I tried to post this video from YouTube, but it hasn't shown up yet. When it does, there might be two for a while. :) Sorry about that.
I think you can follow the link here if you don't want to wait. This is an ABC report on the film and camp, and it scared me. Little kids shouting the "under god" part as if they are a member of the Hitler Youth. Or Muslim extremists. Kids weeping about abortion and their "faith." Kids shouting and weeping with images of George "The torturer in Chief" Bush against an American flag backdrop.
This is incredibly frightening for our country. Instead of making us more moral, it will make us more polarized. I don't see much Christ in this "Jesus Camp" and that saddens me. I grew up in a pretty conservative church, and yes, we sang the "Onward Christian Soldiers" song in VBS that I now find quite inappropriate. But my exposure to the faith, while flawed by certain pastors was largely positive.
(One who beat his kids with a coal shovel in front of me, and the other who lectured me on why boys over the age of 12 should not "cry, drink milk, or have long hair." This last one, btw, was my first introduction to the young earth argument.)
But those pastors were clearly anomalies. My church family was a good one. The military images were muted and the push for peace and compassion was important. Loving other people (not in a hippie way) was encouraged. We were not told to disengage from the culture or other faiths, and my best friend at the time was a Jehovah's Witness.
Watching the kids in this video makes me ill. It is, in no way, what the church was to me as a youth, or what it should be as an adult. Brainwashing children is abuse.
Update: Educat saw the film and shares her thoughtful comments. And from her post, the link to Rev Dan's comments.
5 comments:
OMG! I have never seen anything like that. I think that I am at a loss for words - and that ain't easy to do...
Adam
I posted the trailer a little while ago. It will be a few weeks before I'm able to see it, but it looks really good, in a scary as hell sort of way.
I saw the ABC clip. If a documentary group went in and distorted what was going on the people would have a legitimate complaint. But this is their film and they are pushing this as if it's something wonderful. They have no concept of just how creepy this is.
On a related note, lots of churches in my area were doing "army adventure camp" for their VBS program this year. Kids signed "recruitment papers" on the first day and were issued "dog tags." Very disturbing.
I almost lost my breakfast watching this. Just looking at the young age of most of these kids was the most disturbing part. Kids may be smart, but they shouldn't be subjected to this...they still don't know any better to understand the issues and formulate comprehensive opinions of their own. They are eating up what they are fed, plain and simple. And people vilify me for being pagan!!
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