Jesus Camp

[SirLebowski]

What are your feelings about the documentary Jesus Camp? A documentary about a faction of the Evangelical community that literally trains it's children to be warriors of God.

I think getting past the whole endless religious debate, it deeply disturbs me.

Now, I know this is just a small little extreme part of a fairly large religion and shouldn't be used as the example, but regardless, it's out there.

I am just wandering what others feel about it. Do you think this "movement" will gain influence in America?

And partially related, given the spike in sales of things like Christian rock/metal/rap/whatever music, is my dream of a generation of religiously-broken people gone forever? I'm not saying I want people to stop having faith, I'm just saying I don't want them to be active or proud of their religion in any way shape or form, that way I won't have to fear Evangelical suicide bombings in the distant future.

[cellardoor6]

I think you're just doing what the other morons are doing. Using your bias to put American Christians on the same moral field as Islamic fundamentalists, which is just ridiculous.

I think that alot of those Evangelicals are wacky out of their minds as well. But I think that accusing them of being on the verge of being militants is just ridiculous. They don't teach their followers to go and kill innocent people.

[SirLebowski]

At 1/27/07 05:15 AM, cellardoor6 wrote: I think you're just doing what the other morons are doing. Using your bias to put American Christians on the same moral field as Islamic fundamentalists, which is just ridiculous.

I think that alot of those Evangelicals are wacky out of their minds as well. But I think that accusing them of being on the verge of being militants is just ridiculous. They don't teach their followers to go and kill innocent people.

Have you seen the documentary of which I am discussing, or are you just calling me a bias moron? I made the "suicide" bombing comment in relation to the fact that often when being taught to be extremely intolerable towards others, it wouldn't be so much of a stretch to assume prehaps some our capable and unstable enough to kill in the name of God, I mean it's been done before.

I'm not saying they are particularly being trained to kill, and I apologize, I didn't mean to convey I thought they were militants if that is what I did, but the documentary really doesn't make me think these kids are going to grow up and leave normal, productive lives.

[Boltrig]

I can see your point but it is kinda flawed. Take the london bombings. Young muslim men feel dissalusioned with their country and are tempted into extremism by corrupt "community leaders"

I can see why Christans would be getting dissalusioned with the state of affairs right now, but for them to take action in the form of terrorism serves even less purpose than usual. Which is tricky.

America / UK whatever are fundamentally Christian nations, and the predominately Muslim countries are already in such a state of turmoil that the message wouldnt really get across.

I cant see a Christian Holy war anytime soon.

[packow]

It is a basic aspect of Islam to wage holy war against non-beleivers.

At least the Christians aren't hurting anyone.

[SkunkyFluffy]

I went to church camp almost every summer (and at New Year's in high school) over the course of ten years. As we got older, the religious messages were pushed a little more, but it was definitely not the crazy brainwash camp that's depicted in the documentary. I cared a lot more at age 8 about the climbing wall and the archery range than the Bible classes.

Religion is no longer a major part of my life, but my trips to camp did offer me an education in Christian theology that I think many Christians do not receive. I learned the difference between things that are in the Bible and things that people do out of zealotry. And I learned how to have an intelligent discussion about my faith rather than scream at people about Jesus.

[AdamRice]

Isn't being proud of your religion a sin since pride is a sin?

And really, isn't anything we do a sin since the 7 deadly one's are like all intertwined with every day life? Explain please.

[SmilezRoyale]

It's not religon that hyjacks people, it's people who hyjack religon.

if it were up to me, these sacreligous fools should be put to death, i hate people who soil a beleif system which has been developing into something positive over the last 50 years.

[LadyGrace]

Um... you do know that that documentary was extremely bias against Christians, right? Are you so quick to believe it because it's in documentary format? I could make the same sort of "documentary" about you being crazy and gay when I follow you for months and do some clever editing putting all that time into an hour. I don't understand people who are so quick to believe a documentary's message because it's in documentary format. What you see is not acted, but it's not entirely real. You didn't see the slower more calm more neutral discussions because they're not "controversial" or "gripping." Documentarians in the film industry want something that will get them attention. A non-biased look at Christians won't be one of those things. And the fact that so many are so quick to believe it is more pathetic than the children at the camps themselves.

[Sigma-Lambda]

At 1/27/07 05:15 AM, cellardoor6 wrote: I think that alot of those Evangelicals are wacky out of their minds as well. But I think that accusing them of being on the verge of being militants is just ridiculous. They don't teach their followers to go and kill innocent people.

