"Geben Sie mir Kaffee, dann mache ich Phänomenologie daraus." (Give me my coffee so that I can make phenomenology out of it.)
-- Edmund Husserl
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Reflections on Jesus Camp
Here is an interesting look into religious fundamentalism from perhaps a more familiar perspective. Please post your thoughtful and edited reflections.
Watching Jesus Camp completely astonished me. Although I am Christian, and an avid member of my church, I don't think that Jesus Camp is right. While watching, I found myself frustrated and distraught. I was embarrassed for my religion knowing that this is how some people view it because the extremist way is not the way we all are. It was so baffling to watch Pastor Becky Fisher force and condition children to believe that if they did not dedicate their lives to God, they were useless especially by saying the closing line to the clip, "You're either in it or not." Many young children, not knowing any different, are imitating Fisher and learning her ways of preaching God's word. It is not right to not let the children decide who they want to be. One quote that was on the comments on the video struck me as interesting: "Those poor poor children. Being made to feel guilty for being themselves." When they don't believe how she does, they are considered to be terrible people. This is completely and utterly wrong. Children should be who they want to be and have a say in their lives.
Another aspect that frustrates me is the view she takes on Islam. She says, "We have a better message then them" so therefore we should be willing to sacrifice our lives just as they are. She also puts a stereotype on them saying that when they are children they have guns in their hands. She is so confident in everything she does, and she almost reminds me of the preacher in chapter 8 of Swallows of Kabul. She "has no doubt." I believe that Jesus Camp is not the right path to follow when teaching Christianity.
Watching “Jesus Camp” disgusted me. The way these children are conditioned about topics they aren’t even old enough to understand yet, such as abortion, is astonishing. The extremes the leader of the camp go to, things like how she wants them to be ready to lay their life down for Christ, bewilders me. I myself am Christian and I found this video shocking and overwhelming. I believe that it is alright for grown educated adults to feel this way because they have the choice and knowledge about these topics, whereas with the children, they don’t know any better so they soak up everything the leader says.
Jesus Camp scared, embarrassed, and annoyed me. Like Morgan said, I feel extremely embarrassed to be Christian Catholic and have any kind of association with them. It is saddening to meet very moderate, nice, open Christians and then think that there are Muslims who are only shown a video of Jesus Camp. The most difficult part to watch for me was seeing those children cry. No sane adult encourages children to morn and feel ashamed because they make human mistakes. As she conditions these kids to think of becoming an army, she unintentionally challenges Muslim communities. She is creating an environment that sets up children to have enemies before they are older than twelve. Although these children are young, this Christian extremist mentality has a chance of not leaving them. Outside of the video Jesus camp, we watched a video with a young boy and his mother discussing the topics evolution and global warming. It was very disconcerting to see the boy spout ideas that we saw came from Jesus Camp, but what was worse were his parents. “My dad says there is no other way it could be possible-it is not real,” when discussing global warming. When his mother asked him “Would you be alright with a school that called evolution stupid?” they both laughed as he answered “I would be fine with that!” Far worse than creating an “army” is creating a generation who will grow up to be close minded, judgmental, and exclusively educated. If you leave home believing global warming is a myth and behave in a way that does not tolerate others beliefs and opinions, things will be hard for you, as a Muslim or Christian. I am scared of what will become of those kids when they are adults and what type of politics they could get into, possibly provoking Muslim communities for the worse. Also, I am sure George Bush would be mortified to see his image being worshipped by a bunch of kids with a lady screaming at them through a microphone.
Today is not the first time I hear of a Christian Camp. I have a friend who has been to a Christian Summer Camp before. However, the one that she told me is totally different with Jesus Camp. The Christian Camp which my friend went served the teenagers and focused on the happy life. The whole story in my friend’s memory was fun and happy, but in the video, the most things I saw were tear and microphones. I really cannot understand what the purpose of Jesus Camp is. They create this Christian suicide squad to fight? I don’t think a five-year-old child could hold a gun for more than 10 minutes. I agree with Morgan that the young children don’t have the capability to decide who they want to be. Just because the children are easy to control cannot be the reason for them to tread the children.
