Naaramare,
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You'll notice that . . .the Authority wasn't God. He was someone who at one point told everyone he was God, but he was lying. Pullman's "god" was something entirely different.
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Oh yes, and I should have included instiutionalized authority-- Pullman hit that most effectively-- the institute is the scariest thing in the story-- I can't think of that operation in the first book without getting the shakes. The closest thing to my idea of God in the story is the Dust... but if I was writing it, they would find it had a multiplied consciousness -- in other words I'd have followed the characters who die, including the friend and the two 'so-bad-they're-good' sacrificers a little further into death and dustiness and discovered that condition more. Pullman leaves that somewhat open, I think -- what it's like when you're part of the dust. There are hints. However, I like Pullman's story as it is, it reflects his ideas and so it should. Finding that my love for the universe is requited after all is my faith some days, my fantasy other days.*sigh*
Lila, the fate of the squire depends on how he acts now, after his betrayal. A character who has done something so terrible it's wrecked their character/soul/what-have-you is potentially fascinating, as I'm sure Nazgul Number 10 would agree. When you've disgraced yourself in your own eyes, that's the real test of character: what do you do then, try to fix it? Try to punish yourself? Try to be better in the future?
Does your squire have care for the ones he hurt, or does he tell self-defensive lies to himself, throwing the blame on them? That's the real test. His story really only begins after he blows it! How he takes it should determine the consequences to him in the story-- if there's nothing of his original character left because he's reacted only with selfish defensiveness, then forgiveness helps his victims but can't save him. Gandalf's and Frodo's forgiveness helped them, but didn't save Saruman-- it could have, though, if Saruman had come out of his tower and helped or even just done no more harm.