jadehorse77
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The Golden CompassI'm enjoying it so far. Pretty good story, not nearly as good as Game of Thrones....but good. I can see why the Catholics are upset about it, it's pretty clear that the Catholic church is the Evil Empire in this book. People from the church do horrible things to kidnapped children in the name of experimentation...what they call experimental theology.
But just taking it as a story and ignoring all that stuff....it's pretty good.
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VRaptorX
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The church is ALWAYS evil in fantasy books/movies/etc. What the idiots don't realize is complaining about it increases the sales so they get even more stuff bashing them.
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jadehorse77
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I beg to differ. Not every fantasy story has the church (or the parallel fantastical equivalent) as the bad guys. Can you back that up?
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VRaptorX
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 You knew what I meant.
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jadehorse77
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 Harry Potter for instance?
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VRaptorX
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SesshyFan-Girl
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Haven't read this.
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Lyssandra
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I haven't had the chance to read anything for recreation lately. Oh well.
The only time the Church is portrayed as bad is when it's seen as a convenient restricting force on the main character. Sometimes it's not even mentioned because it doesn't play a great protagonistic or antagonistic role.
A really great example of a fantasy story that uses the Church as a big protagistic force (or a great protagonistic INFLUENCE, more like) is the Chronicles of Narnia. I saw the movie, never read the book(s) and that was a major theme throughout the movie. Of course, I believe the author was a born-again Catholic, so I rest my case.
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jadehorse77
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From the age of 13 and into his thirties, CS Lewis was a pretty vocal atheist. He was angry with Christianity as being a chore and a duty that he didn't want. He got a little into the occult, and became a Christian again in his thirties. His viewpoint on Christianity is amazing, especially coming from someone who honestly chose to be an atheist for a major portion of his life. The Screwtape Letters are an excellent read, as is The Chronicles of Narnia. His non-fiction "Mere Christianity" is a gread read as well, for people questioning their faith as Christians, and for people against Christianity.
Philip Pullman, on the other hand, is anti-religion. I don't know if he's atheist or not, but he is against organized religion that dictates people's lives, not just Catholicism. Which, I can certainly understand, because any belief system that can regulate someone's individual life, who may or may not be part of that belief system, is problematic.
But I also sympathize with everyday Catholics who are offended by the book. The implications of what Catholics would do in this fantasy universe is pretty bad. Each human's soul is in the form of a daemon, an animal that is their constant companion. A group from the church, fighting heretical philosophies, experiment on children by severing the link between the child and his/her daemon. It's a sentence worse than death, probably much like the Dementor's kiss...all in the name of protecting the Church's authorized viewpoint on certain topics.
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Lyssandra
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Meh. All I can say is that the Church is a convinient scapegoat for any one looking for a villain in a story. It all comes down to what you find freeing, and what you find restricting. I want to write a semi-fantasy story, and I can honestly say that religion itself is a minor problem in the scheme of things, but actual gods aren't the facilitators of that, so they're not necessarily how the religion portrays them.
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VRaptorX
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I believe it was fire emblem that says it best:
Yune (aka teh Dark god): eh? What are you talking about? Gods being perfect? Where did you get that idea? We just make mistakes on a much larger scale...like.....like....when you're young and (sand storm starts up)....and you....cause the great flood and...
Ike: woah! Calm down!
(sand storm stops)
Yune:....sorry.
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Lyssandra
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Sweet quotes, lol! That's pretty much what mine is going to reflect.
In any case, if I can get a hold of the Golden Compass over the holiday, I'll probably read it.
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VRaptorX
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Yeah...and the goddess Yune also liekd calling humans little fleshlings.
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jadehorse77
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Like I said, the Golden Compass is a good book, I'm really enjoying it....but Game of Thrones is WAY better!!!  Now George R R Martin needs to quit watching the damn Jets and Giants and finish the damn fifth book!
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VRaptorX
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Why does everyone have two R's in their names? J. R. R. Tolken anyonw?
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Lyssandra
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Because "R" is amazing. That's why.
How I'm going to read all these over break with all the people I have to visit, I haven't a clue.
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jadehorse77
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You just have to be totally badass awesome, that's what!
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Lyssandra
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Those words do not describe me in the slightest...
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VRaptorX
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Awe come on...you'd do perfect in the MMA.
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