Sunday, November 12, 2006
Jesus Camp
Just got back from the Avon where I saw the documentary Jesus Camp with Nate, Tom, Jess, and Ricky. I'm still digesting it, so I won't commentary too much. As a Christian, I found myself squirming and unfortunately even chuckling often throughout the hour and a half. However I also found myself to be captivated at the same time, very captivated as I wrestled with trying to understand what was going on in front of me.
Having grown up in the South, in a big suburban landscape attending a mega-church before we knew to call it that, I related with some of what went on. Not the Pentacostal factors (speaking in tongues, preaching "turn or burn" by age 8) as these kids in the movie were, but more the listening to Carman and laughing at...well some of it related to experiences I had growing up. And it kind of upset me. But it has made me appreciate more who I am, who I have been, and how my parents let me figure this out without pressuring me one way or another too strongly. I am American; I am a Christian. But these days I have trouble relating to much of what I saw tonight--on both fronts.
The movie does in some ways feel like a time capsule of a not so distant past (2005) America. It gives us a very isolated feel as well (doesn't help that the camp is located in Devils'a Lake, North Dakota). 2005--the movie circles around the retirement of Justice O'Connor and the appoitment of Justice Alito and some of the Christians in Middle America's reaction to the events. A very scary time for America, in my opinion. A time when I really feared that we might be stuck in Conservative Pro-Bush-Middle-America tailspin and remain there for a very long period. And I lived there at the time, I saw it every day. But I also periodically saw beneath the surface with people I encountered back there, too, and could see days like last Tuesday were not totally gone from America's forecast. I just didn't expect them so soon. Check out Linc Chaffee's (R-RI--I live here now I can call him Linc, until January anyways) Op-Ed in Sunday's NY Times as a coda on these thoughts (registration req'd...it's free!).
Last note, Jesus Camp also features a rather damning cameo from Pastor Ted Haggard. Yikes. Here's their response to accusations he made. Before the accusations made against him emerged. Yikes redux. ¶ 11/12/2006 11:55:00 PM
Having grown up in the South, in a big suburban landscape attending a mega-church before we knew to call it that, I related with some of what went on. Not the Pentacostal factors (speaking in tongues, preaching "turn or burn" by age 8) as these kids in the movie were, but more the listening to Carman and laughing at...well some of it related to experiences I had growing up. And it kind of upset me. But it has made me appreciate more who I am, who I have been, and how my parents let me figure this out without pressuring me one way or another too strongly. I am American; I am a Christian. But these days I have trouble relating to much of what I saw tonight--on both fronts.
The movie does in some ways feel like a time capsule of a not so distant past (2005) America. It gives us a very isolated feel as well (doesn't help that the camp is located in Devils'a Lake, North Dakota). 2005--the movie circles around the retirement of Justice O'Connor and the appoitment of Justice Alito and some of the Christians in Middle America's reaction to the events. A very scary time for America, in my opinion. A time when I really feared that we might be stuck in Conservative Pro-Bush-Middle-America tailspin and remain there for a very long period. And I lived there at the time, I saw it every day. But I also periodically saw beneath the surface with people I encountered back there, too, and could see days like last Tuesday were not totally gone from America's forecast. I just didn't expect them so soon. Check out Linc Chaffee's (R-RI--I live here now I can call him Linc, until January anyways) Op-Ed in Sunday's NY Times as a coda on these thoughts (registration req'd...it's free!).
Last note, Jesus Camp also features a rather damning cameo from Pastor Ted Haggard. Yikes. Here's their response to accusations he made. Before the accusations made against him emerged. Yikes redux. ¶ 11/12/2006 11:55:00 PM
Comments:
<< Home
Josh, I'm having a hard time with ths movie. I can't decide to see it or not. From the previews, to me, it just looks like the people making the documentary aren't trying to show any thing positive about the camp, but trying to expose that Christians and esp. Christians that send their children to camps are all crazy and these camps are opportunities for us to get together and act cultish in the name of God. It never previews for the relationships you know we all formed at camps, or the spiritual gain I always felt when I went. It just seems very biased from the previews. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Kasey, They do try to balance the film, but don't watch it if you don't feel like you can be challenged. It's not like the camps we went to growing up. In fact, the title 'Jesus Camp' is a poor choice for the movie. It's more about a small camp specifically designed to prepare young kids for to become preachers and activitsts for the "Christian cause."
Use your judgement. I don't think it makes all Christians look "crazy" but it does make some of us. =(
Post a Comment
Use your judgement. I don't think it makes all Christians look "crazy" but it does make some of us. =(
<< Home
