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The controversy surrounding "The Golden Compass" has many layers, but it has much to do with the main theme or implied message of the story. The controversy has a long history and can be summarized as a conflict between groups that believe in God versus groups that believe that there is no God. That may be an oversimplification, but the discussion is largely about core belief systems of religious and non-religious groups.

The Golden Compass is a fantasy motion picture, based on the book "Northern Lights" by author Phillip Pullman. Northern Lights is the first of the trilogy "His Dark Materials".
Pullman is an atheist, and his books are in line with his belief systems. His book and his movie are seen by some as a threat to organized religion due to their message that could be construed as anti-religious. This has caused some Catholic and Christian groups to call for boycotts of the film. The expressed concern of religious groups is that the film is targeted towards children, and that the message will lead children away from religious beliefs toward atheism.

How one approaches this controversy has much to do with how one approaches any issue where there are two (or more) distinct sides that are unable to find a middle ground. The existence of God is one of those issues where it is difficult to find a compromise. Either you acknowledge the belief or possible belief in God, or you hold to the conviction that God does not exist.

The controversy is also affected by how you express your beliefs. If you are firmly grounded in what you believe, you can approach a contrasting view in a couple different ways:

1. You can discuss or dialogue, but be determined to be unchanged in your view.
2. You can discuss or dialogue, and be open to the possibility that your view might change.
3. You can refuse to discuss or dialogue because you aren't changing your view so there doesn't seem to be much point in debating.

This may seem like an oversimplification, but it does encompass how many people approach issues. The other aspect has to do with your own personal convictions and how you tolerate other convictions. For some issues, people are willing to "agree to disagree" because they don't see them as "life or death" issues. In the case of religion, many people do see it as "life or death", literally. This is because belief in God can relate directly to views on eternity and the afterlife. Therefore, people feel a conviction to not only hold to their beliefs, but also educate others. I would suspect that Pullman is one of those people that feel that his message is vitally important and needs to be heard due to his belief that there is no God. Reciprocally, many religious groups feel the same way but with OPPOSITE conclusions. Therefore, we have a controversy. When this type of controversy arises, it is important to ask questions. Is it about the movie itself, or are we really talking about something else? When you discuss the controversy surrounding this movie, be prepared to discuss your beliefs on God and spirituality.

Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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