Kids At Jesus Camp

[dukedogsmom]

Gotta love those crazy fundies.

[RICHARD]

I went ot Catholic School for 8 years..

"nuff said!

[signorelli21]

i found it interesting that so many people responded by saying that they would give their lives for jesus because he is their lord and savior.

anyway, sounds like a few of the camps i went to as a child.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

I don't think it is at all extreme.

You have to consider the author of that article.. which very much paints it to be extreme with their choice of wording.

I went to a penticostal church for about 4 years... and I can't tell you the number of times i was on the floor literally crying and praying for something i was passionate about. They were praying about abortion... it could have been a pet lover praying over a picture of their terminally ill cat... would it have been so extreme then?????

I get excited hearing about kids so passionate about Jesus!!!
And the lady telling them there is a war... well there is. A war against good and evil..... God and the Devil.

[jackie]

"It's no wonder with that kind of intense training in discipling (sic) that those young people are ready to kill themselves for the cause of Islam," Fischer said. "I want to see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam. I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as they are over in Pakistan and in Israel and Palestine and all those different places. Because we have, excuse me, but we have the truth."

This sounds sick, just what the world needs, more religious extremists.

[Pam]

I don't think it is at all extreme.

You have to consider the author of that article.. which very much paints it to be extreme with their choice of wording.

I went to a penticostal church for about 4 years... and I can't tell you the number of times i was on the floor literally crying and praying for something i was passionate about. They were praying about abortion... it could have been a pet lover praying over a picture of their terminally ill cat... would it have been so extreme then?????

I get excited hearing about kids so passionate about Jesus!!!
And the lady telling them there is a war... well there is. A war against good and evil..... God and the Devil.

Sara thank you for that. Although I have never heard of the Jesus camp, I believe there is probably more to it than we are reading. The only war I have ever heard of as a Christian is, like you say, the war between good and evil. I would have to know a lot more to judge them. There is an old hymn we sang years ago in church and is probably still sung today - - *Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.* It refers to the war against evil and that is all there is to it. I think the story is written to create hype and stir up criticism. Believe me, if it was teaching anything else I wouldn't agree either.

[popcornbird]

I don't think it is at all extreme.

You have to consider the author of that article.. which very much paints it to be extreme with their choice of wording.

One more thing. I don't think anyone would ever give that benefit of doubt to Muslims when they hear things on the news, portrayed by the author in an extreme way...

A war against good and evil..... God and the Devil.

Isn't that what war is about? Its a matter of perspective. In a war, both sides are fighting 'evil' on their part, and based on their perspective. Why else would they fight if they didn't believe they were fighting evil, or the people on the side of the 'devil'?

[caseysmom]

One more thing. I don't think anyone would ever give that benefit of doubt to Muslims when they hear things on the news, portrayed by the author in an extreme way...

PCB...I always look at the news as sort of being slanted toward muslims because I know many and know they are portrayed unfairly. I hate not being able to trusy any news.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

One more thing. I don't think anyone would ever give that benefit of doubt to Muslims when they hear things on the news, portrayed by the author in an extreme way...



Isn't that what war is about? Its a matter of perspective. In a war, both sides are fighting 'evil' on their part, and based on their perspective. Why else would they fight if they didn't believe they were fighting evil, or the people on the side of the 'devil'?

I'm sorry if you took my comments the wrong way.

Not *everyone* would give the benefit of doubt to muslims... but there are some who will. Every religion has their extremest.... and unfortunatly i believe muslims are in the spotlight now because of 9/11.. For some reason people want to hold onto their prejeduces (sp) without searching to find out what a person is really about. Espically the media... and people who write articles to persuade their readers that what they believe is the truth.

again.. and when i was speaking of war... i didn't mean a "physical" war.. but a spiritual war against good and evil... through prayer.. not fighting.

[Pam]

Good Morning America just aired an interview between the woman who runs the camp and Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo. There was a man there representing the other side but I forget his name. It was a good interview and if you are interested, and can catch it, I would suggest watching it.

My only comment after watching would be that I understand the woman's concern over the children having to live in this world and dealing with so much these days in the way of getting involved with *evil* things, etc. that can hurt them. What I don't agree with is her method. When I taught my children about God/Jesus I was careful to first explain how much He loved them. Jesus loved them so much that he died for them. Some people are so afraid of God that they are never able to love Him. They look to Him with great fear. That is such a shame. He wants us to love Him as we love our earthly fathers. Of course we have a mix of love and respect for our earthly fathers and that is why God likens Himself to our father.

