Jesus Camp
Jesus Camp
PG-13 | 15 September 2006 (USA)
Jesus Camp Trailers

Jesus Camp is a Christian summer camp where children hone their "prophetic gifts" and are schooled in how to "take back America for Christ". The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.

Reviews
GarnettTeenage

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

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Kodie Bird

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

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Janae Milner

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

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Kimball

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

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Scott Amundsen

If the goal of a documentary is to depict a subject honestly, this movie scores big. Scary big.The basic premise of this film is the ambition of evangelical Christians in this country to marry religion and politics. Or if they aren't seeking after a marriage, they are hinting at a fearsome love affair. Most of the film takes place at a summer camp for evangelical kids called Kids on Fire. The leader of the camp is a woman named Becky Fischer, who frankly looks to me like an overweight Lesbian. And when you get into the nitty gritty of camp life, things get really strange. Fischer has the kids in an auditorium talking to a cardboard cutout of President George W Bush. And it gets even more ridiculous as it progresses: we have a kid named Levi, who sports a rather idiotic- looking mullet and whose Jesus- glaze is so thick you could cut it with a knife, getting home schooled by his mother about how global warming is a hoax and the earth is no more than six thousand years old.If it were not so frightening I would have found it all hilarious. For balance, the directors have given us Christian radio host Mike Papantonio, whose worldview is much more moderate than the maniacs we are seeing in this documentary.As far as what happens to the kids, I would call it abuse, but the kids don't seem aware of it.Someone really needs to tell these people, who are calling for "warriors for Christ," that Jesus already said the final word on that subject:"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."God isn't looking for an army. He is looking for peacemakers.Anyone who buys the mess that this movie is selling is seriously deluded and needs to study the teachings of Christianity.

