Dad,

I believe that creativity is a natural result of spirituality. The two are intrinsically linked, and you can’t have one without the other. The creative process, though, much like lifestyle choices or world views and paradigms, is a result of a lifetime of experiences and degrees of nurturing. Everyone has a different life experience, therefore a different world view, and he or she cannot be expected to live out his or her creativity in a way that is consistent with someone whose experiences in life are entirely dissimilar.

Philip Pulman is an atheist. He writes beautifully and weaves a story as a master in his craft. His literature was built for film, in that it has vivid imagery and a smooth, almost graceful storyline. I haven’t read the Golden Compass, but I intend to. There have been atheists and deists alike that have worked together to make our culture the dynamic force that it is today, and it would be a shame to ignore their efforts because we disagree with their theology, or lack thereof.

Jesus was educated in the ways of the Jewish tradition, and he came to denounce the wielders of the law. Gandhi met Christians in his time at Oxford, and he chose to continue on his path as a devout Hindu. Dr. Martin Luther King was a reverend and a proud American, but held few values that the ruling class promoted at the time. To discount someone because of their social, political, or religious position is to ignore the potential of humanity to create a message that resonates and that transcends the understanding of our limited consciousness. It is a shame that the Christian community has such a grand opportunity to embrace the art and majesty of the beautiful creations of God’s children, and they will likely fail miserably at it;.

Bryan.