lions and tigers and atheists ... oh my

I first heard of the Golden Compass controversy over a month ago. A mother came up to me at the book fair at school and asked if I'd seen the e-mail going around that says Philip Pullman is an evil man who's using his books to get people to hate God. AND he's an atheist. "That's interesting," I said, "because if you're an atheist you don't believe in God, so why would you try to get people to hate something you don't even believe exists?" Well, the mother hadn't thought about that. Then another mother asked me about it at Boy Scouts the other night. I said I hadn't read the books, but that my brother-in-law (who's a Lutheran pastor) had recommended them to me. THEN I got an e-mail from a friend who'd also received this mysterious e-mail (I hadn't seen the e-mail yet), and she was wondering what my take on it was. I told her that sometimes it seems like people act out of fear when they don't have all the information, and I was withholding my judgment until I'd read the books (I started last night and am 1/4 way through the first one - it's fabulous so far...). She agreed, and said that she worries about censorship (I do, too).

Then I got an e-mail from our head Boy Scout leader WITH the link to snopes that talked about the infamous Pullman and his nefarious books, and about him killing God. I e-mailed the Boy Scout leader back and suggested that maybe what Pullman was killing was our limited human creation of a God that has had immeasurable horrible things done in that God's name for centuries. He said he would check out the Time article. I was totally psyched to actually get the link, so I checked it out. It didn't make much sense to me, like I wasn't getting the whole story. Then this week's issue of Time magazine came, and there, on page 86, was an article about Pullman. It says, and I quote

"In Pullman's world, the church has evolved into a sinister totalitarian bureaucracy called the Magisterium that perpetrates massive cruelties in the name of good... WE're used to fantasy literature either warily skirting religion... we're not used to fantasy taking on religion foursquare. But to be fair, it's not religion that Pullman has a problem with, exactly, or religious believers; it's what happens when religion mixes with politics. "religion is at its best when it is furthest from political power" he says. "The power to send armies to war, to rule every aspect of our lives, to tell us what to wear, what to think, what to read - when religion gets hold of tat, watch out! Because trouble will ensue." Pullman has even received warm praise from members of the clergy, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, for his exploration of spiritual issues... "I'm not arguing a case. I'm not preaching a sermon. I'm not giving a lecture. I'm telling a story. Any position I take is that of a storyteller who says, Once upon a time, this happened."

What are we so scared of? That someone is strong enough to actually be able to strong arm us into believing something evil or bad? That somebody is that powerful that they can somehow trick us into becoming bad people? That our children will be lured away and brainwashed somehow? God forbid that some institution or authority figure should try to tell us what to do - sheesh, give me a break. So... here's my truth for the day. I cannot understand what "Christians" are so afraid of. I have many Christian friends who are absolutely fabulous - they're loving and kind and gentle and respectful of other's beliefs. Then there are the not-so-Christian Christians who are hateful and hurtful, unkind and disrespectful of anyone else's beliefs but their own - and they'll tell you just exactly how wrong you are and how positively right they are, and they won't listen to a word you're saying about your beliefs - disrespectful. Then there are my utterly fabulous agnostic or atheist friends - some of the best people in my life. They are good, kind, loving, loyal, respectful - my best friends. Then there are my Buddhist friends, and my New Age friends, and my Wiccan friends, and my Native American friends, and my ... oh my. Does it really matter, people? Seriously --- where's the love? I concentrate on my feelings toward others. How am I judgmental (I'm judgmental towards judgmental people, and I hate hateful people - makes sense, doesn't it?), how am I limiting someone else's beliefs, how am I being kind and respectful in my life, how could I be kinder and more respectful?

I'm not perfect - FAR from it, but I realize I'm not perfect, nor are my opinions necessarily the best ones around... for anyone else. They're good for me, and I DO happen to think that love is the best option across the board - one of those universal truths, I believe, but beyond that - why can't we just give that fear factor a rest, sit back, pour a good cup of peppermint tea, and read a good Philip Pullman book like good little bibliophiles? C'mon, it's not so bad ... there you go ... ahhhhhhhhhhh.