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The Golden Compass Brings Nietzsche to Narnia: The Philosophical Underpinnings of His Dark Materials
Catholic Exchange ^ | December 4, 2007 | Marc T. Newman, Ph.D.

Posted on 12/04/2007 8:49:42 AM PST by NYer

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To: sinanju

Good analysis, particularly at that age. To my discredit, I imbibed the elitism. As I said to another Freeper regarding Nietzsche; the egoism and elitism of Nietzsche is like catnip for many adolescent boys who haven’t yet discovered the limits of their own strength.


61 posted on 12/04/2007 11:36:36 AM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: Greg F

Dune is indeed a remarkable book. Read it first while quite young and it made a great impression on me.

Unlike many other speculative fiction worlds, though, I never felt the least desire to live in or even visit the world of Dune.

Oddly, I’ve never been able to get far in the sequels.


62 posted on 12/04/2007 11:37:25 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: COBOL2Java
I wonder which fast food chain will have the "Golden Compass" happy meal toys?

LOL. If they do the rest of the books, I guess they'll have the "God is Dead" toy set.

63 posted on 12/04/2007 11:37:42 AM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: NYer

Has anyone actually read the book!

I thourghly enjoyed it. The animals are an alligory of the human soul, the evil characters, Lyra’s parents are both working in concert though seperately for different reasons, seeking to overthough the power of the first sin, on man, forcing us out of the Garden of Eden.

The evil characters try cutting away the creatures from the children for some obscure reason having to do with crossing over to a paralle universe, killing the child in the process.

Without spoiling the first book it is challenging to your belief system, but if your beliefs are so weak they cannot withstand this small prick then your beliefs are to weak to withstand the coming assault that Islam will bring to our future.

I have read the most evil book available today the “Koran”. I am not dettered or corrupted by the rediculous insane ravings of it’s false prophet.

This not a movie for children at any rate, not because of some troubling religious view but because of it’s complex battle of good and evil, they probably won’t understand it and will only enjoy the base story and the special effects.

I will netflix it in the spring and I’m sure I will thouroughly enjoy it!!

This story reminds me of the debate by evangelicals ‘of which I consider myself (Baptist)’ over Harry Potter. Don’t christains realize that witch craft is not real, a fantasy. Do they think we should be burning people at the stake!

If you choose not to see the movie, let it not be out of fear but out of disinterest to seeing the movie.


64 posted on 12/04/2007 11:46:15 AM PST by qman
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To: zencat
I agree about adults being able to handle books and ideas which are dangerous. The same does not go for kids. I don't want my younger adolescent son absorbing Nazi/Aryan Nation crap, or PP/Gay Straight Alliance crap, or Nietzsche or nihilism or anything of the sort.

Adults --- or, better to say, "adults with adult minds" ---have the capacity to hold themselves above emotional blandishments, to analyze clever but erroneous arguments, and to resist verisimilitudes which actually distort history or reality. Kids lack this capacity. They can develop it later, and if we teach them rightly, they will become subtle and accurate adult thinkers; but as kids, they are vulnerable to the slow drip of any venom.

I think it would be blameworthy for me to permit my son to read the HDM trilogy. If he strongly wanted to, I'd say it would be OK for him to read the first book, but only if we discuss it.

That's a judgment I am obliged to make for him. I know his maturity, and his immaturity.

65 posted on 12/04/2007 11:47:40 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o (On my honor.)
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To: Sherman Logan

The sequels to “Dune” were nonsense. Herbert had a perfectly good ending to “Dune” that didn’t leave lose ends. His mistake was in making sequels rather than prequels. He would have written more interesting books during the growth of the Bene Gesserit cult, the aristocracy, and the rise of the Mentats and so forth than trying to explain what a non-human power would do. I don’t think he was a believer so Herbert seemed lost once he tried to attribute godlike power to a being . . . his writing in the sequals doesn’t ring true, while in “Dune” it does because he was exploring an extraordinary man with limits, not a god. Then again, it’s also a bit like trying to write a sequel to “Moby Dick.” Possible, but why would you?


