Kids At Jesus Camp

[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.

[Blue_Frog]

Originally Posted by 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.

I think this might be the interview you were talking about --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBWG4U1ul20 -- I haven't had time to watch it yet tho, but will on my lunch break.

Originally Posted by Pembroke_Corgi:
Yikes!!
Thankfully we never were never asked if we would sacrafice our lives at girlscout camp...

You mean YOU never had to pledge your life to Lord and Lady Baden Powell? ... and here all I got in exchange for my life long commitement was some of that orange drink (yep, way too many years with the Girl Guides)

[lizbud]

Blue Frog, thanks for the link. I've never seen the interview before.Think
I'll check it out now.

[Edwina's Secretary]

You mean YOU never had to pledge your life to Lord and Lady Baden Powell?

Please don't leave out Juliette Gordon Lowe....one of my childhood heroines!

[Blue_Frog]

Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

Please don't leave out Juliette Gordon Lowe....one of my childhood heroines!

I didn't know that -- ya learn something new every day! They don't cover her in Canadian guiding, so I had to go read up on her on Wikipedia!

(poor woman, deafened in one ear by silver nitrate, and in the other by a misplaced projectile rice at a wedding -- what bad luck!)

[cali]

Because we have, excuse me, but we have the truth.

this part really bothers me, I am not realigous personally, I DO beive in god, but I dont disbelieve in on other religions deitys, whos says that have the truth? oh right, they did lol there is a big difference between "truth" and "belief" everyone has their BELIEFS but not one single person on this planet has the TRUTH.