| Jesus Camp | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 193 reviews)
Sales Rank: 13099
Category: DVD
Actors: Mike Papantonio, Becky Fischer, Ted Haggard
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Publisher: Magnolia
Studio: Magnolia
Brand: MAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Label: Magnolia
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 87 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: MAGD10062D
UPC: 876964000628
EAN: 0876964000628
ASIN: B000KLQUV2
Release Date: January 23, 2007
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This follows 3 kids to pastor becky fischers kids on fire suumer camp where kids as young as 6 years old are taught to become dedicated christian soldiers in gods army. Studio: Magnolia Pict Hm Ent Release Date: 12/31/2007 Run time: 87 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
The feverish spectacle of a summer camp for evangelical Christian kids is the focus of Jesus Camp, a fascinating if sometimes alarming documentary. (Shortly after its release, the movie gained a new notoriety when Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who appears near the end of the film, resigned his post amid a male prostitute's allegations of drug use and sexual misconduct.) For most of the film, we follow a charismatic teacher, Becky Fischer, as she trains young soldiers in "God's Army" at a camp in North Dakota. Some of the kids emerge as likable and bright, and eager to continue their work as pint-sized preachers; elsewhere, the visions of children speaking in tongues and falling to the floor in ecstasy are more troubling. Even more arresting is the vision of a generation of children home-schooled to believe that the Bible is science, or Fischer's certainty that America's flawed system of democracy will someday be replaced by a theocracy. (In one scene, a cardboard cut-out of George W. Bush is presented to the children, who react by laying their hands on the figure as though in a religious procession.) Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady maintain neutrality about all this, maybe too much so (they throw in some interviews with radio host Mike Papantonio to provide a liberal-Christian viewpoint) and one would like to know more about the grown-ups presented here. Power broker Haggard is the creepiest person in the film, an insincere smooth talker whose advice to one of the young would-be campgoers comes across as entirely cynical. Time will tell whether the film's Christian soldiers will be marching onward. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 188 more reviews...
 Scary, Gut-wrenching November 7, 2008
What's so scary about this film is that I grew up like that. I went to these children's revivals and camps and grew up believing that anyone who doesn't believe in my God was going to hell and that I should be ready to die for the cause of Jesus. I am a fim believer that this type of indoctrination is the wrong answer. As someone who grew up that way, I found it devastating once I got into the real world and became aware of what other religions were really about, and that there was no way that all those people who are of different religions and who are good people are going to hell, simply for not believing the way I did.
What pastor becky fisher and these other adults don't seem to understand is that you can teach kids anything and they will believe it. That's why there are kids in Iraq and Afghanistan who are willing to emplace IEDs and strap on suicide bombs... because someone indoctrinated them to believe that it's the "truth", just like Becky Fisher was certain that "I'm sorry, but we have the truth!"
I grew up in a community much like the one in this film, and most of the kids I grew up with are now very much aware that reality is far from what we were taught. I know some people who learned the hard way in college and in their jobs that the world is not as simple as "either you're with God or you're against Him." And it's sad that grown people are still willing to raise their kids to believe so.
I won't say I'm traumatized from growing up that way, but I am a little bitter, because I missed out on a normal american childhood. I turned out okay, a productive citizen, an Army soldier, and currently serving in Iraq. However, I look back on my childhood and I know my kids won't grow up that way. They will be educated, not only in secular education, but also in world religions so that they will be aware of what's out there, and they can make their own choices as to what they believe in.
If these extremist Christians are so convinced that they hold the truth, why are they afraid to let them see what else is out there? Won't the truth prevail, no matter what else the kids are exposed to? Where is the faith in that? Why should you raise your kids to be single-minded and ignorant to other beliefs if you believe that you have the truth anyway?
And just one more thing I wanted to put out there: terrorists are not working for the cause of Islam like Becky Fisher said. They work for extremists who falsely claim the name of Islam, because Islam is a religion of peace. This is the kind of lie that will raise kids to discriminate and hate other religions. Christians complain that they are being persecuted all the time, meanwhile they are persecuting every other religion, trying to get their beliefs out of the country, which by the way is a free country where everyone should be free to practice their religion, faith, and beliefs.