I have a five year old grandson. He is learning about Jesus, and his love for Jesus is child-like as it should be. Would I want to see him crying and crying over his sin? NOT AT THE AGE OF FIVE! I am against anything that takes a child into adulthood without ever being able to be a child. When he asks honest questions about God/Jesus it is the sweetest most pure thing you'd ever want to hear.

For an adult it is completely different. We have lived long enough to accumulate some sins unfortunately. In some cases the things people have done cause them great sadness, and crying for repentance is absolutely normal. I was not able to watch The Passion of the Christ without crying. I am not a fanatic but just someone who realizes the depth of God's love and will eternally be grateful.

As in so many things, presentation is everything. I personally believe in another approach but we live in a world with as many different approaches to things as there are people. Would I send my child to Jesus Camp? No. Do I teach them to avoid evil and be good? Yes. We all want the same result.

[JenBKR]

My only comment after watching would be that I understand the woman's concern over the children having to live in this world and dealing with so much these days in the way of getting involved with *evil* things, etc. that can hurt them. What I don't agree with is her method.

Totally agree. I do some children's ministries work in my church, and I so love seeing kids get passionate about Christ. But her methods concern me. When the kids I work with get passionate, they are usually excited about God's love and what He has done for us. Their faces light up, they pray, and tears are sometimes shed. But this camp seems extreme to me, at least some of the methods. Although, I agree with what some others have said in this thread, I think I would need to see more to really be able to form an opinion. I think I'd be interested in seeing the whole documentary.

[signorelli21]

I get excited hearing about kids so passionate about Jesus!!!
And the lady telling them there is a war... well there is. A war against good and evil..... God and the Devil.

i was under the impression that the war against good and evil was over after the crusades, inquisitions, and witch trials had killed off all the non-believers.

its funny that people on the good side always talk about fighting evil when all they are really doing is fighting each other. how often do you see atheists or satanists ( real ones, members of the church of satan are glamor seekers, like people that pretend they are vampires.) blowing up abortion clinics, mass suicides, etc.

the so called evil people are ones who merely do not share your beliefs, yet the ones who do share similar beliefs ( jews, muslims, etc) are often pursecuted anyway, because you have the truth and they don't or whatever.

and for the record, god created everything, which means he created evil, which means that he is evil. god also created man in his image, which tells you alot about his character, or lack therof. teaching children anything other than how to make rational decisions and ask questions before coming to conclusions is similar to the nazi youth camps.
if all of your differing religions are so loving and perfect, why is it that all they seem to do is fight with each other, the theory is sound but the execution is terrible.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

i was under the impression that the war against good and evil was over after the crusades, inquisitions, and witch trials had killed off all the non-believers.

2Cr 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

War : to me as a christian is not people fighting people.. just as i said... but against good and evil.... I believe in a spiritual war..

the so called evil people are ones who merely do not share your beliefs, yet the ones who do share similar beliefs ( jews, muslims, etc) are often pursecuted anyway, because you have the truth and they don't or whatever.

who are you speaking for? I never said evil were the ones who didn't share my beliefs. Anyone who has religious beliefs wether they be christian, muslim, jew, pagan are persecuted.... not just the ones who don't share my beliefs!

and for the record, god created everything, which means he created evil, which means that he is evil. god also created man in his image, which tells you alot about his character, or lack therof.

For the record????? What scripture or anything do you have to prove God created evil? What control did God take over Lucifer's thoughts when he decided he was greater than God... what control does God have over your thoughts and decisions?

When God created man in his image man was perfect and without sin! So that says A LOT about God's character.

[JenBKR]

2Cr 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

War : to me as a christian is not people fighting people.. just as i said... but against good and evil.... I believe in a spiritual war..



who are you speaking for? I never said evil were the ones who didn't share my beliefs. Anyone who has religious beliefs wether they be christian, muslim, jew, pagan are persecuted.... not just the ones who don't share my beliefs!




For the record????? What scripture or anything do you have to prove God created evil? What control did God take over Lucifer's thoughts when he decided he was greater than God... what control does God have over your thoughts and decisions?

When God created man in his image man was perfect and without sin! So that says A LOT about God's character.

Exactly! I also believe in the war between good and evil, but not a physical war. God created man in His image, giving us free will.....it was Adam and Eve who chose to commit the original sin. Man commits sin, not God.

[columbine]

Exactly! I also believe in the war between good and evil, but not a physical war. God created man in His image, giving us free will.....it was Adam and Eve who chose to commit the original sin. Man commits sin, not God.

That concept turns up in the Koran too (article here). War is a consequence that humans have faced from the beginning, and so a handy metaphor for the constant struggle against the enemy within (temptation to do wrong), but it's caused no end of suffering when taken literally. Whoops, wrong verb tense. It causes no end of suffering when taken literally.

Love, Columbine