"Jesus Camp"

[selfinflikted]

I just got done watching a documentary that I had previously recorded on the DVR called "Jesus Camp". Has anyone seen this film? After watching it, I was left completely disgusted and with a feeling of sorrow for those poor children who were brought up in these churches and households. Just wondering if any of you had seen this film, and what your thoughts on it were.

 

[cantata]

I just got done watching a documentary that I had previously recorded on the DVR called "Jesus Camp". Has anyone seen this film? After watching it, I was left completely disgusted and with a feeling of sorrow for those poor children who were brought up in these churches and households. Just wondering if any of you had seen this film, and what your thoughts on it were.

Yes.

The worst bit is the bit with the plastic foetuses.

And the "praying to GWB" bit.

Actually, come to think of it, it's all awful.

Hm, I might re-watch it. I think, in general, the most horrible thing for me was the way that these children were handed ready-made opinions about extremely complex social and political issues before they were even old enough to understand why they are issues in the first place.

 

[selfinflikted]

Hm, I might re-watch it. I think, in general, the most horrible thing for me was the way that these children were handed ready-made opinions about extremely complex social and political issues before they were even old enough to understand why they are issues in the first place.

Oh man. I agree. The sad thing is, is that most of the kids in the film seemed to be very intelligent for their ages. My hope is that they will grow into young adults and use that apparent intellect to emerge from that horrible life.

 

[CCGirl]

It was a disgusting film........those poor kids.

 

[angelpie545]

That film is very frightening, and what's even scarier is the ages of those children. I've seen stuff like that happening with teens, but this is the first time I saw that behavior displayed in children under the age of twelve.

 

[keith99]

Nope.

But I got a touch of it in real life (only a small touch). I worked with the YMCA as a camp councilor for several years. I prefered small caravan camps, but was often called on to work the resident camps. Chapel every morning before breakfast. Short sweet and light (and co-ordinated to give each cabins KP time to get their table setup). All the camps were nominally Christian. But I can think of a few times when there were mode Jews than Christians. Again usually fine by hte standards of anyone besides a rabid athiest.

But one camp had a large dose of Born Again hollier than thou types. Not fun. But I did fire back my one salvo. Had my cabin do Chapel on morning. I don't recall the sonds I picked or the other verses. But I ended it with a reading where I invited people to join in if they liked once they recognized it. Then I started reading. Jesus ranted about people praying on street corners, sysing they already had their reward on earth and would get nothing from their Father in Heaven. And against the conspicous giving of alms. Those verses end with rather pray you like this, 'Our father who art in Heaven.." (The Lords Prayer).

I fear it went right over the heads of those it was intended for, but some folks did get it.

 

[PassionFruit]

I just got done watching a documentary that I had previously recorded on the DVR called "Jesus Camp". Has anyone seen this film? After watching it, I was left completely disgusted and with a feeling of sorrow for those poor children who were brought up in these churches and households. Just wondering if any of you had seen this film, and what your thoughts on it were.

I've seen it, and yes it was disturbing. What really turned me off is when those boys in that one scene (I think it was the nine year priest and another boy) who were talking about associating with non-Christians they felt dirty??

The scene with the plastic fetuses was also disturbing and when they took those kids to Washington and made them protest.

 

[LittleNipper]

I just got done watching a documentary that I had previously recorded on the DVR called "Jesus Camp". Has anyone seen this film? After watching it, I was left completely disgusted and with a feeling of sorrow for those poor children who were brought up in these churches and households. Just wondering if any of you had seen this film, and what your thoughts on it were.

I don't see this film; however, were these children eating lead paint or something? Were they ill dressed? Were they told they were the end product of evolution from apes?

 

[Spherical Time]

I just saw it a week or so ago. I also thought it was very disturbing, but not as much as my mother and brother. I'd been exposed to similar expressions of faith here at CF and over at IIDB, so I'm well aware of the depths of that kind of religious devotion.

I think that the thing that I found most disturbing is the age at when a few of the kids claimed to have been born again. Five years old is not old enough to understand the "emptiness of life" and I'm surprised that the adults even let them claim that. It's as if they were forced to say it in order to receive reciprocal emotion from their families.

The dominionism was also something that I've seen here at CF, so that didn't shock me so much, but I'm still disgusted by it.

