I know this documentary is several years old now, but I just watched it last night.

It was very, VERY disturbing! My mormon self was thinking what extremists those people are. Then my exmormon self was reminded that mormons are extreme, too, just less noisily.

So the born-agains think Harry Potter, if real, should be executed. The mormons think drinking coffee will keep you out of the CK, and that girls who wear sleeveless tops have low "standards". The Jesus freaks jump around, wave their hands in the air, babble in tongues and shake on the ground. The mormons stand up in FT meeting and cry. They too indoctrinate children to think they are sinners, and will not just go to hell, but also lose their families FOREVER, if they don't follow the rules.

Everything I saw in this documentary I felt was borderline abuse.

I decided a couple years ago that all religion is crazy, but this solidified it.

Anyone else see this and have any comments? Comparisons to mormonism?

Would be a fun discussion.

I remember watching it a quite a while back.

I found it disturbing too. I really don't see anything in Mormonism that Christians haven't done. There are far more crazy-style Christians than there are crazy-style Mormons in the world. I don't know why Christians are worried about Mormons when they have plenty under their own umbrella to clean up. It only makes them look like hypocrites.

Not that I want to defend Mormonism in any way. The LDS religion in general is more toxic, but consider it is smaller and younger. Like other religions it will mellow out and pretend the fringe groups it spawned aren't really the true Mormons. If it survives, it will have to adapt.

Back to Jesus Camp.
In my neck of the woods there are a lot of Bible school camps. A woman at work was talking about sending her kid to Bible School camp last summer. I suggested she look into science, music or other themed camps too. You would have thought I was Satan for suggesting it. Of course this coworker STILL goes to Bible Study herself once a week at age 40! Who's going to tell the poor woman that the book ends the same way every year? You'd think she would figure out the plot by now and want to study some other things.

The repetition and authority figures that children get exposed to when young enforce the Jesus Camp cycle.

Many years ago, I was invited to join a Bible study. I thought it would be interesting and said sure. It was a group of women, led by a man, of course. A male had to be the leader. These women had time for a bible study right then because all their kids were in some sort of holyholy day camp.

Well, we never did get around to any studying... Everyone but me had a King James Bible. They said that the only acceptable Bible was the KJV. I had a Catholic Bible. They told me it was satanic and I should burn it and repent and get a King James. I told them, very politely, that I treasured my bible because my mother had given it to me and no way was I gonna burn it.

They kicked me out. Said I had a bad attitude and would be going to hell unless I repented. And then I quit being polite and replied that the best news I'd had all day was that I wouldn't have to share eternity with the likes of them.

That was my first and last bible study. I sure did feel sorry for the kids in the camp, wondering what dreadful dogma they were learning.

Seems the born agains think lots of things are satanic. And they for sure think mormons are going to hell. I used to have some tell me all the time they were praying for my soul.

I guess they think Catholics are going to hell, too!

It made me sad to see children talk about being saved by Jesus. Why does a child need to be saved from damnation? Why would a child be damned anyway?

Me, too. I was sickened by what they were emotionally putting those children through. Crying over their sins and the need to repent.

Wonderful documentary. Great at exposing the cult like aspects of Xtianity.

Those of us who live way outside the Morridor may have to put up with these Bible-beating zealots. But they're able to last longer and get by with their neighbors, because their religious beliefs, in spite of their extremism, jibe with bona fide Biblical Christianity. Plus, they generally don't resort to extreme tactics to keep them in the flock; they are free to leave without using family shunning as a Sword of Damocles. Plus, most of them don't resort to extort tithing money; some of these churches actually like being poor.

Conservative old-fashioned North Dakotans could tolerate this kooky birdbrain because she uses the same cross and the same book they do.

I wished there was none of this fundamentalist extremism but it avoids the cult label nonetheless.

Not true. Love bombing and (if it doesn't work) shunning toward people that leave the religion is common with a lot of hardcore Fundie Christians. Also, a lot of them do use tithing as well. Also, in the case of Jesus Camp, if you look at the way they are with the children particularly the brainwashing, the word cult is the perfect word.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/2015 12:07AM by iamanevermormon.

"Pastor Becky" struck me as articulate and intelligent, which made her all the more dangerous. She was very good at reaching those impressionable little kids with a combination of welcoming acceptance and harsh authoritarianism.

That one gutsy little guy who admitted that he had seen a Harry Potter movie (and probably liked it) was being set up for cog-dis right there.

The robotic greeting of the cardboard cutout of George Bush. . .the display of little fetus-images. . .the yammering in "tongues - none of this stuff was appropriate for those kids.

I remember thinking that if I had been the target of one of those juvenile "witnesses," I would have said something like, "Honey, do your parents know that you are out, talking to strangers? I wouldn't let my own kids do it, no matter what. I know you mean well, but please, reconsider. And no, I DO NOT want to hear about your "witnessing."

Abusive. No two ways about it.

OMG, I know!

She scared me. And she didn't seem to see that she was terrorizing those kids.

I thought it was funny when the boy admitted he watched Harry Potter at his dad's.

There was one other little boy who was having his own faith crisis. He "witnessed" on stage about how he had a hard time believing in god because he couldn't see or feel him. Then, poor kid, he cried and shook his hands in the air, obviously wanting that "witness". He was also shown later sitting away from his group, not participating. I hope he got out!!!

Mormons shove toddlers in front of a microphone and make them say they know Joseph Smith is true and the church is true... In nursery they have testimony gloves, temple pictures, and march around the room singing follow the prophet.

Eight year olds are accountable for sin. Teens have morality lectures at least once a month, and frequent worthiness questions by untrained men alone in an office... They are taught to marry in the temple, full of costumes and secret eternal oaths... Mormons are just more covert about the control.

Yep, I agree. Mormon crazy and control is just less noisy!

Jesus Camp is scary and I have little use for fundies,but this is not typical of Christianity as a whole.Most Christians do not roll on the ground or speak in tongues for starters and many would be shocked at Jesus Camp too.

The "big" woman who was running the Jesus Camp — her arrogant demeanor was palpable. Bona Dea is right — most Christians would shudder at what was going on at the Jesus Camp.

I am pretty sure that the kid who was enthralled at meeting Ted Haggard didn't know that he was bedding young men plying them with drugs. A man of God.

I'd never seen that Ted Haggard before. His creepy smile made me think he was a complete fake.

I thought to myself, now there's another evangelist that secretly likes men or has prostitutes or something. Wow, my intuition was right!

I was out walking this morning, and I got a Jesus cramp. My calf pinched up, and I said "Jesus."



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/26/2015 05:42PM by donbagley.

I did not see this show so I cannot comment on it. However, I am a born again, Bible thumpimg, tongue talking, Jesus Freak. We are not a cult, nor do we force judgement on small children. I know that shows like that look for the fridge crazies to make "good" television, they never show the normal people.

My maternal grandfather was ordained by the Assemblies of God church. Those fridge crazies ARE the "normal people".

I have relatives who are Pentacostal and while I dont agree with or like their religious views,they are hardly like those in Jesus Camp

Put this one in your queue: 'Kumare'