| Jesus Camp | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 195 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4347
Category: DVD
Actors: Becky Fischer, Mike Papantonio, 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: 84 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 190 more reviews...
A bit unbalanced, but I will not motivate MY children by fear! December 30, 2008
I felt this film portrayed a slightly biased view of the Jesus Camp. Surely there's more to the camp than fear mongering? I would hope so.
It's hard to imagine children at summer camp missing out on traditional fun such as team building, hiking, sports, playing games, "fun" worship such as singing, and outdoor activities (I don't count handing out religious brochures in the park as an outdoor activity).
This camp was portrayed, and perhaps accurately, as instilling fear upon these young, impressionable children. These children were so sweet, yet it was like their innocence was stolen when they were holding 7 week fetus dolls and made to imagine 1/3 of their friends not being there because they were aborted. Do we really need to do this to our children? Are our children sinning so awfully that they must drop to the ground crying for forgiveness?
I have been sending my children to religious summer camp and spring break camp, but after viewing this film, I'm going to show it to him and ask if anything like this takes place.
I was raised as a southern Baptist, and I was forced to attend weekends like portrayed here. When I grew up I decided to model my actions based upon love not fear mongering.
Overall, this film is an eye opener and might make parents rethink religious summer camps. Although I feel Becky Fischer is extremely sincere in her beliefs, I just don't hold the same beliefs. I prefer to teach charity, love, kindness, and peace; and model those behaviors to my children.
 Yikes!!!! Harsh preaching to kids; harsh liberal slant to movie December 9, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The beginning of the film shows camouflaged children performing some sort of dance- possibly a mix of exorcism and praise. It's creepy, the way the kids are dressed. They are dressed for war. But, they're kids.
"But, they're kids!!!" was all I kept saying throughout this movie. Will they ever know any other type of Christianity??? (Rachael talks about "dead churches". The kind where people sing a few hymns, listen to a sermon, etc. "God doesn't like to visit those churches", claims the 9 year old.)
Will they ever learn about science??? (Twelve year old Levi just loves his DVD on creationism. And yes, we get to watch a bit of that awful nonsense with Levi.)
What about the CHILDREN who speak in tongues, burst into tears over their sins (like talking dirty at school), writhe in "ecstasy" on the floor, and believe Satan has entered their hearts? What about TWELVE YEAR OLD Levi who preaches a sermon about Satan interfering in their lives?
There is too much emphasis on Satan for these kids. I sensed very little positive messages in Jesus Camp. It's wonderful that parents are raising their kids in the faith. It's also wonderful that ten year old Tori rejects Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. If only parents were as involved as Rachael's, Levi's, and Tori's. (It was great to see Rachael and Levi have some old-fashioned fun at the bowling alley!!)
I would like to see a documentary without the leftist bias. Notice the only supposedly sound mindset was the liberal Christian radio host! How about a moderate Christian? While the doumentary is thought-provoking, it also might be cobbled together with things taken out of context. After all, "they're kids!!!" This means the directors should not make it so things can be taken out of context.
Still, the movie is highly recommended.
Scary, Gut-wrenching November 7, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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
2 out of 16 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 6 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?
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