IN THEORY:Teaching truth or extremism?

A new movie, called “Jesus Camp,” is stirring up criticism and praise over a Christian camp that evangelizes to youth.

The film focuses on three children, Rachael, Levi and Tory. It follows the children through Pastor Becky Fischer’s North Dakota summer camp as they absorb doctrines of Christian evangelicalism. She claims she is training Christian soldiers for God’s army. Scenes reportedly include praying for conservative Supreme Court justices, 7-year-olds doing spiritual war dances and children blessing a cardboard cutout of President George W. Bush. The filmmakers, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, have presented an honest documentary that steers clear of a prepackaged point of view, according to the film’s distributor, Magnolia Films.

Critics say the film shows the influence of the radical right. Others say the film itself misrepresents its subjects.

What do you think of such a camp?

Since the movie “Jesus Camp” is only in limited release, I’ll have to confine my assessment to the movie trailer and the various write-ups of those fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have seen it.

It would appear that the left has again found a whipping boy to flaunt before the public as the quintessential example of Christianity in America. What is it to be a Christian? The answer is apparently found in some fringe, Midwest, Pentecostal Vacation Bible School on steroids. Had snippets of the Y Indian Guides been blended with any given youth group paintball war — throw in some peculiar mullet-wearing locals, and do it on the National Day of Prayer — I bet you could probably produce the same film. Don’t forget the ominous music, and menacing commentary and you could probably muster one nasty misrepresentation about an entire people group.

I frankly do not know of any other group (Christians) for which social and religious bigotry has yet to be called off. But here we are.

While I may not prefer to have my children subjected to the likes of this particular camp, I think having them attend a camp with Christian perspective would be far preferable than having them waste time in some “Meatballs” alternative. We want our kids to truly own their faith, and to take an interest in how their relationship with Christ should inform their choices within the society they live. It may be that the camp in this film takes it to an odd level, like snake dancing, strychnine-drinking Christians up in Appalachia, but be honest; this is a caricatured shot at the religious right, so buyers beware such lefty propaganda.

“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left” (Ecclesiastes 10:2).

THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM

Senior Pastor

MontroseCommunityChurch.org

I have not seen the movie, but what I fear is another near-idolatrous soiree by the Christian Right.

One of the things our evangelical brothers and sisters seem to forget is that the cross and the flag (ours) are not the same.

In fact, the right side of the political spectrum has always had that problem of mixing up the two. Sometimes the United States and its leaders do wonderful things, but at other times I fear that we are closer to that “axis of evil” that we like to think certain other nations represent.

I believe it was the French Existentialist Albert Camus who said that he would love to be able to love his country if he could also love justice, too. I personally wouldn’t go as far as the Frenchman, because I like to think that I love my country and am patriotic as well, even if I disagree with a disastrous and ill-advised war in Iraq.

Another hero of mine is Stephen Decatur, the Civil War-era American who said, “My country, right or wrong — when right, to be kept right and when wrong to be put right.” The trouble with a movie like “Jesus Camp” is that the assumption is that America and the president are wonderful and are right, and as a patriotic American as well as a member of the faith community, I cannot always agree. As Joshua said: “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And the implication is that serving the Lord comes before serving the country.

THE REV. C.L. “SKIP” LINDEMAN

Congregational Church of the Lighted Window

United Church of Christ

La Cañada Flintridge

Extremism in any form — be it religious or political — does not lend itself well to peaceful co-existence; rigid, hard-line views can often lead to violence. We should all be troubled if the activities being reported at “Jesus Camp” are true.

I watched a clip of Pastor Becky Fischer stating her intent to train children to “radically lay down their lives for the Gospel as they do in Pakistan, Israel and Palestine.” Unfortunately, most of the people laying down their lives in those lands are Islamic terrorists who kill thousands of innocent civilians in the process; it is simply wrong to use these radicals as role models. Another clip shows campers saying, “A lot of people die for God,” and, “We’re kind of being trained to be warriors.”

It is very dangerous to teach impressionable children such an aggressive doctrine.

I feel that it’s critically important for us to teach our youth to appreciate the value of religion and to incorporate spirituality into their lives. But we must also impart a respect and tolerance for people of other faiths and backgrounds. We should educate our young through positive spiritual lessons, and encourage them to revere a God of life, peace and forgiveness. Our world has already suffered enough from the consequences of intolerant extremism.

RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN

Chabad Jewish Center

When discussing “Jesus Camp,” the word “zealous” comes to mind. It’s a word derived from a first-century Jewish sect known as the “Zealots,” a group formed in reaction to the occupation of the land of Israel and eventually led the revolt against Rome (66-70 AD). The Zealots could not accept their land being ruled by any principle other than the authority of God.

At least one of Jesus’ disciples, Simon, was a member of the Zealots.

I suspect that Pastor Becky Fischer, her group and the countless other denominations that align themselves with her teachings, understand the United States being “occupied” and ruled by principles that are in conflict with God’s commandments. And here lies the problem, because you can only approach such an idea subjectively. How dare we answer the question, what is the will of God? To teach a six-day-creation? That the war in Iraq is justified? That homelessness is acceptable in every major city?

Secondly, I need to comment on the target audience of the “Jesus Camp.”

Children don’t need religion. They need faith. They need to believe in hope and love. As so called “mature” people, we need to offer our children stability, not chaos.

What amazes me the most is our audacity to teach young children about religion. Have we created a good enough world that we’re ready to pass along the systems by which we’ve arrived here? Or do we need to pause and pay heed to the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, for to such belong the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 19).

Our children can teach us a thing or two about life that we’ve forgotten. I would like to attend a “Jesus Camp” run by the children who can teach us what comes so naturally to them. Things such as, forgiving and forgetting just a short while after they have been hurt, or noticing small miracles such as a frog jumping. Mostly, they can teach us to trust and depend on each other — building the community — something which is the basis of all true religion.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church

In His Shoes Mission

I can discuss this issue with passion because, although I never went to Jesus boot camp, as a small boy, I was raised in a Pentecostal church and exposed to something similar.

At the age of 5 or 6, while sitting idly in my pew seat, hoping the long service would soon be over, I was approached by several members of the church and told that I was going to hell unless I went to the altar and prayed and asked Jesus to enter my heart.

I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. All around me people were shouting, speaking in tongues, literally rolling on the floor. I, even at this young age, wondered what in the world was going on. What sins had I committed? I was 5, or maybe 6, for God’s sake. My worst sin might have been raiding the cookie jar.

Nevertheless, I was tugged and pulled out of my uncomfortable seat and literally dragged to the altar, where I had to confess my sins and ask Jesus to enter my heart. I was told that I would have to stay at the altar until I cried and made myself contrite before God. I had no idea what was going on, but when my Sunday school teacher pinched me unmercifully hard, I started crying. At that moment all the adults screamed something like, “Little Tommy is saved.” I wondered what I was saved from.

I still wonder that today.

Do I think the “Jesus Camp” is a good thing for youngsters? Absolutely not. I have been there, in a sense, and it was a horrible place to be. This kind of pressure from my family’s church literally forced me into agnosticism, and later into atheism.

It was not until I was about 40 years old that I found a way of life called Unity, which allowed me to be positive, loving and open to all people everywhere, without judgment, that I finally could consider myself a true Christian.

God help the little children all over the world who are caught up in fanaticism — whether it be Christian or Muslim or any other persuasion. May those who force children to “choose up sides” before they reach an age where they can think and reason for themselves be forgiven their transgressions against youth everywhere.

THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON

Unity Church of the Valley

La Crescenta

Without personally seeing “Jesus Camp” or visiting Becky Fischer’s “Kids on Fire” summer camp, I hesitate to comment on any of the particular activities shown in the film.

But the metaphorical concept of teaching children to be “dedicated Christian soldiers in God’s army”, as the film’s website puts it, is quite biblical.

The apostle Paul told his young disciple, Timothy, to “fight the good fight” and to “suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

He reminded the Corinthian believers that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

The Bible entreats us to “put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

In the verses that follow, faith is likened to a shield, salvation to a helmet, righteousness to body armor and the Bible to a sword.

These days even our children face intense spiritual battles. It’s wise to sound the battle cry and teach them to overcome through faith in Jesus Christ.

Through Him will they “be able to resist in the evil day, and … to stand firm.”

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church

Burbank