You’ve probably heard how the upcoming movie The Golden Compass is based on a book written by a militant atheist, how the books progress from something seemingly innocent to becoming very anti-God (the children apparently kill God in the end, so they (many Christians say) can do whatever they want in the misunderstood name of Freedom. The argument from many well-meaning Christians is that the movies (assuming the others will also be made into movies) and books start out fun, innocent, and exciting, so that children will get interested and then get the “true atheist message” by the end.

This post is NOT about the movie, the books, or the author. Instead, I want to talk about the Christian response to non-Christian or anti-Christian media.

Christians are called to be “salt and light” to the world. That is, to spread God’s news of salvation through Jesus Christ by what we say and how we live. Salt spreads its qualities (saltiness) to that with which it comes in contact, while light illumines the darkness, banishing shadows and exposing the truth. This requires walking a fine line between meekness and militancy.

So when Christians encounter a movie, book, or something in another medium that goes against Christianity, how should they respond? Some choose to ignore it. Others boycott it, trying to discourage other people from seeing it. Others learn all they can about it, seeking to form counterarguments and thereby “disprove” the points in question. Are any of these methods best? I will take a look at them using the example of a movie (could be any movie).

When Christians bash a movie (whether right or wrong) as being anti-Christian, insidious, dangerous, or otherwise to be avoided, that tends to draw more attention to that movie. We’ve seen it happen with The Da Vinci Code recently. Sure, I agree that it’s based on flawed research and anti-Christian ideas, but I also think that the movie and book wouldn’t have gotten so popular if so many Christians hadn’t shouted to the world to avoid them.

Granted, avoiding a movie keeps your dollars from casting their vote, as it were, in support of that movie, but loudly protesting the movie really backfires, driving more people to see the movie to find out what all the noise is about. This makes it sound like quiet avoidance might “further the cause” better.

On the other hand, reading a book or watching a movie will indeed help you learn about it, so that you can better discuss the issues with others. The tradeoff is that you spend some money to achieve this, resulting in more sales for said book or movie. Ultimately, you’ll probably do more good being able to intelligently discuss why you agree or disagree with a movie than by avoiding spending a few dollars on it.

For too long Christians of the modern Western world have blindly followed people who formed blacklists and said to avoid this or that movie, song, book, or whatever. I totally agree that there are some things that Christians probably SHOULD avoid, for the sake of their spiritual health. Books on Satanism or films with graphic sexual content are good examples. However, Christians who avoid exposure to TOO much remain ignorant and narrow minded. I would argue that it is much better for Christians to LEARN about the world and society around them. You can’t be “salt and light” to the world if you totally avoid exposure to that world. Christians are NOT called to be blind and ignorant.

The Harry Potter books and movies are a good example. So are the Lord of the Rings books/movies. Most Christians would agree that they’re relatively innocent and don’t come close to advocating actual real-world witchcraft. When dealing with stories that take place in a fantasy world–that is, one that is not based on premises and concepts that are found within our real world–you have to go more on the morality of the characters, since the operating laws of physics, spirituality, and magic are changed from those in our real world.

So… how should you respond to movies like The Golden Compass? Only you can decide for yourself. It depends on your comfort level with the content and how you feel about spending your money. It can be argued either way (as you’ve seen), but I have to say it does no one any good for you to remain ignorant about something just because some Christians have said it’s bad. Don’t “dabble” in anything that’s obviously sinful or that will lead you down the wrong path, but do be informed. If you choose to avoid going to see it, make sure you know WHY you’re avoiding it and be able to explain your reasons to others.

The most dangerous thing for a non-Christian world is a well-read, well-informed, rational Christian.

Current music: Pater Noster: Settings of the Lord’s Prayer