Yes, but regardless of what religious values they are teaching them, they are still indoctrinating young children. They are instilling political views into little kids, kids too young to understand the issue and make their own choices.

[SirLebowski]

At 1/27/07 09:08 AM, Boltrig wrote: I can see your point but it is kinda flawed. Take the london bombings. Young muslim men feel dissalusioned with their country and are tempted into extremism by corrupt "community leaders"

I can see why Christans would be getting dissalusioned with the state of affairs right now, but for them to take action in the form of terrorism serves even less purpose than usual. Which is tricky.

America / UK whatever are fundamentally Christian nations, and the predominately Muslim countries are already in such a state of turmoil that the message wouldnt really get across.

I cant see a Christian Holy war anytime soon.

I see what you are saying, and agree. But what of matters like abortion clinics and things? I know their isn't going to be terrorism on the same level as some unstable Middle Eastern countries, but with people like those in the documentary being trained to think the way they do, prehaps there will be an increase in attacks on abortion clinics and such, but that would be working under the assumption that the things like found in this Jesus Camp movie pick up speed. Even normal evangelicals like to distance themselves from this, which says something.

So I guess my new stance is if something like this can gain prominence in the community, it may present isolated problems in the future with these children as they grow up thinking the way they do.

[SirLebowski]

At 1/27/07 01:18 PM, LadyGrace wrote: Um... you do know that that documentary was extremely bias against Christians, right? Are you so quick to believe it because it's in documentary format? I could make the same sort of "documentary" about you being crazy and gay when I follow you for months and do some clever editing putting all that time into an hour. I don't understand people who are so quick to believe a documentary's message because it's in documentary format. What you see is not acted, but it's not entirely real. You didn't see the slower more calm more neutral discussions because they're not "controversial" or "gripping." Documentarians in the film industry want something that will get them attention. A non-biased look at Christians won't be one of those things. And the fact that so many are so quick to believe it is more pathetic than the children at the camps themselves.

Have you actually seen the documentary Jesus Camp, and based on rational thought you formed the opinion that it was a bias documentary, or did you here the words "documentary" and "religion" and decide to go off on me with a tirad about bais documentations. Well, either way, I am sorry to say I think you are wrong.

If you've seen this particular documentary, documententing the case of a specific group of evangelical "extremeists" if you will, you woulkd take note that they actually made it a big point to leave as much bias out of it as possible. Even the director of the camp was promoting the movie, because they felt it didn't portray them negatively.

So if you have the documentee calling you unbias, well...

[Brick-top]

I've only watched the trailer.

You know those people who say:

"Jesus loves you"

How the fuck do you know. Jesus may hate your guts. He may have like his bolt of lightning rifle and try to shoot your ass down.

[JMHX]

Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

[Brick-top]

At 1/27/07 05:19 PM, JMHX wrote: Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

Nope, no time to watch and the title says all.

[SkunkyFluffy]

At 1/27/07 05:19 PM, JMHX wrote: Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

We should all get together at your place and watch it.

[Brick-top]

At 1/27/07 05:38 PM, SkunkyFluffy wrote:

At 1/27/07 05:19 PM, JMHX wrote: Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

We should all get together at your place and watch it.

42" HD ready or I'm not coming!

[SolInvictus]

At 1/27/07 05:46 PM, sex-crazed-maniac wrote: 42" HD ready or I'm not coming!

i wanna see those tears of Jesusy joy crystal clear.

[SirLebowski]

At 1/27/07 05:19 PM, JMHX wrote: Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

I have a feeling nobody feels the need to understand what I am talking about before they call me a bias moron. Polytiks iz funneh.

[SilentProtagonist]

At 1/28/07 12:37 AM, SirLebowski wrote:

At 1/27/07 05:19 PM, JMHX wrote: Simple question:

Has anyone who is bashing the validity of Jesus Camp actually seen the film?

I have a feeling nobody feels the need to understand what I am talking about before they call me a bias moron. Polytiks iz funneh.

What else would you expect from a website that mostly populated by pubeless, nose picking, chronic masturbatory, nose picking, know it all atheistic fifteen year olds?

[Proteas]

At 1/28/07 02:57 PM, SilentProtagonist wrote: What else would you expect from a website that mostly populated by pubeless, nose picking, chronic masturbatory, nose picking, know it all atheistic fifteen year olds?

You're right, he's asking WAY to much from people by coming here expecting intelligent debate. He should have gone to general forum instead, where the real intellectuals are hiding.

