Recent Sermons

Thursday, October 11, 2007

The Golden Compass


“I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say. I think it's perfectly possible to explain how the universe came about without bringing God into it, but I don't know everything, and there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away.

Actually, if he is keeping out of sight, it's because he's ashamed of his followers and all the cruelty and ignorance they're responsible for promoting in his name. If I were him, I'd want nothing to do with them.”

This is a quote from Philip Pullman’s blog (http://www.philip-pullman.com/about_the_writing.asp; last accessed on October 11). Mr. Pullman is the writer of a series of books entitled His Dark Materials. It is a trilogy of books. The first, The Golden Compass, has been made into a movie which is due to be released in December. The danger of this movie is found in the fact that it will be billed as something similar to The Chronicles of Narnia. Expect a media blitz that will greatly appeal to your children.

It is terrible to subject children to the work of people who dismantle a rationale for the existence of God. It would be better for those people if a massive grinding stone were tied to their necks and thrown into the depth of the sea (see Matthew 18.6). Keeping children from God is a serious offense. He is aware of the Philip Pullmans of the world; the Philip Pullmans of the world need to be more acutely aware of their offense before they meet the God they deny.

One reviewer wrote, “The trilogy does its young readers a disservice by pushing a needlessly nihilistic philosophy. At death we dissolve into dust, never to be seen by our loved ones again, and we're all supposed to be thrilled with that? To say nothing of those who love us and lose us forever? With all of the more hopeful, and at least as plausible, scenarios regarding death, why flog that one?” Actually, what people need is real hope not just plausible hope.

In contrast to these books there are wonderful books written by men and women that know God and His great love for them even though they are sinful. These authors understand something of the problem of evil in the world. They know that God in His goodness has provided an eternal solution in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. I commend our library to you.

God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils (Gen 2.7). It is true that all of us are of the dust and must return to the dust (Ecc 3.20). But God’s love is demonstrated to us through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom 5.8). Jesus Christ came to die for us so that we might live forever with Him. Christians will rise from the dust and be given a glorified body like that of the Lord Jesus. Mr. Pullman wants to obscure that truth when it comes to your children. You shouldn’t allow it.