It's a conceit that I've held for a long time towards organized religion.The notion that various faiths, mostly of the Judeo-Christian tradition, have continued to wage war -- whether real or imagined -- against each other in a battle to prove that theirs is the one, true God.
"My Imaginary Friend Can Beat Up Your Imaginary Friend"
You can't imagine then how excited I am when members of the Catholic League or some other fanatical sect of the Religious Right get themselves worked up over pop-culture.
Their latest target, the film version of "The Golden Compass."
At the heart of Catholic League's criticism is the notion that writer Phillip Purman, who penned the series of novels on which the film is based, is an avowed atheist. Since "The Golden Compass" was published more than a decade ago, critics have claimed that its story - in which a young girl battles against an age-old spiritually based organization which is seeking to rule the world - is anti-religious.
In an interview on the CBS Early Show, Bill Donohue, leader of the Catholic League, said that the film is an outright attack on religion.
"This teaches atheism to kids. Phillip Pullman is very open about this. The movie is basically innocuous, but parents may want to say to their kids, 'You know what? A great Christmas present would be to buy his 'Dark Trilogy,' the name of the three books.' Now you've introduced your kids to atheism.
The League is, of course, calling for a boycott of the film.
Now, I haven't seen the film yet. Nor have I read the original book on which it's based. But now, I'm fascinated.
Any time the Church, or those who claim to represent its interests, feels strongly enough about anything to openly campaign for its censorship or removal from public view, it only makes me want to see what the fuss is all about.
The studio, New Line Cinema, is attempting to combat The Catholic League's campaign by saying that the film is not at all anti-religious. Director Chris Weitz, on the film's web-site says it's a film about "things that matter, like the human spirit, loyalty, kindness and free will."
Something the Catholic League is apparently none too fond of.
"It's the definition of the Catholic Church," Donohue says, "They're teaching about the Pope convening with the bishops. The spin is too late now. They're trying to say all this could represent any authority. We're not talking about the police bureau or an abusive schoolteacher. They're talking about the Catholic Church. The book is clear."
And even if it is, so what?
Religious leadership constantly finds reason to rail against anything that falls outside of its world view to the point that it calls for its eminent destruction. Sounds an awful lot like an "age-old spiritually based organization which is seeking to rule the world."
