Anyone who has ever wondered about the connection between the so-called Religious Right and politics in America should take a look at Jesus Camp. This 2006 documentary follows a group of Pentecostal and charismatic Christian children and a children's pastor named Becky Fischer as they prepare for and attend the "Kids on Fire" Bible camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota.
A Balanced View of Controversial Topics
Telling the story without narration and with minimal use of explanatory captions, filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady present a film about religion that is critical, yet also balanced. Although their film is nothing like the pointed, commentaries-on-film documentary style of Michael Moore (Roger and Me, Fahrenheit 911), they seem to embrace his technique of letting the camera run and the people talk.
And so we get to hear from one Evangelical mother homeschooling her son on why global warming is just a political story and how the Creation story "really answers all the questions" about natural history. We get to see Becky Fischer and her assistants preparing for the camp by praying over the pews, praying for the microphones and PowerPoint to get the message out there - and her praying in tongues for effect. As for the kids themselves - we hear eight-year-old Rachael saying she doesn't like "dead churches" where people aren't shouting their praise (as is common in the Pentecostal churches) and that she'd like to be a manicurist so that she can talk to people about Jesus while doing their nails.
Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism
It should be noted that although the campers are broadly identified as Evangelicals, they seem to be of the Pentecostal denomination, which is distinct from other Evangelical denominations such as Baptist by such practices as praying in tongues and prayer healing. These are believed to be signs of "baptism through the holy spirit" and true belief, according the Church's "Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths." The film has several shocking scenes of the children worshipping by praying in tongues and writhing about on the floor, and it does present a picture that this is characteristic of Evangelicals in general.
The word "brainwashing" comes to mind when viewing how adults in Jesus Camp interact with the children in their charge. Fischer opens the camp with a sermon on the evils of Harry Potter, and how "warlocks would be put to death" in Old Testament times. You can see a few Harry Potter fans squirm in their seats. Later on, a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush is brought out and the children are "encouraged" to pray for the president to nominate the right Supreme Court Justice; that is, the one who'll bring religion back for America. Kids touch the cutout and pray in tongues. (Viewers may wonder how many kids are faking the ecstatic mumbles just to go along and get along...) Fischer also takes candidly about the way Islamic cultures teach their children in similar camps, and is proud of the role she's taken in preparing her own warriors for Jesus.
Moderate Christians also have a voice in the film, however. Segments of Mike Papantonio, host of Air America's "Ring of Fire" radio show punctuate Jesus Camp. He decries the zealotry shown by some Christians, and voices concern that radical Christians are "elbowing their way into positions of power" and possibly threatening hard-fought but controversial rights such as legal abortion.
Religion and Politics
Although the Bush administration the film critiques for its connections to the Religious Right is no longer in office, Jesus Camp remains powerful, essential viewing. Not only does it illustrate why vigilance is needed to protect separation of church and state, it also vividly shows how impressionable children can be taught intolerance. Although the kids seem very bright and lively, at no point are they given a chance to think for themselves. At the end of the film, you're wondering what the future holds for them - and for us all.
Sources
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
 |
