In response to Greg Goodsell's article on religious themes in "The Golden Compass:"

I think this whole "controversy" is ridiculous.  Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is, simply put, quite brilliant.  I'm eagerly anticipating the hordes of fearful Christian groups who will more than likely protest that the film is an attempt to "seduce" young minds (or some other nonsense).  Why can't we simply appreciate literature and intellectual content for what it is?  Shouldn't we be be delighted that the movie will spark interest in the books, which will once again result in an increase of kids actually wanting to read?!  Rather than looking to censor or ban the books and films, parents should use the (already SEVERELY watered down) religious themes as an opportunity to create healthy discussions about values with their children.  Besides, I seriously doubt that most children even comprehend the religious overtones and philosophical subtext of The Golden Compass and subsequent books, because (and I'll say it again:) it's not really a children's series.  Sure, the books are supposedly aimed at young adults, and therefore some of the plot points are a bit on the simplistic side, but the issues that are dealt with are pretty intense.  And, contrary to circulating gossip, Pullman's trilogy is not intended to be the antithesis of C.S. Lewis's popular Narnia series, but is rather a reflection and elaboration of the works of William Blake and Heinrich von Kleist, and is most directly influenced by John Milton's Paradise Lost.

"Debates" such as these inevitably lead ultra controlling parents and devout religious groups to attempt to ban the films from cinemas and, more absurdly, to ban the literature from schools (in order to keep impressionable young minds away from the evils of imagination, natch).  This really angers me, more than nearly anything else.  Really, what right does anyone have to decide what other people's children can and can't read?  If you don't want your own children exposed to the horrors of books like Pullman's, which might - GASP - cause them to start asking questions and thinking for themselves - that's your prerogative.  And kudos to you for actually being involved in your children's schooling in the first place.  Seriously.  But I think banning books from the public school system is regressive at best.  It still amazes me that some people don't want to encourage kids to read and absorb whatever they can get their hands on (and honestly, how many people actually read the books they're denouncing as "evil?")  Your thoughts?

Luckily for us bibliophiles, banning literature usually produces the opposite of the desired effect: naturally, everyone wants to see what all the fuss is about, so they go out and buy the recently banned book.  If they thought Harry Potter was bad, I can't wait to see the outcry when HDM starts to gain in popularity! ;)