I came across this trailer for an upcoming documentary. It both scared and saddened me. Mostly it saddened me. Do we really live in a world where our response to Islamic extremists using their madras's - their religious schools to indoctrinate future terrorists is to put our "christian" children into camps that do essentially the same kind of thing in an anti-terrorist, Christian extremist kind of way? And is that really any better? Maybe we could just agree that when it comes to religious beliefs, extremism seems to be dangerous in a bad way - not the world changing way that christians are looking for. Maybe we could try being extreme by feeding hungry people, actually stopping to listen to what others are saying, caring for the broken, intervening to stop abuse, caring for prisoners, healing the sick. Maybe it's like John Fischer said in a article I read a couple of months ago - we need to stop being "christian" counsellors, and nurses and doctors and executives, and just be really good at being counsellors and nurses and doctors and executives. We could be really loyal and honest, and genuinely interested in people's lives, and in peace, and maybe we'd make a difference.
I can't figure out how to embed the trailer for the film here, but go to this site, and watch it in the video section, in fact, watch all three clips that they have available. I originally just watched the trailer, but after watching the others I'm almost overcome with anger and sadness. Pay particular attention to how old it tells you the little girl who loves to dance is - what ten or eleven year old do you know that talks like that? When did children become pawns in a ridiculous non-war of the religions? Once you've watched them come back here and leave me a comment letting me know what you're thinking. I'm wondering if I'm the only one that this triggers an intense response for...
Saturday, September 02, 2006
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3 comments:
Hey Lisa, couldn't get the links to the videos to work, but I did read the web page. To me, it just looks like a more blatant version of any other summer Christian camp in North America. It's kind of a messy idea. On the one hand, most North American Christians could probably use a good wake up call that they live in a spiritual war: the term 'soldiers of Christ' emphasizes that fact. On the other hand, I just got back from Israel where I got to see the damage caused by too many people linking religion to narrow political positions for a kingdom of heaven on earth. Specifically, I got to see how blind North American Christian Zionist zeal has aided the secular Israeli military/government in inflicting some serious human rights violations against a powerless minority, a minority that just happens to contain the only local Christian population in the holy land. Adds a rather bitter taste to the word 'ironic', doesn't it?
.... wow….
I am torn. On one hand I feel that in NA we are WAY to complacent with our beliefs and we are walked over. We have given up moral standards with little fight. But on the other hand indoctrinating our young to be “…dedicated… active part of America’s political future”. What is that? I do not recall Jesus rising up to be Israel’s political leader, and save them from Roman rule. Jesus came to raise soldiers for a battle, but a battle in and for the hearts and minds of people.
This is like an echo from the thirties when Hitler founder the “Hitler youth”. With the goal to raise and army and purify the nation. I just watched the movie “V for Vendetta” and this “Jesus Camp” movie seems like it should be propaganda from the show.
This is typical of the lazy, reactionary, and simply stupid way the typical NA’n thinks.
We do not seem to want to teach our kids HOW to think but what to think, what to do. People are easier to control when they have been conditioned to follow the “mass” thought process. What make people dangerous are those who think outside the “group-think”. To me, this is why Jesus was and is such a radical, He wants us to act and think outside the “box”. The masses are selfish, be selfless, they are morally weak, be morally strong.
I should stop before this becomes a long soapbox rant. Lisa, I agree with you sentiments.
Sad.
Thanks, Faye and anonymous for your feedback. I continue to wonder about this... maybe it's best that it creates a place of tension within me, because it means that I cannot be too comfortable with who and what I am and where I'm going...
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