disEnchanted Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I just finished watching the movie Jesus Camp on DVD. Is there already a discussion thread about the movie? I couldn't find it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirangel Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I've never seen it, but there is this one camp on this lake I kayak around, and on one side there's this HUGE cross outdoors by the shore with a bunch of wooden benches in front of it so I've always called it the Jesus camp. I was never sent to one, I got lucky they made my older brother go to this one church camp event over the summer. I'm glad I wasn't the oldest. Anyways, that park/Jesus camp, whatever it is is sick. They have this crazy water slide, and some large blown up cushion in the water, you can climb up and jump off of a platform onto it. If it is a Christian camp then I would have loved to have been sent there as a child, I think it would have been worth the preaching. Sorry, completely off topic...so whats the movie about, is it any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerato Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I have seen some parts of the movie that are posted on YouTube, but have not yet seen the full movie. Where were you able to rent it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disEnchanted Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 I get my movies through Blockbuster Online. I watched it this afternoon. It was so sickening!! Those crazy adults were completely brainwashing young children. It's interesting to watch because this is what the evangelical fundamental christians are actually doing to the youth of today. Ted Haggard was a "speaker" at the camp. He was really freaky. And the woman who runs the camp, Becky Fischer should be arrested or something! She is a children's pastor for Kids on Fire, a summer camp for evangelical christian children in North Dakota. She believes in "the political and moral importance of a christian presence in america." She uses her camp to reinforce the religious training that some of these kids are already receiving at home and in their churches. She uses video games, animated videos, and group activities to put her brainwashing across. One of the weirdest thing on the movie was when they brought out a life-sized cut out of George Bush and began praying for him and laying their hands on the thing and speaking in tongues for him and his supreme court nominees. The kids say that they learned at the camp that they should be part of "the lord's army" and willing to die for jesus like the muslims do for their religion. The crazy nut-job woman (Fischer) says it's best to get kids when they are young because things that kids learn by age 7 or 8 will always be part of them. In one scene, the kids are in their camp house playing with flashlights and telling ghost stories before bed when one of the counselors comes in and tells them that ghost stories don't honor jesus so they shouldn't be telling them. The kids have guilty looks on their faces like they'd been caught doing something wrong!!! These are just normal kids until they go through this insane religious "boot camp". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbobrob Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 And from these brainwashed kids the Army of Darkness (the Anti-Christ's army of decieved followers) will rise. I really do fear the self-fulling prophecy possibility. And I do think it will be people who think they are doing their Christian duty that will be the decieved. Certianly not us "Satanists" who are more interested in live and let live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnceConvinced Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 In one scene, the kids are in their camp house playing with flashlights and telling ghost stories before bed when one of the counselors comes in and tells them that ghost stories don't honor jesus so they shouldn't be telling them. The kids have guilty looks on their faces like they'd been caught doing something wrong!!! Man, that pisses me off. Not everything we do has to honour Jesus. This reeks of a high and mighty fundamentalist Christian who is trying to make out they're super spiritual person who's holier than everybody else around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I hear that the place has closed subsequent to the film and the Haggard schadenfreude episode... sort of an embarrassment of embarrassments... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbobrob Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I hear that the place has closed subsequent to the film and the Haggard schadenfreude episode... sort of an embarrassment of embarrassments... If anything could make me believe in God, that news could. HOLLY-LOU-YAH!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a skeptical believer Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Actual Quotes from the Site: www.Jesuscampthemovie.com "As the directors of the film Jesus Camp we feel the need to respond to Pastor Ted Haggard’s comments on our documentary." JESUS CAMP responds to Ted Haggard The children come across as kind, passionate and intelligent. Pastor Becky Fischer is a very likeable and real person, both on and off the screen. Pastor Haggard is the only person in Jesus Camp who has a problem with how he was portrayed, and with the film as a whole. All the others in the movie feel it is accurate and fair and are excited about people seeing it. I have 2 questions: And I ask them in all seriousness. And I will rent the movie if I can find it and make sure my whole family sees it (hopefully it won't spawn nightmares) 1. Do they really teach children that Jesus can't return until everyone believes & is saved? And if they can't be saved, what then? 2. I often wonder what the future holds for these children? Will they be evangelicals or end up ex-christians? I see signs up all around for Vacation Bible School (VBS). Can someone explain to me what that is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I have 2 questions: And I ask them in all seriousness. 1. Do they really teach children that Jesus can't return until everyone believes & is saved? And if they can't be saved, what then? 2. I often wonder what the future holds for these children? Will they be evangelicals or end up ex-christians? I see signs up all around for Vacation Bible School (VBS). Can someone explain to me what that is? 1) It depends on the branch of the cult. Some are Pre-Trib, Mid Trib- and post-tribulation Rapture monkeys. The end timers focus on doomsday, death and fear. None of them happen to agree when Christ will return however. 2) 50/50 chance I guess.... I think Most likely Ex-Cers. Being raised in an extremist Ass of God (Assembly of God) I type from experience. Out of 5 of us, I only know one who still believes and is a worship leader. I suspect by the time these kids are older there be even more information and education. That IS the only way to fight fundamentalism. VBS is a summer program put on by the churches. Crafts, trips, some camping depending on the church and moneys I guess. All with buybull lesson themes of course. There was also a few threads around about Jesus Camp, it was a while ago though. I saw the movie.. I got anxiety watching it. I can attest that these fundy places really do exist. I think there are more then people realize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a skeptical believer Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Pre-Trib, Mid Trib- and post-tribulation I would really like to learn more. When I look up tribulation one of the definition reads: Tribulation trouble or affiction of any kind (Deut. 4:30; Matt. 13:21; 2 Cor. 7:4). In Rom. 2:9 "tribulation and anguish" are the penal sufferings that shall overtake the wicked. In Matt. 24:21, 29, the word denotes the calamities that were to attend the destruction of Jerusalem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 They could turn out like the Bakker boy, who