So... I just got done watching the movie "Jesus Camp" and must say I don't know what to say. However, after watching the movie I felt like something needed to be said.. I guess what follows is my way of trying to figure out just what was so wrong with the movie. For those of you that don't know, "Jesus Camp" is an academy award nominated documentary that follows three kids as they attend a Jesus Camp in North Dakota. If this were the movie, I don't think I would have a problem with it... I think the movie fails in that it takes these kids, and the woman that is in charge of the camp, and lumps all Christians in with them. I know I am not the first person to have a problem with this portrayal... in fact, on the "Jesus Camp" website the filmmakers post a comment for Ted Haggard (a Pastor with a small part in the documentary) who had a problem with the portrayal in the movie. Here's what they had to say: When we heard that that Pastor Haggard has described us as having an "agenda" we were alarmed. Of course, there are plenty of filmmakers that do make films with a political or personal agenda, but our conscience is clear that we aren't among them. We filmed with an open-mind and with a beginner's eye (neither of us are Evangelicals) that allowed the story to emerge in a natural way.
As for accusing us of portraying our protagonists (people whom we've grown close to over the past year) "sinister," this is a disturbing charge. Perhaps Pastor Haggard is projecting his own point of view on the film's characters, as we absolutely do not see them as such, and went out of our way too make sure that they were shown in a human, three-dimensional light. 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.
I won't argue the children coming across as kind and passionate... of Becky Fischer being a real person... but as far as three-dimensional or intelligent goes, I beg to differ. Some examples: I think to show me these kids as three-dimensional it would be nice to see what they do when they are not at church, camp, or in a church setting. One kid we see in her home... and she walks outside in the rain.. is this the third-dimension they are speaking of? And for intelligence I think the documentar failed to show us anything they knew apart from the Bible, or "evangelical leanings." When we see the kids doing school work, apparently the only thing they study is science. And while studying science they deride evolution with logical reasoning such as "that's what dad told me." It is possible that "dad" is an amazing scientist whose opinion is *not one to be taken lightly... but we never meet "dad" and I get the feeling he isn't some scientist. These kids are kind and passionate.. but they are polarizing.. and only likable if you happen to agree with them. They are the kind of people who believe one thing, but that may be because they only know what thing. It is a blind faith that is defended with such gusto that it comes across as uninformed and foolish. I don't want to keep picking on these kids, because most of the problem comes from the parents and church leaders. If I didn't say earlier.. these kids are homeschooled. The one chance they have to get out of the house is at this camp... where they are told they are hypocrites, and the world is evil, and adults are fat and lazy. Some of my favorite (least favorite) moments in the film: After the kids are told they are hypocrites... they are called to wash away their hypocrisy by coming forward and putting their hands under a nestle bottle of water. Apparently nestle bottled water also doubles as holy water. The kids are called out to say the pledge of allegiance... to which they pledge the Christian flag and the Bible... not the American flag. A speaker brings glass cups and a hammer. He tells the kids these cups stand for the corrupt government, among other things.. and tells them to use the hammer and break them. In a "It's a Wonderful Life" moment, the speaker tells the kids "everytime you break a cup you release the spirit." Before the kids arrive at camp... the leaders go through the pews and pray for them and the people who will be sitting in them... then they start praying for the electricity (which the devil hates) and the microphones... and finally the power point ( no word on if microsoft is for God or the devil... but hopefully their product is on God's side). One girl in the film several times takes tracks (little booklets telling people why they need to be saved) over to people telling them God told them to talk to these people. In one case it is a woman at a bowling alley.. in another case it is a group of african american men who she asks if they know where they will go when they die. When they say heaven.. she asks if they are sure.. then as she walks away tells her friends she thinks they are muslims. (this by the way is just about the last thing you see in the movie) While i'm speaking about muslims... the evangelicals in this film hate them. They paint them as a group of people who brainwash children and teach them to kill innocent people. There are dozens of other moments in the film, but my favorite is when they bring out a cardboard cutout of President Bush and lay hands on him... In fact, President Bush is discussed frequently in this film... as the point is to highlight this evangelical movement in politics. This is an obvious method to paint evangelicals in a bad light... Regardless of what you think of President Bush, the fact is he is not very well liked. It was very irresponsible of the filmmakers to use him as the central figure for evangelicals. All of this brings me to my biggest problem... Balance! We are given statistics that say 1/3 of Americans are evangelical.. and told by a radio host that these are people posing as your next door neighbor, but dangerous. And then we are shown evangelicals who i think the majority of people would agree are extremists. But this is all we are shown.. and we are led to believe this is what all evangelical people are like. My point is.. we are shown the extreme evangelical... and given a voice for people who are against evangelicals... what we are not given is a voice in the middle.. or a voice that speaks for the majority of Christians. I don't like to think of Christians as brain-washed believers... or people who believe evolution is wrong because they were told so... or believe the best way to effect change is confrontation.... This is not who I am... and this is now who people I know are. At one point pastor Ted Haggard says, "If the evangelicals vote they determine the election." WAIT!!!!!! While the majority of Christians may be republican... bot everyone is. In fact, in some parts of the country I doubt the majority of Christians are republicans... and I think given the way things have gone recently... that majority is not as strong as it once was. PLUS!!!! Why should I vote for someone because of a title?! What happened to issues and ideas... and who is really the better leader? Towards the end of the film the Christian camp leader tells us "Extreme liberals look at this and shake in their boots." I think you could add most Christians to this list. This is not the light I want to be painted in... this is not the light I think most people want to be painted in. Passion is great... but an intelligent passion is far better. Anyway... i would reccommend the movie, because if nothing else it will most likely make you uncomfortable... and may make you think.. who knows??? I mean except for Levi's dad... he knows everything.... | 
