The logical consequences of Pullman’s atheism can be found in the lives of the leading atheists of the 20th Century – Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot – men who killed millions of their own people and had no respect for justice or love. Ultimately, it is a road that only leads to meaninglessness, murder and social chaos.
Reportedly, the new movie based on Pullman’s book has toned down some of Pullman’s virulent attacks on the Christian religion. Whether or not that is true, however, we do urge people of faith and values not to bother to corrupt their children with this odious atheistic worldview.
Of course, there are other attacks to come next year, including another movie based on one of “Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown’s scurrilous attacks against orthodox Christian teachings and the Bible and perhaps a movie about the religious right planned by none other than Michael Moore.
Every year, however, we present an Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry, which looks at the content of the Top 250 Movies at the Box office each year. Year in and year out, our statistics show that movies with very strong anti-biblical, anti-Christian, anti-American values don’t do well at the box office.
For instance, movies with very strong anti-biblical, anti-Christian content only averaged $23, $22.6 and $21.4 million at the box office in 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively. Movies with anti-patriotic, anti-American content did even worse on the whole, averaging only $26.8, 10 and 19.6 million, respectively – as much as two to six times worse than movies with very strong biblical, Christian, patriotic, and pro-American content.
Thus, anti-American movies in 2007 like “In the Valley of Elah,” “Delta Farce,” “Home of the Brave,” and “Rendition” have made only $6.6 million, $8 million, $40,000, and $7.8 million in North America, but patriotic movies like “World Trade Center,” “Spider-Man 3,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Forrest Gump,” “Top Gun, “Passion of the Christ,” and “Sergeant York” have made $70 million, $336 million, $302 million, $516 million, $315 million, $393 million, and $317 million when adjusted for inflation!!!
Of course, the antidote to all of these attacks on America and Jesus Christ is to teach your neighbors, and your children and grandchildren, to reject the bad and support the good. Supporting the Good, the True and the Beautiful is what our upcoming 16th Annual Movieguide® Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry, set for Feb. 12 in Los Angeles, will be doing. There, we will reward movies that inspire, enrich and celebrate our lives, our country and our faith.
This piece has been co-written by Ted Baehr and Tom Snyder. Tom Snyder is editor of Movieguide®. Please visit Movieguide for more information.