After watching Jesus Camp in class today, I was shocked of how the children were being treated. It's not bad that they are trying to teach the kids about Jesus Christ or to improve the way the children were behaving, but the way they are doing it makes me sick. When I watching the video, I couldn't believe how they were conditioning little children to worship God. The way they were doing seem like the kids were adults. As young as they were, I felt that their freedom or rights were being taking away from them. They probably didn't have any saying in going to the camp and they were just being brain watch. I was really displease when I saw little children crying and doing things that adult would do in church and I couldn't get over the fact why these parents were letting their children to go through this. This is not right and it should be put to stop.
When I viewed this video it actually made me laugh. Not because of humor, but because of skepticism. It was unbelievable to see young children protesting abortion with such powerful emotions, emotions that have been strongly influenced by their parents or the adults running the Jesus Camp. At the beginning of the video the woman compares the Palestinian camp which gives hand grenades to the children to their bible camp. To me it sounded like she thinks that this camp is so much better for the children, when it actually makes them become extremists that should never disobey the lord by the smallest matter, for example talking badly at school saying things like shut up or calling people names. She made it sound like a deadly sin. These children are at such a young age they deserve to live their childhood without thinking and protesting against things like abortion. I have been to Bible camp and retreats before, and out of the many years that I have gone they have never done such a thing like in the video. We would always be told stories of Jesus and do fun activities that did not have stress tied to them, like the activities in the videos which would cause tears and fights.
I noticed that in this video there is one very short video clip showing the famous phrase from former president Bush after the 911 attack: "...this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while." I don't know if the former president actually meant to say "crusade", or it is just a word came out of his mouth randomly. But it is clear that he himself did not fully understand the Islamic religion and what was actually happening in Islamic countries. The children and the lady in this video are also laking of understanding the situation in those places that controlled by terrorists. Instead of looking at other Muslims living in other Islamic countries, they considered all the Muslims are terrorists because this idea matches the stereotype Muslims in their mind. And we all know that generalization of another race is wrong.
I noticed that in this video there is one very short video clip showing the famous phrase from former president Bush after the 911 attack: "...this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while." I don't know if the former president actually meant to say "crusade", or it is just a word came out of his mouth randomly. But it is clear that he himself did not fully understand the Islamic religion and what was actually happening in Islamic countries. The children and the lady in this video are also laking of understanding the situation in those places that controlled by terrorists. Instead of looking at other Muslims living in other Islamic countries, they considered all the Muslims are terrorists because this idea matches the stereotype Muslims in their mind. And we all know that generalization of another race is wrong.
Religion is very important to me, I was raised in a very Christian home and was in the church every day that the doors were open or so it felt like. Through my church and rodeo I have attended many Christian camps, seminars, conferences, and retreats. Some of those I have found to be very beneficial while others were so extreme it scared me, after watching the Jesus Camp video and hearing the reactions of my classmates I didn’t feel so passionate towards that type of motivation. The children featured in Jesus Camp aren’t “on fire for the Lord” because it is what they feel in the hearts, but are so motivated by the directors force of her religion shoved down their throats.
Watching the video on Jesus Camp made me realize that there is fundamentalism not only in Islam but in Christianity too. The way I see the Christian doctrine being spread out to those little kids makes me wonder what other religions might think about Christians. When I see this I realize that there is a mirror effect on what is happening. This is that at the same time that I see deep fundamentalism in the video, Muslims for example, might see the same happening with Islam. I deeply think this is not right. First of all, as a principle, nothing should be taken to extremes. In this case and in Islam for example, religion is taken to extremes. I think that if both religions didn’t stay so conservative there would be more peace and happiness in people’s life.
Watching the video about Jesus Camp astounded me for I had never heard of anything like that before. This camp was not only an extremist location but it was a developing place for such young kids. They were conditioning kids at such a young age in which therefore they will have no other views. The lady that ran the camp compared the United States to the Middle East and Islamic views. It seemed like it was almost a race to achieve more religiously attached children. She stated how their children are willing to kill themselves for their God at the age of thirteen. That is not our country and I do not believe we need to compare ourselves to something we are not. I was really shocked after watching this video and it almost upset me thinking about it, even though I am a religious catholic myself. I grew up going to religious schools and retreats but never was I forced to cry at such a young age in which that was considered impressive.
