Blog Posting #1 (5/26)

Mahoney, Jill. “Is The Golden Compass Pointing Away from God?” The Globe and Mail. 6 December 2007: A3.

This article discusses the potential censorship of Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, as well as the other books in his trilogy, by a Catholic school in Canada. The Golden Compass is about a young girl who sets off on a journey to an alternate world to find her friend and her father. She struggles with the “Authority,” which many believe is a symbol of the Catholic Church and God. The article states “Catholics interpret The Golden Compass and two other books that comprise a trilogy as a denunciation of organized religion dominated by a distant, imposter God, which they say does not condemn modern religion (Mahoney, A3).” However, I believe that the definition of modern religion differs from person to person, group to group. Does one religious group have the authority to define modern religion and define what condemns it? As Dr. Rowan Williams states in the article, “the series should be used in religious education because learning about other spiritual perspectives nurtures a more mature faith (Mahoney, A3).” Even though he believes the book promotes a different religion, he does not believe censoring it is the solution. By reading the book, children will widen their knowledge about different religions and their own faith.

In my opinion, novels do not promote anything. Most children will read a novel, such as The Golden Compass, and will appreciate the fantasy aspects of it. They will enjoy reading about the adventure and the journey of the main character in search of her friend and family. Most children will not read this book and believe it is promoting atheism or demoting organized religion. While parents and teachers should teach their children about the different aspects of life, including religion, they should also teach them to decide for themselves. By deciding that a book is bad for young readers without giving them a chance to weigh in their own opinion, adults are prohibiting access to intellectual material. Young readers are protected under the Library Bill of Rights, and should have access to any material, regardless of the way adults perceive that material.