Jesus camp is a documentary about a pentecostal pastor who arranges summer camps for kids. The documentary focuses on the pastor and the kids, rather than trying to make a very general point about the religious right (even if it did say something about that). It is a film about specific people. It was clear from the start that the kids in the film are indocrtrinated into a movement where religion is war and the question of utmost importance is opposition to arbortion. The open glorification of war surprised me, but only a little.
Even though the scenes of religious services were very revealing, it was other scenes that stayed in my mind. A girl who enjoys dancing to christian heavy metal is worried that she is not always dancing with the aim of glorifying God. Summer camp kids are telling ghost stories but one of the adults spoils the fun by warning them them that Christianity is about talking about what is beautiful and good.
The funniest part of the film was the encounter between a child preacher and one of the famous evangelical preachers, Ted Haggard. Haggard asks the kid if he has any listeners. The kid, quite humbly, answers 'yes'. In a rude tone of voice, Haggard asks if this is because the kid is cute or if he really has a message. Then he goes on to say that it is OK for the kid preacher to be popular in virtue of being a cute boy until he is thirty - by then, he might have a message to deliver.
(Haggard lost his position last year due to a drug & sex scandal.)
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