Jesus Camp

[Chimichurri]

The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2767730?ns=1

This is what we're up against.

[noonwitch]

1. Young Life camp it ain't!

I went to Young Life camp in high school. It was evangelical by nature, but there was no demonization of society at large involved.

Heck, when my mother didn't want me to go, the counselors told me that I had to obey my parents. Dad trumped mom on that one, though.

This looks scary, though. The one thing to understand, though, is that a lot of those kids will eventually become disillusioned with their faith. It's easy to believe without question when you are young and protected by your parents, etc. It's not really faith until it's been challenged and rediscovered as an adult.

[YOY]

2. Freaky!

Scary Jebus nuts!

Alls it takes is a nice point out that these born agains don't consider Catholics/Mormons/Orthodox Christians/Mainstream Protestants (with perhaps the exception of Baptists perhaps) to be Christians and they are defeated and exposed for the lunatics they are. Use Bill O'Loofa's "Anti-Christian" bullshit against the religious right. Hit 'em where they hur.

Will someone make that point and freaking drive it home with a documentary or some form of widespread information distribution already?

[waiting for hope]

3. Oh my God...

I think Jesus would cry in despair over that - I thought protecting our freedoms and way of life was having the ability to have those freedoms and lifestyles. My five year old has the right to be a child first. Just sick - no better than the terrorists.

[Niche]

4. Just caught a doc on cable the other night about the same thing....

creepy. Unfortunately, I can't remember the title.


edit to include - on HBO. On demand.

2nd edit - about Patrick Henry University in Ohio. Home schooled kids into "Christian" college (Patrick Henry Un.) that pretty much trains them to become right wing pundits and campaign trail for the lord.

[Warpy]

6. Those bible colleges are all unaccredited

meaning a degree from one of them is a degree in religious propaganda. Most of the graduates will have a great deal of difficulty dealing with anything outside the closed fundy community--and that community is becoming more closed every day as braying fundies like the leader of that camp promote fear of the larger culture.

The up side is that they're marginalizing and isolating themselves. The down side is that some of them will act out their rage and hate and shoot up local businesses they don't like, or worse.

People like this have always been with us, and they've always been creepy. The difference now is the unity they feel with each other though evangelical television ranters. Once they concentrate into their own communities, that solidarity will start to evaporate. It always does.

[RumpusCat]

5. "The Palestinians have camps..."

Where, according to one of the ladies in the trailer, they put hand grenades in children's hands. Even if that were true, the reason would be that these "Palestinians" with hand grenades are in the middle of an on-going low-intensity hot war. Does that mean that the lady running/supporting this Jesus Camp is expecting the battle between Christians and non-believers to escalate into a hot war sometime in the near future--near enough to justify teaching children combat and pointing to the guerilla combat of the "Palestinians" as a role model? :scared:

It's difficult to tell from the trailer just how much of this camp is really teaching combat--it's obvious that there is some kind of military/militia theme, with the drills and the face-paint, but it's probably just pagentry. Creepy pagentry, to be sure. I can't wait to see this! Is it coming to DC soon?

[beyurslf]

7. What about the guy asking the children if they are willing to give up

their lives for god. Do kids even know what that would mean?

[Jacobin]

8. Madrasas right here in the good ole' US of A

:rofl:

Dickwads