Jesus is camping, and it's raining outside.

I finally watched Jesus Camp, and while it's not what I was expecting, I still ended up enjoying the film and the way the directors went about putting it together.

I confess I know little of Evangelical Christians, and being raised Catholic, but not practicing right now, Catholicism was really the only form of Christiantiy I experienced. So it's interesting to go inside and see some of what Evangelical Christianity is like. Obviously the film wasn't a treatise on Evangelicals, and everyone practices they're faith differently, but some of the basic concepts I gleaned from the film, do give insight.

I'd suggest watching the film, and with any documentary, to give it a balanced critical eye. But if you think similarly to me, parts of the film where you can see all these emotions flowing through each child's head, might get you angry or at least frustrated and sad.

I say this because I believe in choice, I want kids to be allowed to be kids, to try and understand the world on their own terms as much as possible. The film centers around a few kids who attend an Evangelical Christian camp, and also follows them to various events. It kind of gives you glimpses into their mindset with interviews and fly on the wall footage.

Back to choice. So...most kids look up to their parents, and look to them for cues, for guidance, and when you see a little girl seemingly strain to be the best Christian she can, you feel like its not because she particuarly decided its the right option for her. You feel like she really wants to do her parents proud, and if Christian preaching is what that takes so be it. Growing up with these beliefs always around, its natural she takes to them.

A set of parent's in the film said they dont think they're forcing, that the kids choose the path of god. But in reality, when you hear it from the day you're born, that sin = hell, and that you are part of a "chosen generation" to lead America back to Christian values, it's a hard thing to turn down or even evaluate.

This is my problem with religions, that they can help but just as often lead to inarguable positions. I'm sure the parent's could continue and say it's God's choice, he's influencing the child. And the force of God is untenable, you can't disprove or prove it, and if someone believes in it, there's no way around it.

To me religion should be part of an exporation into how we're connected to our world, and our neighbors, not loud chest pounding about being right. Beliefs inevitably lead to conflict, and when you raise a generation of kids to believe to their core that they're chosen, that people need saving, that God is using them as tools for his will, it is a scary and dangerous propostion. And it depends on how much kids accept it, and how well they're taught to critically think about the world they live in.