JESUS CAMP…

Sure, in some ways, “Jesus Camp” may just be banking on the whole “Religion is bad” sentiment that’s become almost stylish over the past years with religious extremism.

But can you blame anyone for having this sort of thought process?

I’ve yet to see the actual “Jesus Camp,” but being one who thinks religion is a bane on society, I’ve found myself rather fascinated with, and intent on seeing it. It’s not entirely surprising something as volatile as “Jesus Camp” has been in theaters since September and rarely talked about.

No, this is not an attempt to be edgy, or controversial, and I’m not seeking to stir any good religious person who visits the site, but when you see a cult painting itself as a Christian camp, you can’t help but further deem that religion in many ways is child abuse.

Can anyone inflicting religion on their child be called child abusers? Of course not.

But can you call the people who send their children to “Jesus Camp” child abusers? I’d attest to it. Hell, I’d testify to it.

We live in a world where the mass suicide of Jonestown shook our perception of belief and reminded us of the sheer dangers of cultists, yet we’re never truly worried when we step into a church, or send our children to bible camp for the summer.

All the research I’ve done on this film points to the basic message that religion like water and fire is a great servant, but a horrible master. And the people here have let religion corrupt their humanity. Humanity is not an ideal that goes hand in hand with religion, and basic theism has ruined our ability to individuate the two.

“Jesus Camp” seems to be not just an example of the basic corruption that can be religion, but of bad parenting. It’s the example of parents brainwashing their children into their ideals instead of setting an example and letting them decide for themselves.

From all of the articles I’ve read, “Jesus Camp” seems to be more in favor of explaining how we’re no different from terrorists. Many of us, like them, would die for their religion, many believe those who defy their beliefs should be destroyed, and they worship a madman who believes leading his people to war is a sign from god.

An article I read states with much astonishment:
“[Becky Fischer’s] mission is to sequester the children in the camp, to train them about the evils of liberalism, abortion, and Harry Potter, so they can go out into the world and spread the good word further.”

Note the word train, and sequester associated with a religious camp that seems oddly reminiscent of the terrorist camps I’ve seen depicted in such a dramatic movie serial fashion on the news. Particularly, on FOX news. Perhaps the reporter was being sensationalistic, but of all the clips and trailers I’ve viewed, it’s not too far off.

These children aren’t being trained in religion they’re being trained to become the violent and aggressive religious fanatics we’ve seen at soldier’s funerals protesting that their deaths were deserved. Children at anti-abortion rallies, five year olds explaining how they were saved.

What f*****g five year old needs saving? Who lives for five years and suddenly decides they need salvation? These are children who have decided to live by their parents thoughts because they have to. Basically, it’s children like these whom are told that to not believe in this religion assures you a place in eternal damnation. They worship out of fear, not surefire devotion. It’s basically how I was turned to religion, and it’s a reason why I detracted from it.

Five year olds are clever, they’re smart, and on occasion tend to be smarter than most adults, but to believe their own religious beliefs are their own, or that they’ve done something so horrid they need religion to save them, is clearly ignorant. Because regardless of anything they or their parents may tell you, they’re five years old. They’re children.

And it’s a basic contradiction since Fischer dismisses Harry Potter as a warlock to children who have possibly been sold on a concept of a god who sits in the clouds and strikes justice on evil and battles with Satan through magic.

I’d love to think that the parents of these children subscribe to George H. Smith’s theory that children are born as implicit atheists and instantly begin pummeling them with religious views to undercut it, but then again I’d have to assume these people actually read.

I mean, if you come across a majority of religious fanatics, they can barely quote any passage from the bible, and when they do, have a knack of twisting a quote to fit their own biases. Their beliefs are in their lunacy. Hell, recently my grandmother was denied an apartment because the landlord explained that Jesus told her not to rent it to her.

Surprisingly, when you tell someone you’re atheist they look at you like you’re a bit of a nut. We live in a Bizarro world. I’m sure of it.

There are good people that are religious, hell my late uncle was a wonderful man and he was a devout Christian, but I prefer to think that they are wonderful because of their minds, and not because they read it off some magical book about a giant boat, and floods.

“Jesus Camp” is the example of religion corrupting even the youngest of children and creating more extremists.

Because, in the end there’s really not a difference between Muslim extremists, and Christian extremists besides skin color.