“Jesus Camp” ?
my friend Tanesa wants me to go see this movie at the Cedar-Lee after class tonight. i’m conflicted.
i told her it would all depend on how my project was looking by the end of class, cuz i do NOT want to be there til 2:30 am on Tuesday morning, the day it’s due. BUT, like she said, it’s been a long while since we’ve hung out and had some "girl time". i’m afraid if i tell her no, she’s gonna get pissed at me. she’s not as bad as colie, but she’s got the same potential – just less so.
on the other hand, i’ve read some reviews on this movie, and i REALLY don’t feel like exposing my already-fragile psyche (it’s been a bad-head week) to images of that kind of madness! i’m Christian, but from the things people have been saying, this movie would probably make me physically ill. 6-year-olds believing they’re speaking in tongues, a bunch of kiddies laying hands on a cardboard cut-out of GWB to pray for his continuing wonderful work, children under the age of 12 wailing confessions of their sins … the constant reinforcement of the insistance that homosexuality is an automatic, one-way trip to Hell, abortion is the work of Satan while the deaths of thousands of innocents in the war-torn countries we "have a presence" in are not worth noticing … ill. it would make me ill. just reading the reviews made me twitch.
here – and example:
"American Madrasas for future Eric Rudolphs…., 29 September 2006
Author: scholara2
It is indeed frightening to see the militancy of Becky Fisher, and the brainwashing of the children. She even admits modeling her school on the Madrasas (!)
This film reminded me of a piece of footage I saw years ago of a KKK gathering in which the members were indoctrinating their little kids about the ideology of the organization; eerily similar.
True, the kids here may not be carrying any weapons, but for extremism of this kind, it’s the next logical step, just like in the Madrasas.
And to lay hands on a cardboard cutout of Bush, and "worship" him. If THAT isn’t idolatry, I don’t know what is. And who are they laying hands on??? I’m neither liberal or conservative, and I know this film doesn’t depict all Christians. Most I’ve known are decent, hardworking, and caring, as are many Muslims I’ve met.
But there are zealots, and Christians, like Muslims, everywhere should be alarmed about these types of people hijacking their faith and misrepresenting them.
The message is clearly NOT one of love and tolerance, but hatred…and weapons are the next step. I can easily see the next violent Eric Rudolph or Jim Jones, or an Ann Coulter type who proudly proclaims her Christianity while spewing out hateful polemics, coming from these camps.
You say spiteful things against one group, say homosexuals, where does it stop? Hate, like love knows no boundaries.
Incidentally, I wonder how Jesus would’ve reacted to gays? He went out of his way to keep company with the outcasts of his society, and NOT with the religious establishment, who he derided for their hypocrisy.
It also amazes me how people like these can be sooo strident against abortion and claim to be "pro life" on the one hand, but have no problems whatsoever in supporting an administration and president who could care less about the untold number of innocent children of other religions and nationalities who regularly lose their lives in Iraq and other parts of the world, either because of American intervention or American indifference.
But I guess these fanatics are too blind to see that little inconsistency. So much for the "sanctity of human life" argument.
Obviously, they don’t place the same value on all human life. Becky Fisher and her ilk have more in common with the Muslim fanatics than they do with other Christians.
Both groups want to turn civilization back to the Dark Ages with Crusades and Jihad. Only now, the ante’s been raised with WMDs.
Jesus told his followers, by your actions people will know, and he said that at the end of days there will be many who’ll claim to have cast out demons in his name, but he’ll know them not, and cast them into the darkness.
ALSO, lets not forget about his strongest admonition against leading the young ones astray.
These people may call themselves Christians, but they are NOT Christ’s followers. Jesus called for compassion, and warned against passing judgment on others. His whole life and sacrifice at Calvary was an act of love and compassion.
As I’ve always suspected, religion doesn’t make one good, but only amplifies what’s already in one’s character, for better or for worse."
what to do, what to do??