Scoop's First Movie Discussion: Jesus Camp

Let me know if you are interested, either by post, by email or by voting in the polls.

I'm clipping this to the Tin Foil group.

Not only is there the great irony in this movie of Ted Haggard making fun
of a camera and suggesting those viewing the film should repent and
not sin - when he would soon have his own problems - but at one point there is a person who can be heard saying of evangelicals
"it's not like they're wearing tinfoil hats."

Jesus Camp – There is a lot of good information about the film at this IMDB site. I think I'll excerpt a few pieces from that as well as snippets from reviews.

Jesus Camp is a 2006 documentary directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing about a Pentecostal summer camp for children who spend their summers learning and practicing their "prophetic gifts" and being taught that they can "take back America for Christ."[1]. According to the distributor, it "doesn't come with any prepackaged point of view" and tries to be "an honest and impartial depiction of one faction of the evangelical Christian community". [2]

Spoiler warning:

(only scroll down if you don't mind knowing the plot)

Jesus Camp is a documentary about the "Kids On Fire School of Ministry," a charismatic Christian summer camp located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. The film focuses on three children who attended the camp in the summer of 2005--Levi, Rachael, and Tory (Victoria). The film cuts between footage of the camp and a children's prayer conference held just prior to the camp at Christ Triumphant Church, a large charismatic church in Lee's Summit, Missouri; a suburb of Kansas City.
All three children, despite their youth, are very devout charismatic Christians. Levi, who has ambitions of being a pastor, has already preached several sermons at his father's church, Rock of Ages Church in St. Robert, Missouri. He is homeschooled (as are many of the campers), and learns physical science from a book that attempts to reconcile the creationist account with scientific principles, occasionally by dismissing science altogether[verification needed]. He preaches a sermon at the camp in which he declares that his generation is key to Jesus's coming back. Rachael, who also attends Levi's church (her father is assistant pastor), is seen praying over a bowling ball early in the film, and frequently passes Christian tracts (including some by Jack Chick) to people she meets. She doesn't think very highly of non-charismatic churches (or "dead churches," as she calls them), feeling they aren't "churches that God likes to go to." Tory is a member of the children's praise dance team at Christ Triumphant Church. She frequently dances to Christian heavy metal music, and feels uncomfortable about "dancing for the flesh." She also doesn't think very highly of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
At the camp, Fischer stresses the need for children to purify themselves in order to be part of the "army of God." She strongly believes that children need to be in the forefront of turning America toward conservative Christian values. She also feels that Christians need to focus on training kids since "the enemy" are focused on training theirs.
In one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, Lou Engle, the chief "prophet" (a term not used in the film) for Harvest International Ministries (the "apostolic network" with which both the church and Fischer's ministry are affiliated--an affiliation not advertised in the film) and founder of the Justice House of Prayer, preaches a message urging children to join the fight to end abortion in America. He prays for George W. Bush to have the strength to appoint "righteous judges" who will overturn Roe v. Wade. By the end of the sermon, the children are chanting, "Righteous judges! Righteous judges!" In another, a woman brings a life-sized cutout of Bush to the front of the church, and has the children stretch their hands toward him. Some media reports misinterpreted this as "worshipping" the president, but the children were actually "praying over him." Indeed, the woman clearly says to "pray for" and "speak a blessing to" Bush. Stretching hands toward someone is a derivative of laying hands on someone, which is a very common practice in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.

Tonite at my church I'm leading the first discussion of this movie.
I'm doing another discussion next Sunday.
If you haven't seen this movie than please rent it so we can discuss it
here next Sunday. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Wikipedia describes the movie this way:

Jesus Camp is a documentary about the "Kids On Fire School of Ministry," a charismatic Christian summer camp located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. The film focuses on three children who attended the camp in the summer of 2005--Levi, Rachael, and Tory (Victoria). The film cuts between footage of the camp and a children's prayer conference held just prior to the camp at Christ Triumphant Church, a large charismatic church in Lee's Summit, Missouri; a suburb of Kansas City.

All three children, despite their youth, are very devout charismatic Christians. Levi, who has ambitions of being a pastor, has already preached several sermons at his father's church, Rock of Ages Church in St. Robert, Missouri. He is homeschooled (as are many of the campers), and learns physical science from a book that attempts to reconcile the creationist account with scientific principles, occasionally by dismissing science altogether

He preaches a sermon at the camp in which he declares that his generation is key to Jesus's coming back. Rachael, who also attends Levi's church (her father is assistant pastor), is seen praying over a bowling ball early in the film, and frequently passes Christian tracts (including some by Jack Chick) to people she meets.

