2008 Woodie Awards
IFS:"Jesus Camp" will shock viewers
Gabriel Guerrero
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: Entertainment
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Enter the unsettling world of Christian fundamentalism and the indoctrination of their children, the first five minutes of the documentary, "Jesus Camp," I found myself fascinated by a social sub-culture that I will never be a part of.
Then they started praying in tongues and reveling in the spiritual ecstasy, and the fascination turned sour.
Not long after, my soured fascination turned to repulsion as I watched a mother tell her children "science doesn't prove anything." This of course takes a seat next to the several times that the camp's administrator asks the children whether they are ready to die for Christ.
Directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing take a fairly non-biased look at the construction of the next generation of fundamentalist Christians who look to rejoin church and state, take away a woman's right to choose and have creationism instread of evolution taught in schools.
In other words, the facilitators of the Kids on Fire Camp are priming children of all ages to "Take back America for Christ."
The film explains that most of these children have been home- schooled, which establishes their isolation from non-Christian children and other ways of life.
While children should be running through sprinklers and eating ice cream, they are instead smashing coffee mugs inscribed with the word "government," and putting blessings on a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush.
With such activities, the Kids on Fire Camp ensures that the seeds of right-wing activism are sewn into the fabric of each child who attends the camp.
Overall, this documentary has an eerie "Children of the Corn" feeling to it. Half the time I found a look of shock and horror on my face, which if anyone knows me, understands that I am usually all smiles.
This film is shocking in the way it allows audience members to take a peek into a world turned upside down by a skewed vision of teachings of Christ. It will be interesting to see where many of these children find themselves in 10 years.
How many will rebel against the formidable brainwashing tactics drilling a fanatical version of God into their skulls? How many will be the next wave of right-wing-Christian-fundamentalist-politicians, like our current commander-in-chief, whose aim it is to set the nation straight and return all of its citizenry and the country back to God.
Hmm, I wasn't aware that the United States belonged to God in the first place.
I guess I didn't get the holy-fundamentalist-Christian-memo.
It must be in my fundamentalist-Christian-pants. Good thing I burned them. Though the film runs slow at points, it is worth sitting through the entire show for the educational and shock value alone. With this in mind, take a couple hours off boozing it up and catch tonight's screening.
- Gabriel Guerrero is a senior English major and Mirror IFS columnist.
Then they started praying in tongues and reveling in the spiritual ecstasy, and the fascination turned sour.
Not long after, my soured fascination turned to repulsion as I watched a mother tell her children "science doesn't prove anything." This of course takes a seat next to the several times that the camp's administrator asks the children whether they are ready to die for Christ.
Directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing take a fairly non-biased look at the construction of the next generation of fundamentalist Christians who look to rejoin church and state, take away a woman's right to choose and have creationism instread of evolution taught in schools.
In other words, the facilitators of the Kids on Fire Camp are priming children of all ages to "Take back America for Christ."
The film explains that most of these children have been home- schooled, which establishes their isolation from non-Christian children and other ways of life.
While children should be running through sprinklers and eating ice cream, they are instead smashing coffee mugs inscribed with the word "government," and putting blessings on a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush.
With such activities, the Kids on Fire Camp ensures that the seeds of right-wing activism are sewn into the fabric of each child who attends the camp.
Overall, this documentary has an eerie "Children of the Corn" feeling to it. Half the time I found a look of shock and horror on my face, which if anyone knows me, understands that I am usually all smiles.
This film is shocking in the way it allows audience members to take a peek into a world turned upside down by a skewed vision of teachings of Christ. It will be interesting to see where many of these children find themselves in 10 years.
How many will rebel against the formidable brainwashing tactics drilling a fanatical version of God into their skulls? How many will be the next wave of right-wing-Christian-fundamentalist-politicians, like our current commander-in-chief, whose aim it is to set the nation straight and return all of its citizenry and the country back to God.
Hmm, I wasn't aware that the United States belonged to God in the first place.
I guess I didn't get the holy-fundamentalist-Christian-memo.
It must be in my fundamentalist-Christian-pants. Good thing I burned them. Though the film runs slow at points, it is worth sitting through the entire show for the educational and shock value alone. With this in mind, take a couple hours off boozing it up and catch tonight's screening.
- Gabriel Guerrero is a senior English major and Mirror IFS columnist.
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