I remember talking with Emily of Augustine College/English Master (both in degree and genius) about The Harry Potter books. She said she couldn’t see why so many parents were up in arms about Harry Potter, where at least the distinction between good and evil is apparent, but there had never been a huge reaction to the Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. (She said it much more eloquently, for the record)

Mind you when my Dad saw that I was reading the Dark Materials trilogy he looked into it and didn’t like what he saw. He told me as much, but did not censor me. Which, ironically, my parents did do with Harry Potter (their stance changed later, by that time though I was watching the movies and didn’t plan on spending the time necessary to get caught up on the books).

The Dark Materials trilogy is a beautiful and imaginative work. It is also written to proseltyze atheism, an agenda Phillip Pullman, the author had explicitly stated a number of times. (While also frequently taking the opportunity to bash C.S. Lewis). Though that bothered me I did love the books and was very excited to go see the movie. Until I read this.

I really don’t have a problem with writing from an agenda. I can’t stand most christian fiction not because there is an agenda but because the agenda is transparent and the writing sucks. What I really can’t stand is dishonesty, and Philip Pullman is now backing off from his stated agenda to try and help his movie sell. I know that without the guide provided by a supreme moral understanding it’s difficult for atheists like Philip Pullman to understand they are being dishonest (the reasons for that belong to a much longer and different post) but let me just say I agree wholeheartedly with John at Verum Serum. C.S. Lewis would never have masked his agenda.