I actually like...Religiously he's closer to Spong than Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Idoless Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 The entire movie is on Brightcove, if anyone wants to watch it. http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=...annel=525261929 That's a link to part one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lostintransition Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I saw this film with my partner and it was a flashback from my childhood. While I found most of their beliefs hilarious and absurd, I was partially embarassed for the people in the film, mostly because of how desperate they are to prove their point. It was also frightening as I watched the little girl while on a church trip to Washington D.C. to protest Roe v Wade asked two African American security guards if they believed that they were going to heaven or not. When they replied "yes" and that they do believe in God, she pushed to question "are you sure???" and while she walked away mentioned to a friend that she thought they were Muslim. I really wonder how socially awkward these kids will turn out to be. What was probably more frightening were the indoctrination tactics that these people used with their children? It really did hit me close to home and I thought it was a wonderful portrayal of that world that was dead on because it remained objective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lostintransition Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I have seen some parts of the movie that are posted on YouTube, but have not yet seen the full movie. Where were you able to rent it? I was able to find a copy at Hollywood video. You may also want to check out your local library, I was impressed to find a copy while browsing my public library's DVD collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I have not seen the movie, but my parents sent me to a Jesus camp. Since it has been more than 35 years ago I don't remember a lot, and overall it wasn't particularly unpleasant to me at the time. However, at one point there was a campfire at night and we each were given a small tree branch which was supposed to represent our life. We were supposed to rededicate our lives to Christ and publically show we had done so by throwing said tree branch/stick into the fire. So all the kids lined up and threw their sticks onto the fire. Interesting symbolism, don't you think? The point of this was that people were supposed to only be saved once, and if one had doubts or was backslidden the proper thing to do was to re-dedicate your life to Christ. I instinctively resented the coercion of the campfire scene. I pretended to throw my stick into the fire but really threw my stick into the woods. Of course later I felt guilty about it. Christianity in its myriad forms can really do a number on a kid psychologically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerato Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I definately want to see the whole movie now. As I don't come from a fundamentalist background it was a real wake up call for me just to see the trailers on YouTube. I did see the part with the cardboard cutout of George W. and I also saw the part with the girl breakdancing to Christian music and saying that she has to be careful to make sure that she dances for God and not for "the flesh" - whatever that means. Call me a naive optimist, but I still hold out hope for at least some of these kids. Many people on these boards will admit to having once been the fundiest of fundies, so maybe one day some of these kids will realize that they have been indoctrunated into believing a message that is historically inaccurate, implausable, and divisive. As for the rest of them I fear that we are looking at the future Jerry Fallwells and James Dobsons of America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Bugger Falwells et al... I'd hate to have one as a doctor, a lawyer, or even worse, a member of government... something as benign as a Falwell would be a blessing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a skeptical believer Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 My favorite Falwell line (coined by my good friend) Falwell was a Post Term Abortion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Harley Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 321st trimester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 "Jesus Camp" makes a great double header with "Marjoe". I'd be very, very interested in seeing where the kids from Jesus Camp are, 10 years from now. That one little blonde kid, who admitted that he doubted his faith - I can't help but think that there's an ex-Xian in the making, right there. But who knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Wolf Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I wish I could grab a gun and shoot that fat cunt. Except, there is a chance that her massive amount of fat will absorb the bullet impact. It is disgusting that she wants to raise an army of militant children, who will die for that fucked up bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Wolf Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I wish I could grab a gun and shoot that fat cunt. Except, there is a chance that her massive amount of fat will absorb the bullet impact. It is disgusting that she wants to raise an army of militant children, who will die for that fucked up bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightbearer Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 There is already a thread or five about this. Oh well, serves for all the newbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted October 6, 2007 Share Posted October 6, 2007 Sorry to add to this thread after it's been sleeping for so long, but when I read about it here, I added it to my queue and I just now saw the movie. A couple of reactions: 1) I never went to a camp like this, but many of the elements of the movie were so familiar it was like deja vu. 2) What was different, was that there was a political motive behind EVERYTHING. That element of controlling the government, lobbying for anti-abortion laws, for the continuation of the war--it wouldn't have been there when I was an xian, but from what I see from the outside looking into xianity, I bet it's an accurate reflection of what is going on today. The cardboard stand-up of president Bush: we wouldn't have done that with president Nixon. Not exactly, anyway. We may have prayed for our leaders to be anointed, I guess, and we'd pray the same way over, say, someone from our church who was going out to preach the gad-spell or something. It was scary. 3) As good as seeing the movie itself was watching the reaction of my wife, who is not an ex-c, and whose only real exposure to pentecostals and/or evangelicals has been through my stories, from seeing my mother and other fundies that she got exposed to because of me, a slightly heightened awareness from being married to an ex-c, and a little more exposure now than when she was growing up because of a change in geography. In other words, she knows something about it now, but it's still pretty foreign to her. She was outraged and probably as worked up about the whole thing as I was. In spite of her limited exposure, she seemed a little shocked (compared to my sense of familiarity), and she saw humor in some stuff that was too close to home for me to find funny. 4) After the movie, I read a few reviews from viewers, both skeptics and evangelicals. Not surprisingly, their views on the movie were very much shaped by where they were coming from. I read a couple of reviews from evangelicals who liked to movie and seemed to be very gratified seeing it portrayed how the camp leaders were doing "gods work" and how the children were "on fire for god." Same input, very different response. I was not surprised. The movie made an impact--I'm glad I saw it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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