I just watched the scariest film I’ve ever seen. Compelling and terrifying. It’s called Jesus Camp, a documentary focussing on evangelical Christians in the USA. It came out a few years ago but I've just now got around to seeing it. And it is frightening stuff. Watching the parents and “pastors” indoctrinating these otherwise sweet and passionate kids and turning them into little hate-filled vessels of intolerance is horrible. The film centres on the “Kids on fire” bible camp in South Dakota, where the children, approximately 7-12 years old, are taught, encouraged, pressured and effectively compelled into speaking in tongues, embracing Republican politics, crying about their “sins” and praying for “righteous” government. It made my flesh crawl more than any number of slasher flicks or generic horror movies.
It would be easy to dismiss the film as the soft-target, Mike Moore-ish shooting of fish in a biblical barrel, if not for the fact that there are approximately 100 million evangelicals roaming free (yes free… without restraint!) in the USA. That is not an insignificant number. These freaks hold power and can influence far and wide, and even non-USAians ignore them at our own peril. The documentary is also presented without voice-over, leading to the starting revelation as I write this that it is plausible that some viewers would see the film as a positive advertisement for evangelism rather than the horror story that it is. Jesus, when not watching over the cardboard cut-out of George Bush that appears in the film, must surely weep! Watching as adults manipulate these little kids, and hearing the kids themselves evangelise about their desire to be part of an “army for God”, was enough to make me feel physically ill. It is hard not to gasp aloud at the apparent ease at which these adults are prepared to steal away their children’s lives. My heart nearly broke in two as one child, eight or nine at most, sat on the floor speaking of how hard he found it to believe in God, as his peers looked on in horror. “Go on, little kid”, I yelled at the screen. “Get out! Your brain is still functioning, your life is still your own”. But alas, no. Later, amongst a forest of tiny arms and a veritable river of tears he could be seen forcing himself to conform and embrace the group-speak and brainwashing that the others had succumbed to. Maybe he’ll go to a liberal arts school one day. Maybe he’ll protest in front of abortion clinics. Or perhaps he'll just read Harry Potter ("WARLOCKS ARE EVIL"!!!!) when nobody's looking.
Watch this film. It’s great.
Watch this film. It’s great.
4 comments:
Remember these religious people at teachers college. They were there to start the mission early they told me. And I who thought mission work in schools were illegal...
When the pastor was challenged about her methods she actually admitted that what she did was indoctrination (rather than encourage spirituality) and that she thought indoctrination of children was a good thing!!
It is a sad fact of American life that children are in fact indoctrinated. It is scary to see how parents force feed their beliefs. Hopefully these children will have the chance to grow up and make up their minds for themselves... before too much damage has been done.
I didn't (and the film didn't) mean to be anti-American or anti-Christian. It was more a focus on this sub-group of super-evangelicals. Scary people. But I agree with you - hopefully the damage can be undone.
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