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ironhorse_iv

Jesus Christ! What is wrong with these American Pious? Why are they so disturbing to watch? Directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, this documentary showcase, the dangers of paramilitary indoctrination, by visiting an evangelical Christian summer camp in North Dakota called 'Kids on Fire', where children take part in controversial programs designed to strengthen and intensify their beliefs. The camp's founder, Becky Fischer, discusses her mission to indoctrinate youths in the word of God, as if she was running the Christian version of Al-Qaeda. From her own crazy point of view, she's thinks it's safe. After all, it's no different than the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine or CDD. However, that isn't the image, most people see, when watching this movie. Talks about 'army of God' and telling the kids that they should be ready to lay down their lives in the name of God sounds very similar to the same indoctrination that Muslim extremists used on their youth. Indeed, seeing young people being forced into Christian military style reenactment is a bit scary. It remind me of something out of a Hitler Youth camp. I don't think that is what Jesus was saying, when 'turn the other cheek'. Honestly if you ever see Becky Fischer, ask her, that. WWJD? Because I don't think, he would love this. Its gets even weirder that Becky Fischer was OK with showing all this, in the film. Not only does, she say that this film portrayed her camp accurately, but she also thinks, this film would be a good evangelism tool to bring Christians followers closer to God. I really have no clue, what cloud, her mind is flowing on, but she clearly has to be, crazy, or that she never watched the film. Because films like this, make me want to stay away from the Church as long as possible. Clearly, this movie isn't for everybody. Not only does it, fuel negative reactions and more harsh criticism to the Christianity religion from the outsiders, but for normal Christians like myself, I found it to be, very embarrassing and troublesome. Most Christians don't act this way. Yes, some Christians do have a trouble with LGBT communities & yes, they might protest outside of an abortion clinic; but most of them, are not telling their followers to worship a cardboard cutout of President George W. Bush as if a Saint and destroy mugs that represented the government. That's red flags to extreme Christian fundamentalism right there. About them, showcasing the children of the Pentecostal congregation speaking in tongues to Jesus. Yes, it sounds like they're worshipping the devil, more than Jesus, but I found that scene to be, more silly than scary. Let me be clear: becoming excited, emotional, even hyper-emotional with crying, even ecstatic, for praying is somewhat alright, however, I do believe that going with whatever sounds your mouth might utter under this trance is not what the Bible describes when it speaks about the gift of tongues. It's utter nonsense. Nevertheless, I found it somewhat harmless, unlike the next scene, where the children were somewhat forced to pray for forgiveness for being kids. I really didn't like that scene where Becky Fischer mentally abuse them. The camp seems to do that a lot. A very horrible method of making the kids cry and then using their emotional tumult to really cement their message. It's very sinister tactic for indoctrinating child soldiers. If anything, Becky Fischer is more of a hypocrite than the kids. First off, she called them to fast, yet she looks like she ate the whole supermarket for breakfast. Then she calls Harry Potter, an evil warlock that need to put to death, when Jesus was put to death, for nearly doing the same thing, many years ago. Also ghost stories are bad. What is the Holy Spirit then? Another mindless rant, she has is the separate of church and schools. I guess, she never heard that you can indeed pray in school, but it's unlawful to lead it. After all, this law, also protected Christians as well. How weird, would it be, if everybody was forced to pray toward Mecca every two to three hours? Now that would cause everybody to out-roar. Even her straw man arguments about the dangers of science and believing in global warming is full of fallacy. After all, Becky apparently thinks that power outages and equipment failures are the work of Satan. How bat-crazy stupid, can you be, honestly be? That is by far, one of dumbest statement, I ever heard. I think the worst one from her, is her criticizes of democracy because democracy means giving everyone equal freedom. Wow! What a horrible person! It's even more hypocritical and hilarious in hindsight, when the pastor of New Life Church, then head of the National Association of Evangelicals, Ted Haggard is featured later in the film. Ted Haggard's condemnation of homosexuality is ironic, seeing how he was later revealed to be sleeping with male prostitutes at that time period. Also, take notes on the arrogant, mocking tone he talks with the person holding the camera & also the way, he talks to the kid. What a jerk! I'm glad, I'm not the only one that thinks they are asses. Many conservative Christian viewers like Mike Papantonio, a radio host considered these people's rhetoric message and harsh methods way over the top and ignorant. I'm glad, they feature him. So level-headed. The kids in the film were also alright, even if they were a bit brainwash. I can only hope the best for them, growing up. In the end, the film met with so much controversy that led to the closure of the camp in 2007 due to vandalism and threats. Since that date, it hasn't yet open back up. Overall: The film is fascinating, eye-opening, and well shot. It's worthy to be watch. Glad, it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 79th Academy Awards. So check it out.

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SnoopyStyle

In the American heartland, evangelical Christians are pushing their agenda. It's the Children's Prayer Conference at the Christ Triumphant Church in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Becky Fischer is a Pentecostal children's minister preaching to little kids. She also runs an annual summer camp for evangelical children in North Dakota. She sees the indoctrination of kids in Islam and thinks Christians are falling behind. The movie follows several kids in their religious homes as they go to the summer camp.I don't like the opening with the radio talk show. It sets the movie off in a combative political sphere without putting the evidence out first. I rather the movie show what's going on and let the audience decide. The movie is simply pushing too hard its own agenda which puts this into a he-says-she-says territory. It may be eye opening for non-evangelicals or not from middle America but this movie is preaching to the choir.

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paul2001sw-1

To those of us who do not live in a part of the world where it is resurgent, evangelical Christianity appears a strange thing, one part madness, one part scam, and one part cover for vicious conservative nationalism. But the standard picture doesn't altogether prepare you for 'Jesus Camp', in which we follow the efforts of an apparently true believer to teach/indoctrinate the next generation. What we see is startlingly close to child abuse: indeed, it's hard to consider how this could not be considered abuse (in the purest sense) if it wasn't being done in the name of the established religion of the day. Quite how little of the doctrine is grounded in the words and spirit of the New Testament is also shocking, as is the way the kids learn quickly to behave as expected, and to express the same intolerant attitudes as their elders. If you hadn't thought of Christianity as a contest to prove who loves God the most before, then think again. If this documentary has a fault, it's only that it delivers the goods upfront: the first 20 minutes effectively summarise most of what follows. Still this is a pretty powerful denunciation of attitudes not just misguided, but close to pure evil, yet cloaked in false layer of suburban orthodoxy.

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