12 comments:
Watching Jesus Camp completely astonished me. Although I am Christian, and an avid member of my church, I don't think that Jesus Camp is right. While watching, I found myself frustrated and distraught. I was embarrassed for my religion knowing that this is how some people view it because the extremist way is not the way we all are. It was so baffling to watch Pastor Becky Fisher force and condition children to believe that if they did not dedicate their lives to God, they were useless especially by saying the closing line to the clip, "You're either in it or not." Many young children, not knowing any different, are imitating Fisher and learning her ways of preaching God's word. It is not right to not let the children decide who they want to be. One quote that was on the comments on the video struck me as interesting: "Those poor poor children. Being made to feel guilty for being themselves." When they don't believe how she does, they are considered to be terrible people. This is completely and utterly wrong. Children should be who they want to be and have a say in their lives.
Another aspect that frustrates me is the view she takes on Islam. She says, "We have a better message then them" so therefore we should be willing to sacrifice our lives just as they are. She also puts a stereotype on them saying that when they are children they have guns in their hands. She is so confident in everything she does, and she almost reminds me of the preacher in chapter 8 of Swallows of Kabul. She "has no doubt." I believe that Jesus Camp is not the right path to follow when teaching Christianity.
Also, I found this video very interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzE36jTw8pQ&feature=related
It's so sad to see the looks of disgust from his peers and the adults.
Watching “Jesus Camp” disgusted me. The way these children are conditioned about topics they aren’t even old enough to understand yet, such as abortion, is astonishing. The extremes the leader of the camp go to, things like how she wants them to be ready to lay their life down for Christ, bewilders me. I myself am Christian and I found this video shocking and overwhelming. I believe that it is alright for grown educated adults to feel this way because they have the choice and knowledge about these topics, whereas with the children, they don’t know any better so they soak up everything the leader says.
Jesus Camp scared, embarrassed, and annoyed me. Like Morgan said, I feel extremely embarrassed to be Christian Catholic and have any kind of association with them. It is saddening to meet very moderate, nice, open Christians and then think that there are Muslims who are only shown a video of Jesus Camp.
The most difficult part to watch for me was seeing those children cry. No sane adult encourages children to morn and feel ashamed because they make human mistakes. As she conditions these kids to think of becoming an army, she unintentionally challenges Muslim communities. She is creating an environment that sets up children to have enemies before they are older than twelve.
Although these children are young, this Christian extremist mentality has a chance of not leaving them. Outside of the video Jesus camp, we watched a video with a young boy and his mother discussing the topics evolution and global warming. It was very disconcerting to see the boy spout ideas that we saw came from Jesus Camp, but what was worse were his parents. “My dad says there is no other way it could be possible-it is not real,” when discussing global warming. When his mother asked him “Would you be alright with a school that called evolution stupid?” they both laughed as he answered “I would be fine with that!” Far worse than creating an “army” is creating a generation who will grow up to be close minded, judgmental, and exclusively educated. If you leave home believing global warming is a myth and behave in a way that does not tolerate others beliefs and opinions, things will be hard for you, as a Muslim or Christian. I am scared of what will become of those kids when they are adults and what type of politics they could get into, possibly provoking Muslim communities for the worse.
Also, I am sure George Bush would be mortified to see his image being worshipped by a bunch of kids with a lady screaming at them through a microphone.
Today is not the first time I hear of a Christian Camp. I have a friend who has been to a Christian Summer Camp before. However, the one that she told me is totally different with Jesus Camp. The Christian Camp which my friend went served the teenagers and focused on the happy life. The whole story in my friend’s memory was fun and happy, but in the video, the most things I saw were tear and microphones. I really cannot understand what the purpose of Jesus Camp is. They create this Christian suicide squad to fight? I don’t think a five-year-old child could hold a gun for more than 10 minutes. I agree with Morgan that the young children don’t have the capability to decide who they want to be. Just because the children are easy to control cannot be the reason for them to tread the children.
