I'm not boycotting and you can't make me

In case you haven't heard there is a movie coming out called The Golden Compass. This movie is based upon a book by Philip Pullman who wrote a trilogy (which the movie comes from the first book) that rivals The Chronicles of Narnia.

My frustration comes when every week for 2+ months now I have found in my inbox an email outraged by the movie and warning every parent and anyone else who will listen to not see the movie or buy the books.

Why....why such an outcry over a book...or a movie? Well, it seems that the book carries a meaning about killing God. Since I have not read it I can not state if this is true. I have read that the author did interviews in which he acknowledged this but from his website I found no such information.

Why would you look at his website? Because there are thousands of emails circulating about what a terrible evil man he is because he wrote books that kill God and I find it better to use a little common sense and do some research for myself before I jump off the deep end and start saying things that I can't know since I have neither read the book or seen the movie. Plus, I try to know a little about a person before I start badmouthing their life's work.

I want to state again....I have not seen the movie or read the book. I also would like to state that I probably will...do both.

I remember there being a huge outcry about a movie called The Da Vinci Code. Do you remember? It seemed every preacher and priest was urging their congregation to not read the book, don't see the movie. Of course, wanting to know what the big deal was I did.....both.

I found that it doesn't take much to scare Christians. Which I find sad... you know... since I am one. The Da Vinci Code spoke of Jesus being married and having a child. Apparently this was terrible. How dare Jesus do anything so awful. Seriously....does it change your beliefs if you found out that Jesus had married and had a child? Does it change all the good He did? Does it change what He did for you?

In my view... if it does...then you seriously need to look deep within your self. The book took nothing away from Jesus, it just added a possibility...one of which you are free to disagree with.

Anyway, getting back to the new thorn in Christians side....

The Golden Compass may very well be about killing God, I don't know for sure because I haven't seen it. And guess what unless you went to the movies last night to view it...neither have you. However, according to a Catholic group they aren't saying that there is anything wrong with the movie....just the books.

OK, so don't go to the movie because suddenly your children will want the books and you will be under a spell that will render you helpless to resist.

How about just telling your children no. I mean you are their parent.

Or maybe....you buy the book and read it first yourself to determine if it really is as bad as others are saying. Maybe it could open up some dialogue between your child and you. Sit down and have a conversation about something that is important.

If your child reads the book will all their Christian upbringing be for not? Will they suddenly be brainwashed into believing what is in those pages? Will they be so blinded by what they read that their minds are no longer their own? Or are we more afraid of it ourselves because it is different? Are we afraid that it may lead to questions that we are not prepared to answer?

At what point do parents need to trust that they have done their job in raising their children and allow them to make their own decision on movies, books, religion? Are we so close minded as parents that we are incapable of realizing that there is more than one way to arrive at the same ending?

This movie is one that I plan to see....and I plan to read the book. Given that my children are too young to see such a movie and can't read I don't have to worry about whether to let them see/ read it.

However, when they are older I hope that we are able to take adventures in which we are all given the opportunity to question and converse about things that are important. I don't want my children to be carbon copies of myself and believe what I believe simply because it was what I believed thus it must be true. I want them to find their own truths...their own path....and their own faith, because in my house faith is personal...and so are books.

Don't see the movie or read the book...that is fine with me. Please, however, refrain from spreading your fear in my direction because not seeing something because someone of some one's brother's cousin's neighbor sent you an email that said it was evil doesn't prove anything other than you are easily manipulated by fear....which I guess means you shouldn't see the movie anyway.