A row over religion has engulfed the movie version of 'The Golden Compass', one of Philip Pullman's children's novels from the series His Dark Materials, as critics say that the Hollywood film waters down the anti-Catholic themes in the book so as not to offend.

|PIC1|The book rejects organised religion and in particular, the Catholic Church, but this has been taken out so as not to offend followers in the UK and USA.

The expected blockbuster, named 'The Golden Compass', after the American title of Pullman's novel Northern Lights, will star Nicole Kidman and James Bond star, Daniel Craig.

Film makers have said that they have stayed true to a majority of the magical narrative in the novel, but the sinister organisation known as the Magisterium has, however, been changed, so that the film will now appear to be a more general widespread attack on dogmatic authorities.

Pullman has said that he believes the "outline of the story is faithful to what I wrote, given my knowledge of what they have done".

However, the National Secular Society, which the author is an honorary associate - has decided to speak out on the alterations from the novel.

Terry Sanderson, president of the society said, "It was clear right from the start that the makers of this film intended to take out the anti-religious elements of Pullman's book. In doing that they are taking the heart out of it, losing the point of it, castrating it.

"It seems that religion has now completely conquered America's cultural life and it is much the poorer for it. What a shame that we have to endure such censorship here too."

Nicole Kidman, however, who is Christian herself, has defended the movie. She said that the novel "has been watered down a little ... I was raised Catholic, the Catholic Church is part of my essence. I wouldn't be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti-Catholic."

The children's novel tells the story of Lyra, who battles against a dominant religious authority called 'The Magisterium', which condones the abduction of children for experimentation.

Movie director Chris Weitz, who directed British hit family comedy 'About A Boy', starring Hugh Grant, assured that the film would be a fair reflection of Pullman's novel.

He said, "In the books the Magisterium is a version of the Catholic church gone wildly astray from its roots. If that's what you want in the film, you'll be disappointed.

"We have expanded the range of meanings of what the Magisterium represents. Philip Pullman is against any kind of organised dogma whether it is church hierarchy or, say, a Soviet hierarchy."