The "Jesus Camp"

I just finished watching a documentary entitled "Jesus Camp". (imdb link) It was a profoundly disturbing experience.

The first scene, before you even really know what you're watching, you see children dressed up in commando fatigues, singing a song about declaring war on the rest of the world. This scene sets the general tone for the entire film.

Surprisingly, the observer is almost entirely absent. This is no Michael Moore film with his constant satirical commentary. Even in the interviews, there is little sense of an interviewer. No one looks directly at the camera; no one asks any questions or interjects commentary. It's basically the proverbial fly on the wall effect. And it's effective.

Most of the movie concerns itself with the evangelical children's "Jesus Camp" of the title. Here children participate in a weekend of religious boot camp where they are "taught" the belief's and value systems of their parents.

But this camp goes way beyond teaching by arguably brainwashing these pre-teen children with a radical and extreme Christian doctrine. Children as young as five and six are seen sobbing uncontrollably, visibly shaking, with tears running down their faces -- while praying into the microphone for God to end abortion or the crisis in Iraq.

How can a child barely six-years old, who can't yet tell time, understand these complex issues? Why are they taught about babies before they learn about sex, or war before they even have social skills?

In another scene, the matronly MC of the camp, a frumpy lady in her forties, encourages the children to speak in tongues while praying -- which results in five hundred kids screaming complete nonsense while holding their hands in the air. Did no one explain to this leader and teacher that the term "tongue" during biblical times, meant "a language that other people can understand"? I understand that vocabulary probably isn't her strong suit, but where does it say in the Bible that God wants us to blither at Him unintelligibly? To paraphrase one astute gentleman, you really only need to know the words for "fight" and "fuck" to adequately communicate with anyone else, but this display lacked even that much.

The indoctrination even goes so far as to hold up the terrorists of 9/11 as examples of faith these children should esteem to. "Why are they willing to die for their God and you are not?" shouts the teacher while punching the air with her fist. "You should be willing to die for God just like they were!"

Later, in an interview with a young six-year old girl, she happily tells us that it is her sincere desire to become a martyr for God. Another boy, 12 years old, explains how dying for your faith is a good thing, and how martyrs are not afraid because the experience is actually exciting.

For children who barely have an understanding of life, they've been taught a lot about death.

Shouldn't it say something to us that Adam and Eve were fully grown adults when being offered the gift of knowing the difference between good and evil? The moral of this seems to be that even God understands that children are not ready to be presented with such decisions.

My problem really isn't so much with these radical, nazi-like Christians; they are obviously insane and can be excused. But where are all the "decent" Christians? Why aren't these people being called out by other Christians?

Didn't Jesus say something about cleaning up your own house before ... well, cleaning up someone else's? And I know there was something in the Good Book about throwing stones....