I would like to start off by saying that I am not a religious fanatic, and do not fault adults who question the existence of God. Over the last decade religion has become a very hot topic of public debate, most notably around Christmas time when incessant lawsuits drive schools and other public buildings to take down their “holiday trees”. As a country founded on the concept of freedom of religion, more and more we are seeing religion being removed from the public eye.

Although I was baptized a Catholic, I was never confirmed, nor do I attend church on a regular basis. I would not be considered what you would call the “religious right”, at least in the sense that I am not religious. I do however share the same principles commonly associated with the religious right, most notably on the issue of removing religion from the public square. The idea that a Christmas Tree or a Menorah could somehow be offensive to anyone has always amused me, and it seems every year someone will file a lawsuit because a school has put a tree with lights on it in their lobby.

It has become clear that the removal of religion from the public eye has an underlying goal of removing God from the hearts of Americans. A person who believes in God, believes in a higher power, they believe they were put on this Earth for a reason, and if they were to live a good life they will be rewarded in the after life. For many, it is this sincere belief in the almighty that prevents them from doing wrong. True believers pledge their allegiance to God before they pledge allegiance to their country, and this is what has many frightened.

Atheists have been on a quest for years to kill God, not literally of course, but metaphorically. If God is removed from the public eye they believe more will begin questioning His existence.

This morning I received an email regarding a new children’s movie scheduled for release in December starring Nicole Kidman and Kevin Bacon. The movie is called the Golden Compass and is based on the first book of a trilogy written by professed atheist Philip Pullman. In the final chapter of this trilogy, a boy and a girl kill God so they can do as they please.

The idea that this movie is targeted to children should be cause of concern to all parents, not only those who are raising their children in a religious setting. Metaphorically speaking, God is an authority figure in the minds of children, the authority figure who knows all and punishes those who break His laws. The way most children are on their best behavior around Christmas time because Santa Claus is watching them, the same can be true year round for children who believe in the existence of God.

I recall when I was younger reading children’s books and a teacher would ask, “what is the moral of this story?” Well the moral of this trilogy appears to be, if you kill an authority figure you can do as you please. This is certainly not the message parents wish to convey to their children.

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Religion