Have I seen the movie? No, and I don't intend to. I'm not going to waste $6 of my hard earned cash to go to Movie Gallery and rent a movie that Christianity when I can come in here and see it bashed for free by people with roughly the same amount of "unbiased-ness," fuck you people, I've got better things to spend my money on.

I've read the reviews for this movie online, and I would like to point out something; the movie centers around an easy target for ridicule within Christianity, The Charismatic Movement, a relatively new movement that takes elements of Pentecostal worship practices to the extreme, and this film caused the camp in question to actually SHUT DOWN.

They weren't rioting, they weren't calling for anyone's head on a lance... they were minding their own damn business, something that is severely lacking in today's society.

[LadyGrace]

At 1/27/07 01:33 PM, SirLebowski wrote: Have you actually seen the documentary Jesus Camp, and based on rational thought you formed the opinion that it was a bias documentary, or did you here the words "documentary" and "religion" and decide to go off on me with a tirad about bais documentations. Well, either way, I am sorry to say I think you are wrong.

I'll admit, I haven't seen the entire thing. I've seen a couple parts of it. I suppose I concluded that it was bias because the people really are bat-shit crazy.

At 1/27/07 01:27 PM, SirLebowski wrote: So I guess my new stance is if something like this can gain prominence in the community, it may present isolated problems in the future with these children as they grow up thinking the way they do.

I don't know of many christians who do acts of terrorism. Since it's been around pretty much longer than islam and has had very few documented cases of terrorism, I doubt people are all of a sudden going to wake up and say "hey, let's bomb something!" Of course, there's Tim McVeigh, but as far as I know, he didn't do it for religious reasons. In fact, he claimed to be agnostic. *shrug* That isn't to say that religious fundamentalists won't ever do it. But I'm of the mind, if they're really Christian, they'll remember that they should "love their enemy," "God loves all his children," that "he who is without sin" etc.

[stafffighter]

Anything is dangerous when taken to the point of zealotry. And the scary part is that people can become zealots over anything

[Dragon-Smaug]

At 1/28/07 04:56 PM, stafffighter wrote: Anything is dangerous when taken to the point of zealotry. And the scary part is that people can become zealots over anything

Which is why religion is not the cause of zealotry, as many people think.

(Sorry to interject off-topic.)

[Proteas]

At 1/28/07 06:07 PM, intrinsik2 wrote: The film aired all over the country.

Oh bullshit. If that was the case this would have come up for discussion on here months ago... like when the movie came out.

but they were not minding their own damn business either.

Oh yes, the great sin of proselytizing by handing out tracts. Far be it for anyone to attempt to win hearts and minds for their cause, that's just WRONG.

Screw perspective.

And what perspective does this movie seek to convey, exactly? "Here's the crazy white Christians, folks! Look at how disturbing their practices are compared to your own! Point and laugh children!"

Sounds more like the opportunistic perspective from the guy who runs a circus sideshow of deformed freaks than someone who is trying to better humanity through the arts...

[Boltrig]

At 1/27/07 01:22 PM, Sigma-Lambda wrote:

Yes, but regardless of what religious values they are teaching them, they are still indoctrinating young children. They are instilling political views into little kids, kids too young to understand the issue and make their own choices.

And so does Christianity. I was raised Catholic, and made my confirmation at the age of about 8 or 9. Im sure a 9 year old has the mental capacity to weigh up the arguments for and against belief in a god and make a decision that will affect the rest of their life.

[Boltrig]

Sorry for the above post, I thought it wasrefering to Muslim extremeist. Ill just rephrase it into:
Other branches of Christianity do it too

[Alphabit]

I think it's wrong because it is being done to innocent children... Basically, the kids are being brainwashed to believe that they should die for God...

Well, at least if gives the US Army some dumb fuckers to fight in Iraq. After all, to them, Islam is the axis of Evil.

[Dealy-rizazamatizazz]

I can become i warrior of God? So I show no bias, and do nothing, because it's judgemental, and we can't judge others, it's in the bible. And I can only kill people who I don't consider my neighbor or something? Really, do these religious people read the bible?

[SouthAsian]

At 1/27/07 12:28 PM, packow wrote: It is a basic aspect of Islam to wage holy war against non-beleivers.

At least the Christians aren't hurting anyone.

The people who organized this ittle camp was influenced by hoew religiously motivated Muslims were to God.The Christians are just trying it out.