There's a documentary called "Jesus Camp" that ran on A&E this weekend... maybe (probably) it'll run again. Here's a link, you can watch at least the first couple of segments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c94b1_dx9Q8
I'm interested in the locals' opinions hereabouts
Thanks,
PFnV
It was fine filmmaking, very effective at pushing an agenda by cherry picking the right people and situations to make it appear an entire group of people behave in exactly the same way.
These documentaries go to the same 2 or 3 churches and focus on the same politically and sexually obsessed Pastors in order to paint all Evangelical Christians with the brush of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Ted Haggard.
I dont agree with Christians who focus on politics and act like all Christians are Republicans. However, I reject this myth that this is the majority of Evangelicals. For example, I live in Kansas City, and in the first scene you hear on the radio the speaker blaring about Rebublican politics. Frankly, most Christians in KC who listen to Christian radio, listen to KLove, or one of the other Christian Contemporary music stations.
As someone who goes to a church that has connections with New Life Church in Colorado Springs and knows first hand the quality of the people who go there, it saddens me how the obvious failings of one man is used over and over again to diminish the character of thousands of people. 2 of those people were two teenage girls who had served the Lord by going on mission trips to China and to South America to help feed and encourage those less fortunate than themselves. These were amazing kids. In fact, for all I know, they may have been 2 of the 100 or so teens that came to our church on November 4th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVmSn_hYzHA
whether or not they were, they were great,unselfish kids who had done more in their short lives for other people than most people do in their entire life. A few weeks ago they were shot dead at church.
But this wasnt treated like the Mall shooting in Omaha. After all, those people were innocent. In this case, many news organizations used the event to trot out stories about a Pastor that was dismissed a year earlier by the church, the implicit insinuation that somehow New Life church deserved it because their former leader was politically incorrect, and worse yet, a "hyocrite".
That story came and went very quickly, there were no documentaries about the 15,000 or so great people that attend New Life Church, but I suppose we will hear about the personal troubles of Ted Haggard forever. As if somehow if they focus on the man, that it will bring the church down.
I have posted many music videos by Desperation Band, the worship leaders from New Life Church, here is one their songs, "Amazed"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGBRkx--w7I&feature=related
Again, these are quality, loving, caring people who arent as exciting to talk about than about a preacher caught in a sex scandal.
I, myself, do not go for sending little ones into parks to preach the gospel to people. There are people who take it too far, and children need to be children. But this documentary, like "Friend of God" before it, makes Michael Moore seem like an objective filmmaker. It would be refreshing to have a film made of Christians who arent railing against homosexuals ( believe it or not there are Pastors who dont), or little kids who dont have their heads shaved, or Christians who arent working 100% of the time trying to elect Republican candidates for office. It does exist people.
You can find nuts to film in every group.
I suggest this film is no more a representation of Evangelicals than a Woody Allen movie is of Judaism. And to suggest otherwise is ignorant and hateful.
Peace.