She doesn't think very highly of non-charismatic churches (or "dead churches," as she calls them), feeling they aren't "churches that God likes to go to." Tory is a member of the children's praise dance team at Christ Triumphant Church. She frequently dances to Christian heavy metal music, and feels uncomfortable about "dancing for the flesh." She also doesn't think very highly of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

At the camp, Fischer stresses the need for children to purify themselves in order to be part of the "army of God." She strongly believes that children need to be in the forefront of turning America toward conservative Christian values. She also feels that Christians need to focus on training kids since "the enemy" are focused on training theirs.

In one scene shot at Christ Triumphant Church, Lou Engle, the chief "prophet" (a term not used in the film) for Harvest International Ministries (the "apostolic network" with which both the church and Fischer's ministry are affiliated--an affiliation not advertised in the film) and founder of the Justice House of Prayer, preaches a message urging children to join the fight to end abortion in America. He prays for George W. Bush to have the strength to appoint "righteous judges" who will overturn Roe v. Wade.

By the end of the sermon, the children are chanting, "Righteous judges! Righteous judges!" In another, a woman brings a life-sized cutout of Bush to the front of the church, and has the children stretch their hands toward him.

Some media reports misinterpreted this as "worshipping" the president, but the children were actually "praying over him." Indeed, the woman clearly says to "pray for" and "speak a blessing to" Bush. Stretching hands toward someone is a derivative of laying hands on someone, which is a very common practice in Pentecostal and charismatic churches.

I'm about to blog in an attempt draw some friends here:

Today I held my first movie discussion in at least nine months. It was the first of two
about the documentary Jesus Camp. I'm doing it twice because the church newsletter first
said it was today when the intended date, the one in this week's church newsletter and
in the Hagerstown newspaper, is next week.

If you live near me you're invited to come next week. It's the Unitarian Church in Frederick.
For some odd reason they don't like it when you call it the Frederick Unitarian United
Church. Something to do with the acronym that spells. But I digress.

The movie is excellent. I wrote up a rough draft of a review and will finish it up and
publish it in the next few dasy (after I finish some school work.)

I've also set it up at Newsvine so we can have a discussion there of the movie:
http://sbutki.newsvine.com/_news/2007/06/03/753806-scoops-first-movie-discussion-jesus-camp

I'd be curious to read, here or there, what others thought of the movie. I want to wait
to share my opinions until I hear more of yours.

And, yes, I love the irony of showing movies like Jesus Camp and - next month's movie (probably)
Jonestown - at a church, even if it is a Unitarian church.

I'm going to post a few reviews of the movie. That way even if you are unable to see it you can know enough to opine about it.

The L.A. Times review of the movie

You'll never think about summer camp the same way after you've seen how they do things in "Jesus Camp." And that's not the only illusion this unsettling documentary shatters.

Though most Americans like to believe that what we have in common unites us more than our differences pull us apart, the uncompromising zeal of the charismatic branch of evangelical Christianity portrayed in the film — God's soldiers determined to "break the power of the devil in this nation" — calls that into question.
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, who did the excellent, empathetic "The Boys of Baraka," "Jesus Camp" has presented itself as an evenhanded look at the growing evangelical movement and one particular Kids on Fire Summer Camp run by children's pastor Becky Fischer in (no joke) Devils Lake, N.D.

But though the film takes no overt Michael Moore-type swipes at anyone, "Jesus Camp" is more likely to afflict the godless than comfort the God-fearing, who already know what's going on. Whether you are a religious, churchgoing person or not, if you are the least bit liberal or tolerant in your world view, this has got to be one of the most unnerving films of the year.

For one thing, the charismatic evangelicals depicted in this documentary (and it's not clear what percentage of the estimated 80 million Americans who describe themselves as evangelical are this hard-core) are confident, organized and goal-oriented in their determination to "stand up and take back the land." If smugness were something you could eat with a spoon, the attitude of the Rev. Ted Haggard, head of the National Assn. of Evangelicals, would rob anyone of his or her appetite.

The part of this plan "Jesus Camp" concentrates on is the tools evangelicals use to indoctrinate their children at a young age to both share their parents' beliefs and act on them. "Jesus Camp" tells us that 75% of home-schooled students are evangelicals. "Our children are on loan to us from God," one mother says. "And some day we're going to have to answer to him."

