In addition to being a swift and spectacular display of fantastical engineering where everything literally and metaphorically revolves around its own centripetal force, The Golden Compass is a deeply delightful and thought-provoking film.

Based on the first novel in a trilogy, His Dark Materials 1: The Golden Compass, by English author Philip Pullman, and directed by Chris Weitz, the film has been slammed and praised for its apparently subtle commentary on the Christian tradition.

The film consists of characters that walk about with the constant companionship of daemons, or animal spirits that represent the human's soul and that speak to their human counterparts. Pullman has described these daemons as a character's memory or conscience (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1689233,00.html). Children in the film are taken by the "gobless." People are forced to follow the rule of the Magistrate who is donned in robes reminiscent of the pope. The film's symbolic references to Christianity are spread throughout the language, set design and costumes.

Many religious leaders are suggesting boycotting the film for its condemnation of Christianity, and morally just writers are warning their constituents: "Moralists should not see the movie or buy the books. Further, they should inform their friends likewise,"(J. Grant Swank, Jr. (ArriveNet Editorials - Nov 04, 2007)).

The irony of these proclamations is that the film is not an attack on Christianity. It is more accurately using the abuse of the Christian religion as a model for what happens when the human condition obtains power and wields it in the name of what is best for the people. It's about what people are capable of doing to one another when they are convinced that they have all the right answers.

For example, at one point in the film, Nicole Kidman, who plays Mrs. Coulter, explains to Lyra, the central character of the film played by Dakota Blue Richards, that people are permitted to have free will, but only with limitations. Because people do not always know what is best for them, the Magistrate is there to guide them, even when compliance with the "guidance" is against the will of the people.

The debates over the right to life or the right to view a particular film exemplify the struggle in our society between what moral values should and should not be regulated by the government. The moralists would protect you from viewing a film that could change your opinion of Christ, but Pullman would hope you watch the film and decide for yourself what you think about it.

"'Religion is at its best when it is furthest from political power . . .The power to send armies to war, to rule every aspect of our lives, to tell us what to wear, what to think, what to read--when religion gets hold of that, watch out! Because trouble will ensue,'" Pullman stated in an interview with Time writer Lev Grossman (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1689233,00.html). This film seems to pull from multiple traditions and issues. The animal spirits resemble vision quests explained in many American Indian traditions. The existence of both good and evil within one person is reminiscent of the yin and yang symbol. The role of women and men is another issue prevalent in the film.

Everything in the film seems to have a centripetal force that holds it together: the circling of animal spirits around their humans, the compass holding the truth, the spinning balls that power the machines. The only center that seems unable to hold its place is the Magistrate, whose controlling reign can't possibly last forever, or so the film implies.

Whether you are Christian, Moslem, atheist, agnostic, Hindi, or a member of the Native American Church, I recommend this film. It works much like a great poem: easy to grasp and enjoyable on one level with deeper layers of meaning that could lead to a long night of debate over coffee or cocoa that could do nothing more than broaden your understanding of religion, politics, and the human spirit.

As Pullman put it: "I'm not arguing a case. I'm not preaching a sermon. I'm not giving a lecture. I'm telling a story. Any position I take is that of a storyteller who says, Once upon a time, this happened."

I hope that you take the time to share in the imagination of this story. I'll be waiting for your words.