Changing the debate on religion in America

I’ve begun to wonder if the movie of The Golden Compass will be the catalyst this country needs for a thoughtful discussion about religion, particularly Christianity. Snopes has kicked this discussion into gear. They said “The 2007 film The Golden Compass is based on a series of books with anti-religious themes.”

Snopes didn’t begin this. The Catholic League created a booklet condemning the movie. From that came the email campaign to incorrectly characterize The Golden Compass movie.

The movie’s blog has posted an email plea to Snopes revealing their shallow understanding of the series. They’ve also had beliefnet bloggers explaining that the series is a truly respectful and interesting examination of religion.