Apparently it is that time of the year again. The time where a movie comes out and massive groups of people on both the religious and non-religious sides get royally pissed off at each other.

In 2004, it was “The Passion of the Christ,” last year it was the “Da Vinci Code,” and this year it is “The Golden Compass.”

“The Golden Compass” is the film adaptation of the first book of the “His Dark Materials” trilogy written by Phillip Pullman, an outspoken atheist.

What has many Christians in an uproar is that in the story the heroes end up killing God, or as he is known in novels: “The Authority.”

Many Christians believe that Phillip Pullman published these books to “brainwash” children into becoming atheists like him. It is viewed to many as the anti-Narnia, which is understandable since Pullman has claimed to “loathe” the Narnia books and has even gone so far as to call them racist and sexist.

Honestly, I never realized this controversy existed until I started getting requests to join Facebook groups boycotting the film.

While I have never read the book, I would find it very hard to imagine anyone – even children – being transformed into atheists just because they saw the movie or read the books.

The Narnia books contain many Christian symbols and messages; however, I have yet to hear a story of a child being converted to Christianity by just reading those books.

What the Narnia books have done is delighted fantasy fans who are Christian and non-Christian alike.

The books may have strengthened the faith of believers, but that is probably all they have done to change people’s faith.

The same will happen with “The Golden Compass.” Atheists will find a deeper appreciation for some of the subtle messages that the author has introduced, but for most – especially children – they will just be enjoying an entertaining story and will not put much more thought into it.

As for the claims that Pullman is using the books to push his agenda, that may be so. However, don’t most writers have a message they want to express through their writing?

If Pullman hates organized religion enough to write a trilogy about it, then that is his choice. And here is the beautiful part: if someone does not want to read a book or see a movie about people killing God, then they also have the choice of not paying attention to it.

I am a Christian, but I don’t like it when Christians get all huffy about a certain movie, video game or book that is supposedly “evil.”

If anything, that will turn people away from Christianity more than any book or movie ever will.

It has been said that Christians are the number one reason for people not converting to Christianity. As a Christian who has been going to church his entire life, I agree with that statement completely.