 Mostly bigoted exploitation with moments of sympathy September 21, 2008
1 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is a documentary is a candid glimpse of the fevered minds of--not of the evangelical right, but the secular left. This documentary is essentially a scaremongering warning of a future Christian theocracy that those crazy Christian yokels are cooking up in their creepy bible camps: all by indoctrinating poor impressionable kids.
The film makers do their best to portray these Christians as alien, scary, and backwards. They pick a kid with a mullet to be the star and spend sufficient time showing the creationist beliefs of the main subjects to make sure we all understand we're dealing with rubes and hillbillies. They like to have videos of the Christians talking about "war" and "battle." Never mind the fact that these Christians are obviously talking about war and battle in a metaphorical sense. They also spend a great deal of time editorializing (through clips of a radio host hostile to the Christians portrayed) about political involvement of Christians, and lamenting the "mixing of church and politics". Evidently, it is somehow anti-democratic for people's political decisions to be guided by their religion. Evidently political involvement guided by self-interest, atheism, nationalism, ethnocentrism, and hostility to religion are all ok, but political involvement guided by religion is dangerous.
Now if these crazy Christians were actually preparing their kids for battle, or if they really were striving to overthrow democracy in America, this might be a noteworthy film, instead of just an exploitative, even bigoted portrayal of some eccentric, but well-meaning Christians.
It is to the children's credit that their humanity and goodness shine through the film makers' attempt to use them to scare Americans and make a name in documentary film making. It is this touching humanity that made me want to give the documentary a higher rating than one star.
I Don't Know These People September 16, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I passed over this at the video store before finally renting it. I hesitated because I knew, just from the cover, that it would be a disturbing, one-sided look at a small group of Christians who indoctrinate their children. It was indeed excruciating to look at the confused, innocent faces of children listening to sermons that would be perfectly fine for adults, but really will mess these kids up for life. I wanted to take the kids and run like H. as soon as Ms. Fischer said that in Jesus' time, Harry Potter would have been put to death, and that kids had to suffer and "cook in the pot" of this painful Christian camp. There is NO WAY these kids understand this dogmatic doctrine. They only want to please their family and grownups. I only pray that when they become adults, they do not jettison their faith as a whole.
The documentary could have been a lot shorter. It makes the point early on, and does not develop, grow, or give the viewer any new information.
One thing is for sure. I am Christian. These people do not represent my Jesus. Our church VBS is age-appropriate and invites children to join a church family and explore the Bible and Jesus' love. We do not browbeat.
A final note. I live in "suburban-rural mid-America." And I do not know these type of Evangelical people. If they are so prevalent and powerful, why have I never seen them?
One of the most important films you'll ever see September 1, 2008
There is a legal maxim that says "Res Ipsa Loquitur", which is Latin for "The thing speaks for itself". The producers of this film didn't need to add any commentary or analysis of the footage they gathered. What is seen, in raw, unedited fashion, is some of the most hate filled, disturbing examples of a Religion gone wrong that I have ever seen.
Honestly, there is only so much I can write here. All I can suggest is this: if you want to see the absolute worst of the worst of fundamentalist, pentecostal "christianity", watch this film.
Rod Vargas August 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I recentley bought this movie thinking it might be a good film for my family. I'm glad I watched before I allowed my 7 and 10 year olds to see it. I was thouroghly, unabashedley , disgusted by pastor Becky Fischer. I will tell you that I will never cross through the doorway of an evangelical christian church again, and niether will my children, as long as I have anything to say about it. I was raised in the evangelical church and I will tell you that there are good people there. However, there is so much more good outside the church. Pastor Becky did do one thing for .....she managed to turn me away from the church for the rest of my natural life. I am now a bonafide and proud Athiest. Thanks Pastor Becky!
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