 

[stan1980]

I thought you were questioning our lords sexuality when I saw the thread title. *Leaves thread disappointed*

 

[selfinflikted]

I've seen it, and yes it was disturbing. What really turned me off is when those boys in that one scene (I think it was the nine year priest and another boy) who were talking about associating with non-Christians they felt dirty??

Yeah, unfortunately those kids are just reguritating what they've heard adults say. I'd be willing to bet they don't really feel anything.

 

[selfinflikted]

I don't see this film; however, were these children eating lead paint or something? Were they ill dressed? Were they told they were the end product of evolution from apes?

Funny you mention the part about evilution. In one scene, a child and his mother are going over their studies for homeschooling. By the by, the film claims that 70-somthing% of homeschool kids are born again evangelicals! I was like, [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]? Well, that exaplains it..

..anyways I digress. You hear the mother and child talking about how silly it is that science classrooms teach that people were the "end product of evolution from apes". I had to lol at their misinformation. This has got to be the one thing I hear creationists spouting off the most at, where evolution is concerned. Evolution does not in fact predict that we descended from apes - never has. It simply says that we have a common ancestor with modern-day apes. There is a WORLD of difference between the two.

Now, consider yourself corrected. Again.

 

[LittleNipper]

Yeah, unfortunately those kids are just reguritating what they've heard adults say. I'd be willing to bet they don't really feel anything.

So what exactly do you feel?

 

[selfinflikted]

I thought you were questioning our lords sexuality when I saw the thread title. *Leaves thread disappointed*

Aww, sorry to disappoint

 

[Washington]

Watched about 20 minutes and had to switch channels. (Where's the barfing smiley when you need it.)

 

[Beanieboy]

I watched the whole thing. There were a lot of strange elements to it:
* There is the leader who claims that global warming doesn't exist, and explains to her son how to answer to it.
* The leader says, "there are Muslim children who are taught to kill for their God. Are you willing to die for Jesus?" There is little talk of living for God, but a lot of dying for God. There is also a lot of images of war, a choreographed war like dance, and chants of "this means war." There are no mentions of love. There are no mentions of hope, or kindness, or pretty much anything that Christ taught.
* The 9 year old decides to give his life to Christ because he realized that there had to be more to life. At 6? Really? Or was he parroting what he was taught?

The best was the irony of Ted Haggart saying to the cameraman or the audience, "I know what you did last night..."

It's very melodramatic, with children crying over their sins, begging God for forgiveness, crying about abortion or whatever else was thrown at them. It was very manipulative.

It's also another one of those examples where a nonchristian says, "If people are only concerned about Christian prayer in public school, but not the public workplace, is that because religion is for kids?"

What I did like about the doc is that it put human faces to those kids. You felt sorry for them that they had such militant christian parents.

 

[sethad]

I just got done watching a documentary that I had previously recorded on the DVR called "Jesus Camp". Has anyone seen this film? After watching it, I was left completely disgusted and with a feeling of sorrow for those poor children who were brought up in these churches and households. Just wondering if any of you had seen this film, and what your thoughts on it were.

Saw it. I was disgusted as well. Brainwashing and indoctrination like that should be considered a form of emotional/psychological abuse.

 

[aotn]

Own the DVD, absolutely love the movie. Incredibly well done and so balanced. And harder to watch every time.

 

[SpaceProg]

I've never managed to see the whole thing. I think I may end up buying it. From what I have seen, however, it seems the kids were pushed into believing the dogma without even having grown up enough to understand what it meant.

When I was their age, sure I thought about God and angels and other theological things... but in the mindset of a child. They could have just as well been fairies or dragons. It was only when I became older that I realised that there was much more to religion and faith than storybook fantasies.
Those kids are too young to even fathom the depth of the religious and theological scope of Christianity or any other religion. Just let them be kids. When it comes time, it'll just click. They'll start asking questions and getting existential. At least, that's what I did.

I don't know if I'd call it abuse point blank, but it did seem to not allow much leeway in free will of being a ... well.. kid, and thinking kid things.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

The most disturbing part I remember is the kid who said that at the age of 5 he decided life was empty and meaningless.

But I had to laugh at how camp Ted Haggard seemed in it...if only they knew what we know now.