MetaCatholic

In a somewhat strange post Ben Witherington issues his own parental advisory on the Golden Compass (based on the book more-or-less of that name aka The Northern Lights – Why do Americans always change British Book titles?). The argument he quotes, from the fundamentalist Catholic League, which he seems to endorse, runs like this

1. The film tones down the atheism of the author
2. Parents might therefore think the film is okay
3. The film might tempt the children to read the book
4. The first book might make them read the rest of the trilogy
5. The last book of the trilogy is a blatant attack on God
6. So don’t let your children anywhere near this film.

Now, first of all, I think the first two books of the trilogy are good books. They are atheist, and with a  largely Protestant atheism of an anti-institutional church kind. (Catholicism is clearly the big bugbear.) By and large, however, although present and part of the story, this anti-Church atheism doesn’t intrude significantly. The good writing and wonderfully imaginative narrative predominate, and children will always benefit from those. In the last book, the atheist propaganda is overt, and actually gets in the way of the story (a bit like a mirror image of C S Lewis’  That Hideous Strength. in relation to the rest of thee trilogy) The resolution of the narrative is fudged, in a way that seems to me not to make much sense in the light of the developing story, and, quite frankly, I think it disappears up its own arse. The books, I would guess, are not going to appeal to many children much younger than ten.

But why shouldn’t Christian children read books that seek to sustain a case for atheism in fictional narrative? Wouldn’t it be much better for parents also to read them and make them the subject of proper discussion. Children of this age should be exploring the issues, and growing from a child’s faith towards an adult one.

Imagine the opposite argument. Atheists keep their children away from C S Lewis Narnia series, and are advised to keep their children away from going to see The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe. It might make them start to consider the Christian faith. The Narnia series is, after all, just a slightly more subtle form of propaganda, aimed at a slightly younger age group. Wouldn’t Christians feel that this was bad parenting, an atheist refusing to let their children hear a narrative presentation of Christian faith? Surely children should have the right to decide for themselves, and as part of that right have an opportunity to hear the word.

Well, what’s sauce for the goose …

Good parenting, atheist and Christian (and any other religion) will seek to encourage the child to grow up with the parent’s view of the world. But it will create space for the child to grow up. And that means learning to think, and discovering others think differently. Aren’t these books one way to engage in that process?