, Islam, and, Judaism are now it will nonetheless be a religion once it is connected to the Craft as in the film "The Golden Compass", and has no real moral compass outside of that provided by the craft offering a complete guideline for living as do most religions on earth. The Craft has a moral guideline that all witches look too in order to function as children of the "goddess."
The Witch's Creed states this:
Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire, The earth and the wide-ranging air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and the witches are seen At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal, When sun is at greatest and least, The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned, And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the coven's array. Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, Its compass between two worlds lies, In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it. And world of beyond will tell naught. The oldest of Gods are invoked there, The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession, The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild winds rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic, That dwell in the deeps of the mind, Immortal and ever-renewing, With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And Dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge, So be it Love that harms none, For this is the only commandment. By Magic of old, be it done!
-Doreen Valiente
The Witch's Code says:
and I fear this code will suffer greatly in the new mix of "Atheistic Sorcery" to come.
The code ALL witches are to follow is this........................
* If no one is harmed by your action (either physically, emotionally or spiritually), then do as you Will to do in Life in accordance with your Higher Self.
* Seek your identity and your purpose.
* When someone does something good for you, then repay the kindness by doing something good for another person so that the seed that was planted will bear fruit. Keep your word and your oaths, when you give them.
* Do not kill anything, except when food or protection are required.
* Acknowledge and give due reverence to your gods, observing all of the sacred times and festivals.
* Belittle no ones beliefs, but simply offer what it is that you believe is true.
* Strive to be aware of those around you and seek compassion within yourself.
* Be true to your own understanding and strive to turn away from what is opposed within you.
* Help others according to their need and according to your ability to give of yourself.
* Respect nature and strive to live in harmony with Her.
-Raven Grimassi
As can be seen these principles are in and of themselves for the most part good things, and as a former witch I can relate but I must warn all my witch friends that these words are in grave danger of being trampled on by "Mixed ideas" from outside sources.
And as this mix transpires so to will "Pure Atheistic" beliefs take on non atheistic forms, there will be a mutual sacrifice of ideas in order to make this work- for the two systems cannot mesh perfectly without each giving up LONG HELD BELIEFS!
Since atheism is confined to one factor which defines it's existence which is this, the "existence or non-existence of a deity", it has needed a shot in the arm so to speak to make it appeal to the very young and this merging of the craft and no moral God who demands moral actions is just the thing it needed.
Because the simplistic position that the universe is understandable and explainable in the naturalistic terms of science and mathematics doesn't answer basic questions of the human condition as the Craft at least attempts to do. Theists often criticize atheism as being contrary to persuasive argument of such things as the "Mind or Soul" question but with the Craft this question has an answer within it's "Spiritual concepts of Life" thus atheism will update the unanswerable questions it has fought with for decades.
Atheism provides no useful input in regards to the origin of man or the universe but with the help of the Craft it can now compete on a more equal although not completely level playing field with our arguments. The old retort that atheism isn't a belief system, but the absence of a belief system, compared to monotheism will no longer hold water. The Craft will endow atheistic thought with new life to compete on the world stage as a viable religion filled with new approaches to deal with the "GOD" question. Atheism will become a mainstream religion in itself NOT because it denies the possibility of a God without being able to prove it BUT SIMPLY EMBRACES A DIFFERENT GOD who is not strict or mean when we want to do what we please.
Atheism as it is today is to easy to refute (Just explain how D.N.A. Evolved all at once..because if it did not happen instantly evolution's information highway ends before it starts) and to be a truly committed and well informed rational Darwinist who believes in a process that says everything came from NOTHING to start with, is what takes much more courage and faith than being a Christian does.
What is the antidote to the specter of religious intolerance? Number one it's realizing that it is nothing more than the fear of being very wrong but not having the honesty to repent.
The question is this, "Has atheism begun to resign itself as just a different form of religious position?" Because judging by the whole of the statements on most atheist web-sites we must conclude that Atheist's are just as intolerant as the religions they accuse of intolerance, so what's the difference? This in no way speaks to ALL atheist's or Occultists as a blanket because their are MANY GREAT PEOPLE IN BOTH CAMPS with good intentions...But the road to hell is paved with.....Well.... you get the point!
And to restate the purpose of this article: Go see the movie and read the Books Parents...become your child's protector and stop hiding from the facts!
