Culture Wars
“Kids on Fire”
by Jimmy Hopper
One of the pleasures I enjoy each week is receiving by e-mail the New York Times movie guide each Friday and the Times book review each Sunday. In addition to enjoying reading about books and movies, I generally find that there is no better barometer of our culture than these commentaries on what we view and read.
It was with a great deal of interest that I saw a review in this week’s movie guide of a documentary called Jesus Camp. You can read it at this link. http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/movies/22camp.html?8mu&emc=mu
This is a documentary that I want very much to see, although I really don’t know where, since I’m sure it will never play in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham is probably doubtful. After reading the review and viewing the trailer, and being shocked by the contents of the documentary, I think that the situation described in it needs to be made known to the Reformed Church.
The movie describes a type of kids boot camp for evangelical children called Kids on Fire. It is located, ironically, in Devils Lake, ND. The camp is run by Pastor Becky Fischer, who states that its purpose is to indoctrinate children, preferably between ages 7 and 9 years, to become “soldiers” in “God’s Army.” The review states that Ms. Fischer compares it to the Palestinian training games that teach children aggressisive Islamic fundamentalism. This indoctrination is accomplished in part with camoflauge, face paint, fights with wooden swords, and Naizi style straight arm salutes. The accompanying music is “Christian” heavy metal rock and in the trailer I viewed, the chirldren are really into it. One of the really fascinating scenes the reviewer describes is the children bowing before a life sized image of George W. Bush and praying. While I won’t go far enough to mention the word idolatry, blasphemous does come quickly to mind.
The reviewer, Stephen Holden, states that this movement is a response to the unmitigated trashiness of American culture. A few days ago, I was in my car in line at Eastwood Middle School with the radio on my granddaughters favorite station. The two “songs” I heard while waiting consisted of the first one repeating “Let’s get started” about six hundred times and the second repeating “Do it” another six hundred times. This amazes me in much the same way as slasher movies in that I am stunned that there is an audience. However, there is not only an audience for both the “music” and the movies but this is the state of American culture for a significant percentage of young America. Holden is correct in his characterization but this militarization of Christian youth in the name of Christ is, to me, the worse possible response that could be made. It is very troubling to see the weeping of small children as they are being emotionally manipulated or hear them confess a desire to die for Christ in much the same sense as Islamic suicide bombers.
The responses by viewers is also fascinating. While some speak of the true teachings of Christ, most are either totally against this movement or totally for it. There is an obvious polarization in this divide among Christians. This is certainly a subject for all Christians to dialogue about since it depicts a particular culture in whose colors, unfortunately, all Evangelical Christians are painted by the world. One of the interesting aspects of the charismatic, evangelical, radical Christian group is their marginalization of Christians of any other ilk. This is something I’ve noticed personally in certain dealings with others as part of being an elder. According to Ms. Fischer, many of those (us) are “dead churches’, traditional Protestant churches where the congregations sit passively and hear the Word preached. She declares that these are places that “Jesus doesn’t visit.” According to her, I’ve really been fooled because I have been sure of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God while we worshiped Him and celebrated Jesus at Riverwood.
It has been suggested that this might be an interesting Movie Night presentation when a DVD is released. Riverwood, after all, is not afraid to examine anything in the light of the Gospel.
Posted by Jimmy Hopper at September 23, 2006 09:45 PM
I read an article somewhat recently where Rosie O’Donnell mentioned that radical Christians are as much of a threat as the followers of radical Islam.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51956
I wonder if she heard about this camp before she talked about that.
Training children to be in “God’s Army” with Christian hard rock does seem shocking, Jimmy. Whatever happened to Eph 6:17, “Taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God?”
I’m all for watching this one at Movie Night.
I’m horrified. I have been horrified by the “boot camps” run by various states in attempts to “reform” juvenile deliquents.
That was troublesome and enough. But the idea of a Christian bootcamp to train little Christian radicals nauseates me…literally. What has happened to Christian minds…to reason…and what types of parent within the church would go for something like this? I know North Dakota a little, having lived there for a year and taught in a Christian school. It’s depressing enough without the camp at Devil’s Lake. Yes, the name is very appropriate, if ironic.
Truly an amazing find. Is that what happens to me without Christ in my life? Do I become like Becky Fisher? Do I believe I must do everything in my own power to make the gospel go forth and then corrupt the gospel in a way that it cannot even be recognized as intended? That scares me.
I know. You say, Lowell, you would never go this far. But, do you really know me? Do I really know you?
I am reminded over and over again that I really think I am better than I am. In reality, my heart and my mind are much darker places than I can ever imagine. I am so thankful to God who has not abandoned me to my own devices, and I pray that he does not abandon these “boot camp” children. I pray that He will move and work His sovereign will once again, and that all of the children involved will be drawn to the truth. Then, perhaps, one day, maybe Ms. Fisher will also be given eyes to see and a broken heart overflowing with repentance. I encourage everyone else to pray as well.