As with many sentiments expressed by the film's evangelicals, some of these ideas are ones that non-believers might embrace. The notion that children should be focusing on "things of beauty" rather than terrifying each other with ghost stories at camp is also admirable, as is the concept of empowering children to believe they can change the world.

What is more difficult to witness is the unmistakable exclusionary intolerance that comes from people who are quite candid about saying, "We have the truth." Fischer, the film's central figure, has no hesitation in defending evangelical indoctrination by saying "Islam is doing the same thing." But for many, the problem with radical Islam is not how God is worshiped but the disregard for other viewpoints.

Ok, here is my review of the movie.

Who all is planning on joining this discussion? Have others seen the movie?
I'll be at my church most of the day but am hoping that when I get home
after the 5 pm church viewing and discussion that there will be posts, reviews
by others, etc. here waiting for me.

Meanwhile, a friend is sending me what is kind of like a sequel of sorts - it's
called God' Next Army and it's sort of like what happens when these Jesus Camp
kids are 10 years older.

Ok, here is something that - hopefully - can get discussion going:

The reactions to my review at Blogcritics

#1 — June 14, 2007 @ 12:04PM — Rev. Donald Spitz [URL]
Re: Jesus Camp, Christians have as much right to vote as pro-sodomite, pro-abortion babykilling, anti-Christian bigots.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.

#2 — June 14, 2007 @ 12:47PM — Sean Paul Mahoney
Great review, Scott!
This was one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. We had to stop it several times due to the overall feeling of yuckiness this film gives the viewer. I'm interested in seeing what these film makers do next.

#3 — June 14, 2007 @ 13:17PM — Josh R
Scott, I think you are over taken by the propoganda of this film. I'm sure you disagree. But just because you disagree with christianity, creationism, etc. does not mean it needs to be banned. Anyone can make a film and spin it to thier worldview. I think these people disagree with the radical penecostal people who lead these camps. But, give me a break with the "let them think for themselves" bit. People with your worldview seek to hit the public schools with their different worldview agenda. People who desire to teach creationism do not all hate science many in fact are scientists themselves. This article seems to tailor an opposing worldview of Penecostal Christianity. And thats fine, but don't make it in to something it is not.
Josh R

#4 — June 14, 2007 @ 17:25PM — Scott Butki
Sean, thank you.

Josh, please don't put words into my mouth. Where did I suggest the banning of those things?
Did you actually see this movie? If it's so warped why did Becky not disavow it?

Hmm, where is everyone? I've been at church.

We had four people, including me, at the discussion.

Ah, Festive posted a comment in the review topic.
I'm going to copy it over here:

festivewarrior
I watched the movie.
It is not something that I should debate.
The evangelicals will find this to meet their heart's cry and those who have more sedate religious tastes will find it disconcerting.
Muslims who are part of the videos mentioned by this woman will say they will ultimately annihilate these children.
People with no religious foundations will call it as the talk show guy did.
I am not sure I can bring anything of consequence to this discussion.

I just emailed the church and the newspaper my tenative schedule:

The second movie discussion this summer is Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006 /imdb.com/Sections/Years/2006>) , an Oscar-nominated documentary about the Jonestown massacre, one of the best movies I have seen in several years. It includes interviews with survivors and relatives of those killed at Jones. It is done in a very empathetic, revealing way. You can read more about the movie at http://imdb.com/title/tt0762111/

The discussion will be at 5 pm. at July 15. I'm tentatively planning to show Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, about the controversy sparked by the singer's comments about the president, on Aug.19.

If there is interest I can attempt again to do a discussion here. I think the trick next time will be to do the online one a day ahead of time.

For September I may do one called God's Next Army which has been described as like a sequel to Jesus Camp with the kids at college age.

If you have the dvd version of the movie i'd urge you to check out the commentary
track and deleted scenes. I mention in the review Becky one part of that
but there are a few other revealing details.

Gotta run to class.

I'll let you guys choose which movie discussion we'll do next. At my church it'll be Jonestown but if you guys want we can do the Dixie Chicks movie first.

The second discussion here will be the Dixie Chicks movie while Jonestown will be the second one at my church.

Then the third one here will be Jonestown while the third one at church will be on Dixie Chicks.

Oh, my head hurts.

Anyway for my own thoughts about religion and church shopping read here.