One of the perks of being a member of ALA (American Libraries Association) is receiving the American Libraries Direct email newsletter. At first I thought it was gonna be filled with boring library stuff, but oh well--my job is paying for my subscription, so what do I care? I almost didn't even read them when they started coming, but I'm glad I did! There are always so many interesting articles in there. Here are my top four for this week (in no particular order):
A Study on Facebook
A New Library in Jerusalem
The Wii--Not Just for Kids Anymore
The Golden Compass--A Good Christian Review?
Now the question is... should I read The Golden Compass, or rather, the His Dark Materials series? Typically, if someone tells me not to read a book or watch a movie because it's morally bad, I listen and just don't read/watch it. But this one has gripped more of my attention. Probably due to the controversy. After reading this article, I'm am even more intrigued to read this and make my own decision. I mean, if I listened to the critics, I wouldn't have read Harry Potter, either. So, do I go with my typical safeguard and just stay out of the controversy? Or do I read them and come to my own conclusion?
If I don't read them, I refuse to condemn or praise them. How many times have I gotten upset at people who condemn Harry Potter, or even the Book of Mormon, even though they have never read it. Rather, they base their arguments on what other people have told them. I think that's ridiculous. Have your own opinion or don't fight the battle. So which should I do? Get my own opinion? Or sit out of the battle?
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6 comments:
Take some initiative and get your own opinion! You can do it!
i read the golden compass and the rest of the series LONG before it was a motion picture or even such a big deal...and i didn't think anything of it. I say go for it.
You know, this is a good example of being able to make a decision 'out of the blue'...
Years ago I read The Golden Compass, which I liked, and then the Subtle Knife, wich really upset me. The librarian at my Jr High noticed I had checked them out and told me I was lucky that I didn't have to wait to finish the series, as the final book, The Amber Spyglass, had just been released. But I was rather sensitive and prude-y back then, so I refused to read it. I wonder what I would think about it if I re-read it now.
Here are my thoughts. I've read the series, also. When I got through the second book and realized he was planning a war on heaven, I thought, "Hmm...that's weird, but okay." One thing to remember is that this is fiction, and is a great, very creative, original piece of literature. Two, having a testimony firm in the gospel kept my mind where it should be as I read. (Just like Harry Potter, you know it's not real). I mean, think about what we belive, then reading about a guy that thinks he can defeat heaven is almost laughable, because we know it's not possible. Third, I actually found some gospel truths/similarities in the book as I was reading, which slightly amused me knowing the author was atheist. There's a lot of good literature out there that doesn't exactly mesh with or exemplify gospel truths, but there is good in them nonetheless, and they challenge your thinking.
Thank you for the link to the article. I had seen the previews for the movie months ago and was entranced. Then I saw an article on snopes about the atheism theme and was taken aback. So I decided to check the books out of the library and see for myself.
After reading them, I, personally, found the atheism premise laughable. No matter what was going on, the main characters seemed to be acting accordance with prophecy. No one questioned where that prophecy came from. The author lamented the lack of current revelation. Hmm... Not so much a problem. Next? This big war against the Authority? Seemed a battle to take out someone who wanted to remove all choice and free will from the worlds and replace it with someone who would allow them to decide for themselves. Sound familiar? Oh, and what he came across as being against, in spite of, or even because of his emotionally loaded word choices, to me, was the worst in the history of the Catholic church (and to be honest, perhaps he's really against that great and abominable church) - can anyone say indulgences and crusades?
I'd read the first two books again if I were bored and they were close at hand but I'd probably pass on the third. Surprisingly, this isn't because of the ideas he's trying to espouse, but because the action DRAGS. You get chapters of introspection in a children's adventure tale. You get this big war that's being built up to as a passing blip on the landscape. You never get the answer to the underlying question of what Dust is or where it really comes from - though the holy ghost premise from the article just might fit.
Either way, if you really want to have an opinion, find out for yourself. If you're bothered by the content, you can always stop. Oh, and don't forget that librarians are your friends. You don't have to buy a book you think you might hate.
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