66 posted on 12/04/2007 11:49:11 AM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: Sherman Logan

Yup. It was the cruelty and ruthlessness of this Galactic Empire that made the biggest impression.

Any volunteers for the Lord Baron’s Slave boy section?

The Gurney Halleck orphanarium?

The Salusa Secondus Summer Camp?

(Join the Sardukar, see the Galaxy?)


67 posted on 12/04/2007 11:50:46 AM PST by sinanju
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To: qman

Money in the pockets of an aggressive and evangelizing athiest . . . wouldn’t it be better spent elsewhere?


68 posted on 12/04/2007 11:51:23 AM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: Greg F

What did you think about the appallingly bad movie?


69 posted on 12/04/2007 11:53:08 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: sinanju

Join the Sardukar. See the galaxy. Meet interesting people and kill them.


70 posted on 12/04/2007 11:54:17 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: COBOL2Java
I wonder which fast food chain will have the "Golden Compass" happy meal toys?

That would be Burger King.

71 posted on 12/04/2007 11:59:01 AM PST by Campion
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To: Campion

Great, they can have the guy in the creepy king mask hand them out.


72 posted on 12/04/2007 11:59:42 AM PST by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Greg F

That is a better reason than those given by the catholic league.

You have every right to spend your earning where you see fit and I will not dispute your choice.

But if instructed by any church that presumes to speak for the Lord. They are men like me and I will keep my own council with prayer.


73 posted on 12/04/2007 12:01:07 PM PST by qman
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To: sinanju

Perhaps because of a considerable background in history, I didn’t find the cruelty of the Empire that surprising. It’s what most of human history has been like. People treated like animals for the convenience and pleasure of their “superiors.”

This is what life was like for a great many under the ancient empires: Egypt, Persia, Rome, China, Inca, etc.

Only the Judeo-Christian ethic brought in the notion of individual human dignity and worth. Which we are now in the process of trying to get rid of.


74 posted on 12/04/2007 12:02:39 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan

The sci-fi channel did a better version of Dune but it would take a big budget and an inspired director to do the book justice. But it can be done; I thought that the final movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was better than the book. “I bid you stand Men of the West” . . . even the writing was as good as Tolkien’s, imho.


75 posted on 12/04/2007 12:04:07 PM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: Campion
That would be Burger King.

Is that true? I'll stay away if it is the case.

76 posted on 12/04/2007 12:05:11 PM PST by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: Sherman Logan

I was personally disapointed in the movie, the mini series was good.

Because of the epic nature of Dune a 2+ hour movie simply could not do it justic. Plus the voice over being nessessary to carry the story is weak script writing.
There are movies where voice over works, ie “Blade Runner” where it adds not explains where a good script should do the work!!


77 posted on 12/04/2007 12:07:15 PM PST by qman
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To: Cicero

Just like the gay agenda that targets children so does this movie and the sale of his books. We live in a time when people call themselves Christian but it might be difficult to find Christs’ gospel in their beliefs.


78 posted on 12/04/2007 12:08:40 PM PST by red irish (Gods Children in the womb are to be loved too!)
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To: Greg F

There are several prequels to Dune now you know. Written, I believe by his son with the help of other sci/fi authors.


79 posted on 12/04/2007 12:09:16 PM PST by The Louiswu (Never Forget!)
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To: tophat9000
While these people talk about killing god, hating god... seem to be they must believe there is a God... this is more Satin like, wanting to murder your way to the top to be "god"

I think what animates them is not killing God (which they claim not to exist), but to killing "your" God. Kind of like a bully pulling the head of some poor kid's teddy bear.

80 posted on 12/04/2007 12:12:19 PM PST by COBOL2Java (The Democrat Party: radical Islam's last hope)
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