"Jesus Camp" was on A&E a few nights ago. I missed the first 20 minutes (but have seen the first 10 minutes on youtube) and was able to watch the rest. When I posted in the last Jesus Camp thread I said I would post my thoughts once I finally saw the whole thing.
Even after having watched the whole thing I still think a lot of people's discomfort with the children's experience in the camp is based on a distate for emotive religious worship. The shaking, weeping, trembling, falling to the ground, shouting, are all part of evangelical worship and have deep roots in american protestantism (the "quakers" and "shakers" were called those names derisively because of their ecstatic worship). Levi's sister explained this all very eloquently when she described "dead churches" where everyone is quiet and serious VS "living churches" where people jump and cry out, and have a lot of emotion.
I read in a few places (not here I think) about the kids "worshiping" the cardboard cutout of GW Bush. This too is a misunderstanding-- when evangelicals reach out their hands to pray over someone they are blessing/ laying on hands-- they're not "worshiping" the person they are reaching their hands over. They're just praying for them.
I was really blown away by Levi. While I don't agree with a lot of what he says and believes, he was truly thoughtful and philosophical, and had ideas and comprehension about human existence well beyond his years. The scene where he speaks to Ted Haggard was chilling because Haggard's jadedness and brusqueness were evident in the snippy way he talked to Levi. He told him to "use the cute kid act" until he had a real message to preach. It was like listening to a hollywood agent, but Levi's earnestness was in stark contrast. Even if I hadn't known about Haggard's "scandal" I still would have been able to sense an emptiness and bitterness in him. It was really powerful to see on the screen.
What they were doing in the camp was "indoctrination" but it's no different from any other conservative religious indoctrination of children. Again I think people assume because of the children's high emotive state that they were being brainwashed in some heightened sense but this is just how evangelicals worship and pray-- it can look scary to people not accustomed to it. Even the abortion scene, which made me squirm, is something parents are free to teach to their children. How is teaching an impressionable child that abortion is murder any worse than teaching an impressionable child that it is not? Hopefully when these children grow up they will make their own decisions, either for or against what they were taught, but the same could be said for all of life and what we are taught as children.
The points the film made about the strong political power evangelicals wield were striking but even the radio commentator who questioned the woman running the camp admitted that people have a right to "indoctrinate" their children in their religious beliefs. But what he, and I think others, don't understand is that there is nothing very special about evangelical political sway-- it's just that they are highly, highly organized and united. If liberals could figure out a way to be equally organized and united they too would pose an intimidating political force.
I am not evangelical but I believe very strongly in freedom of religion and the right of parents to pass on freely their religious belief or lack thereof to their children. I see a lot of intolerance toward evangelicals that wouldn't be accepted were it targeted against jews or muslims. I would prefer to see all faiths treated equally.
Even after having watched the whole thing I still think a lot of people's discomfort with the children's experience in the camp is based on a distate for emotive religious worship. The shaking, weeping, trembling, falling to the ground, shouting, are all part of evangelical worship and have deep roots in american protestantism (the "quakers" and "shakers" were called those names derisively because of their ecstatic worship). Levi's sister explained this all very eloquently when she described "dead churches" where everyone is quiet and serious VS "living churches" where people jump and cry out, and have a lot of emotion.
I read in a few places (not here I think) about the kids "worshiping" the cardboard cutout of GW Bush. This too is a misunderstanding-- when evangelicals reach out their hands to pray over someone they are blessing/ laying on hands-- they're not "worshiping" the person they are reaching their hands over. They're just praying for them.
I was really blown away by Levi. While I don't agree with a lot of what he says and believes, he was truly thoughtful and philosophical, and had ideas and comprehension about human existence well beyond his years. The scene where he speaks to Ted Haggard was chilling because Haggard's jadedness and brusqueness were evident in the snippy way he talked to Levi. He told him to "use the cute kid act" until he had a real message to preach. It was like listening to a hollywood agent, but Levi's earnestness was in stark contrast. Even if I hadn't known about Haggard's "scandal" I still would have been able to sense an emptiness and bitterness in him. It was really powerful to see on the screen.
What they were doing in the camp was "indoctrination" but it's no different from any other conservative religious indoctrination of children. Again I think people assume because of the children's high emotive state that they were being brainwashed in some heightened sense but this is just how evangelicals worship and pray-- it can look scary to people not accustomed to it. Even the abortion scene, which made me squirm, is something parents are free to teach to their children. How is teaching an impressionable child that abortion is murder any worse than teaching an impressionable child that it is not? Hopefully when these children grow up they will make their own decisions, either for or against what they were taught, but the same could be said for all of life and what we are taught as children.
The points the film made about the strong political power evangelicals wield were striking but even the radio commentator who questioned the woman running the camp admitted that people have a right to "indoctrinate" their children in their religious beliefs. But what he, and I think others, don't understand is that there is nothing very special about evangelical political sway-- it's just that they are highly, highly organized and united. If liberals could figure out a way to be equally organized and united they too would pose an intimidating political force.
I am not evangelical but I believe very strongly in freedom of religion and the right of parents to pass on freely their religious belief or lack thereof to their children. I see a lot of intolerance toward evangelicals that wouldn't be accepted were it targeted against jews or muslims. I would prefer to see all faiths treated equally.
: The other problem is just the word INDOCTRINATED. That's very different from TEACHING, IMO. Teaching allows you to use your own brain. Indoctrinating isn't such a far cry from its kissin' cousin, BRAINWASHING.