After watching Jesus Camp in class today, I was shocked of how the children were being treated. It's not bad that they are trying to teach the kids about Jesus Christ or to improve the way the children were behaving, but the way they are doing it makes me sick. When I watching the video, I couldn't believe how they were conditioning little children to worship God. The way they were doing seem like the kids were adults. As young as they were, I felt that their freedom or rights were being taking away from them. They probably didn't have any saying in going to the camp and they were just being brain watch. I was really displease when I saw little children crying and doing things that adult would do in church and I couldn't get over the fact why these parents were letting their children to go through this. This is not right and it should be put to stop.
When I viewed this video it actually made me laugh. Not because of humor, but because of skepticism. It was unbelievable to see young children protesting abortion with such powerful emotions, emotions that have been strongly influenced by their parents or the adults running the Jesus Camp.
At the beginning of the video the woman compares the Palestinian camp which gives hand grenades to the children to their bible camp. To me it sounded like she thinks that this camp is so much better for the children, when it actually makes them become extremists that should never disobey the lord by the smallest matter, for example talking badly at school saying things like shut up or calling people names. She made it sound like a deadly sin.
These children are at such a young age they deserve to live their childhood without thinking and protesting against things like abortion. I have been to Bible camp and retreats before, and out of the many years that I have gone they have never done such a thing like in the video. We would always be told stories of Jesus and do fun activities that did not have stress tied to them, like the activities in the videos which would cause tears and fights.
I noticed that in this video there is one very short video clip showing the famous phrase from former president Bush after the 911 attack: "...this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."
I don't know if the former president actually meant to say "crusade", or it is just a word came out of his mouth randomly. But it is clear that he himself did not fully understand the Islamic religion and what was actually happening in Islamic countries.
The children and the lady in this video are also laking of understanding the situation in those places that controlled by terrorists. Instead of looking at other Muslims living in other Islamic countries, they considered all the Muslims are terrorists because this idea matches the stereotype Muslims in their mind. And we all know that generalization of another race is wrong.
I noticed that in this video there is one very short video clip showing the famous phrase from former president Bush after the 911 attack: "...this crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."
I don't know if the former president actually meant to say "crusade", or it is just a word came out of his mouth randomly. But it is clear that he himself did not fully understand the Islamic religion and what was actually happening in Islamic countries.
The children and the lady in this video are also laking of understanding the situation in those places that controlled by terrorists. Instead of looking at other Muslims living in other Islamic countries, they considered all the Muslims are terrorists because this idea matches the stereotype Muslims in their mind. And we all know that generalization of another race is wrong.
Religion is very important to me, I was raised in a very Christian home and was in the church every day that the doors were open or so it felt like. Through my church and rodeo I have attended many Christian camps, seminars, conferences, and retreats. Some of those I have found to be very beneficial while others were so extreme it scared me, after watching the Jesus Camp video and hearing the reactions of my classmates I didn’t feel so passionate towards that type of motivation. The children featured in Jesus Camp aren’t “on fire for the Lord” because it is what they feel in the hearts, but are so motivated by the directors force of her religion shoved down their throats.
Watching the video on Jesus Camp made me realize that there is fundamentalism not only in Islam but in Christianity too. The way I see the Christian doctrine being spread out to those little kids makes me wonder what other religions might think about Christians. When I see this I realize that there is a mirror effect on what is happening. This is that at the same time that I see deep fundamentalism in the video, Muslims for example, might see the same happening with Islam.
I deeply think this is not right. First of all, as a principle, nothing should be taken to extremes. In this case and in Islam for example, religion is taken to extremes. I think that if both religions didn’t stay so conservative there would be more peace and happiness in people’s life.
Watching the video about Jesus Camp astounded me for I had never heard of anything like that before. This camp was not only an extremist location but it was a developing place for such young kids. They were conditioning kids at such a young age in which therefore they will have no other views. The lady that ran the camp compared the United States to the Middle East and Islamic views. It seemed like it was almost a race to achieve more religiously attached children. She stated how their children are willing to kill themselves for their God at the age of thirteen. That is not our country and I do not believe we need to compare ourselves to something we are not. I was really shocked after watching this video and it almost upset me thinking about it, even though I am a religious catholic myself. I grew up going to religious schools and retreats but never was I forced to cry at such a young age in which that was considered impressive.
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