Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady did a fine job with their low-key but effective approach to Jesus Camp (2006), a documentary that follows young Levi, Rachel, Tory and others in their evangelical milieu. Becky Fischer runs Kids on Fire Summer Camp at Devil's Lake, North Dakota. They are getting psyched to take over the USA and make it God's country. They will outlaw abortion, fight militant Islam, and usher in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Becky Fischer sees in the US a nation as religious as India, but run by a minority as Godless "as Swedes." With a theocracy in place, a sort of Christian Taliban, the Harry Potters of the world would best be stoned or driven from the Garden. Look foward to good times for non-Evangelicals!
The movie is great. No judgement. Ted Haggard, the toothy President of the National Association of Evangelicals, comes off as smart as a whip and claims to be able to deliver elections with evangelical power. There is no hidden agenda: evangelicals want to take over the country from the "lost" ones. Of course, I think their open socio-political aspirations, aiming to dissolve the separation of church and state, is creepy. Indeed, I'd leave the country if they managed a complete takeover. I'm part Swedish, after all!
Christian radio host Mike Papantonio provides some counterpoint, but this is not a "conspiracy" film, nor does it try to force the viewer's judgment one way or the other. Kids and adults speaking in tongues is way cool to see, as is their earnest commitment to their cause. The eeriest thing about the movie is the music, a sort of otherworldly elctronica composed by Michael Furjanic and Neill Sanford Livingston. It can be sampled at the official movie site. The only truly psychotic part to my ears is the anti-abortion mania, led by a guy who rocks back and forth and seems deranged with passion.
Today's Rune: Harvest.
May God go with you -- and also with you! Gooblai combi ti akwa nani bila!
2 comments:
I've heard about this "Jesus Camp." Sounds interesting!
You can always come to Canada with us if it happens.
To your anonymous commenter - of course Liberals are always threatening to leave. Conservatives are always threatening to steal all our rights and imprison us.
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