Jesus Camp. . .

[nota]

. . .if you haven't seen this movie, see it. BIZARRE!

My college aged granddaughter picked it out at Blockbuster because she had seen it and wanted me to see it. I was prepared for a Vacation Bible School type film.

NOPE!!!! No wonder people are down on Christians.

I consider myself a Christian - I believe in God and Jesus. A Christian as differentiated from Jewish or Muslim, etc. I consider Catholics Christian.

I'm really on the fence now. On one hand, I'm still a Christian by my definition, but not by the definition these fanatics use.

What I'd really like to know is why many folks hate Christians like me because they lump all Christian folk together with the fanatical fringe. I don't like the fanatical fringe either.

I know religion is a touchy subject here, but let's have a rational discussion. And watch the movie. I must have lived under a rock for a long time.

[KCMax]

Humans by nature like to divide others into groups. Us vs. them. I am better than them. Some Christians do it to the pagan, atheistic god-hating liberals to feel better and some liberals do it to the god-fearing, moralistic Christians to make themselves feel better. There's no doubt that 99% of Christians are pretty normal people who live their daily lives in a moral, albeit humanly flawed manner. There's little doubt that 99% of liberals are pretty normal moral people too. But we like to take the 1% - the Fred Phelpses, the Rosie O'Donnells and say  "Look, all of you are like that! You're all crazy, and I am right!"

Anyway, regarding the movie, I haven't seen it, but I've heard its quite good. Some of it takes place in Missouri, right?

[kcmetro]

Some of it takes place in Missouri, right?

Lee's Summit I think.

[Maitre D]

I am surprised Max hasn't locked this thread yet. 

[nota]

A lot of it is right here in our area. Lee's Summit, MO. Nice publicity for sure  .

It is certainly thought provoking.

[tat2kc]

its a scary movie, for sure.

[WSPanic]

I remember seeing some clips of this that include Ted Haggard telling a congregation that all homosexuals will go to hell, yada, yada, yada.....right before he got outed for meth/male prostitution.

What I'd really like to know is why many folks hate Christians like me because they lump all Christian folk together with the fanatical fringe. I don't like the fanatical fringe either.

I think the hypocrisy of people like Haggard are why some people feel so strongly about some of the Christian Right. I don't think anyone who is genuine in their criticism would really link 95% Christians in with those people.

However, as a non-Christian, I can tell it's very easy to dislike Christians who tell you everything you do is wrong, immoral and will lead to eternal damnation - just because their particular version/interpretation of this book tells them so. And then these same people consistantly break all of the rules in this book that they feel don't apply to them anymore. Again - more hypocrisy.

[nota]

However, as a non-Christian, I can tell it's very easy to dislike Christians who tell you everything you do is wrong, immoral and will lead to eternal damnation - just because their particular version/interpretation of this book tells them so.

That's exactly what I don't get. The Bible tells us "judge not lest ye be judged" - yet they are brainwashing children to believe that their interpretation is the only one and that the rest of us are wrong. Who tells them to judge me and mine?

Would any of you ever tell another person they were wrong, immoral and headed straight to eternal damnation? Why?

[WSPanic]

Would any of you ever tell another person they were wrong, immoral and headed straight to eternal damnation? Why?

That's the real question. And it's not just Christians.

[kcmetro]

Would any of you ever tell another person they were wrong, immoral and headed straight to eternal damnation? Why?

Maybe when I was 5 years old.

[KCTigerFan]

No real Christian condemns others, plain and simple.  I think the problem arises in the belief of many faiths that the path to salvation is conversion of others.  To convert others, you have to convince them that they are wrong, evil, doomed, et cetera.  hence the vitrol spewed by many in the name of God.  If people would shut up, lead their own lives, follow the teachings that they believe, and be available when people SEEK answers we wouldn't have nearly as many problems. 

Most Christians are so unlike the Jesus they follow.   

[beautyfromashes]

Would any of you ever tell another person they were wrong, immoral and headed straight to eternal damnation? Why?

I'm not sure if I would put it that way, but, the way I see things you can't believe in a perfect heaven without also believing in a hell.  Life always works in antithesis: light and dark, good and evil, heros and villians, etc.  Sooo, I believe in that there is a hell and people will go there.  

[knucklehead]

It is never a good idea to define your impression of a large group of people based on the actions of a small sliver of the most radical portion of that large group.

Kind of like some of the anti-muslem propaganda circulating in right wing circles.

That doesn't mean exposing the radical eliments should not be done. But extending that to a propaganda demonization campaign aimed at the larger group is never right.

[Maitre D]

Yea!   Another thread bashing Christians!    It's been a while since we had one so I suppose it was about time.

Good work Nota.

It is funny tho, watching people moralize by attacking the supposed "moralizing" of the religious.   Quite an amazing sight to behold, for those that notice it.

[chrizow]

the movie is pretty shocking.  you gotta love brainwashed children praying/crying/saluting a cardboard cutout of George W Bush whilst wearing "war paint."

to Lee's Summit's credit, the little girl from there is probably the most rational of the children.  i predict she will shake the grip of her tyrannical sect and probably become a tear-stained emo/goth Independence Commons Barnes & Noble-loiterer before high school.

[Brodees]

Beyond being horrifying, the movie does quite the disservice to Kansas City as the city's name is often spoken or displayed against the backdrop of rural tracts of land and sparsely populated areas of Lee's Summit.

[chrizow]

the only time kansas city is "mentioned" is at the beginning of the segment focusing on the Lee's Summit girl.  the screen says "Lee's Summit, MO, a suburb of kansas city" and shows her subdivision.  the other shots could be from St. Robert, MO (where the rat-tailed kid is from), South Dakota, etc.

i think it's pretty obvious to viewers that the persons depicted in the film are on the fringe, so i doubt anyone would draw conclusions about KCMO due to some Lee's Summit fanatics...and if anyone does draw that conclusion, their critical thinking skills are pretty lacking so who gives a damn?

[ComandanteCero]

I consider Catholics Christian.

Damn Papists, they're not Christian... more like dirty Irish/Italian/Mexican pagans with crosses... 

[Brodees]

the only time kansas city is "mentioned" is at the beginning of the segment focusing on the Lee's Summit girl.  the screen says "Lee's Summit, MO, a suburb of kansas city" and shows her subdivision.  the other shots could be from St. Robert, MO (where the rat-tailed kid is from), South Dakota, etc.

i think it's pretty obvious to viewers that the persons depicted in the film are on the fringe, so i doubt anyone would draw conclusions about KCMO due to some Lee's Summit fanatics...and if anyone does draw that conclusion, their critical thinking skills are pretty lacking so who gives a damn?

I seem to remember KC coming up more often (possibly from the talk radio host?), however, I saw it five or six months ago, so my memory is a bit foggy.  And the comment about the "disservice to KC" was solely a reference to the potential misrepresentation of the city itself based on the geographical shots, not based on the nut jobs that are interviewed.

[ComandanteCero]

I think you can find disturbing religious groups anywhere in the country, but this particular manifestation is a product of a particular social and political milieu that is fascinating to coastal folks (in the same way non-coastal folks love hearing about Paris Hilton, and watching her dopplegangers on shows like the OC).  There's a mutual fascination with the difference between different parts of the country, and the best way to find the differences is to find the grossest manifestation of it (and avoid the 98% of the population that reminds us too much of ourselves).