Pullman gets peevish; Catholic League responds to spin doctors

With the world premiere of Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass is scheduled in London tonight, Pullman had some nasty comments to make about those Catholics who plan to boycott the film due to its deceptive "atheist agenda" targeting children, calling them "nitwits".

In response to Catholic League's Bill Donohue's recommendation to boycott the "atheistic" film Pullman was quoted by Newsweek as saying, "To regard it as this Donohue man has said - that I'm a militant atheist, and my intention is to convert people - how the hell does he know that?"

"Why don't we trust readers? Why don't we trust filmgoers? Oh, it causes me to shake my head with sorrow that such nitwits could be loose in the world."

So far no boycott has been called for in Britain, but some Catholic leaders in Canada and the United States are planning to boycott the film, when it opens on December 7.

Bill Donohue points out that the secular media, whom he refers to as "spin doctors" like the Boston Globe and Newsweek are working overtime to rescue the movie from Philip Pullman’s agenda.

Here's what Donohue has to say:

In yesterday's Boston Globe, the film studio’s house theologian, Donna Freitas, said Pullman’s books ‘are deeply Christian in their theology.’ Then how does she explain why the English atheist organization, the National Secular Society, loves Pullman’s books? And how does she explain Pullman’s statement that he agrees with his character Mary Malone who, in The Amber Spyglass (the third volume of his trilogy), says, ‘The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake’?

“In the current Newsweek, Pullman lashes out at me saying, ‘To regard it [his storytelling] as this Donohue man has said—that I’m a militant atheist, and my intention is to convert people—how the hell does he know that?’ That’s easy—I just quote him: ‘I’m trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.’

“In his books, Pullman refers to ‘Dust’ as an invisible substance with mysterious qualities. To Dr. Spin, Freitas, ‘Dust is the Holy Spirit.’ Really? Then why did the screenwriter, Chris Weitz, tell Hanna Rosin of the Atlantic Monthly that the producers of the movie told him to take the following line out of the film: ‘Dust is sin’?

“Weitz recently said it is ‘wrongheaded’ to say Pullman wants to ‘kill God.’ Yet Pullman has admitted that ‘My books are about killing God.’

“Both Weitz and Pullman confess that their primary goal is to see that ‘The Golden Compass’ succeeds so that there will be a film version of books two and three. Weitz has said that the producer, New Line Cinema, has been concerned about the movie’s ‘perceived anti-religiosity making it an unviable project financially.’ Thus, the need to water down the anti-Catholicism. Pullman says he needs to be careful talking about his motives lest he ‘talk the other two films out of existence.’ To which I say, ‘Keep talking and insert foot.’”

My Comments: Well, Mr. Pullman I certainly don't consider Bill Donohue nor the other Catholics and Christians of this country who plan to boycott this film as "nitwits", but I do consider you a "liar". You contradict yourself coming and going. You are also a Christian /Catholic bigot who is trying to impose his own evil and erroneous beliefs on those most vulnerable in our society - innocent and unsuspecting children. For what? Money, power, and your own selfish satisfaction.