MovieChat Forums > Jesus Camp (2006) Discussion > What exactly is an Evangelical Christian...

What exactly is an Evangelical Christian?


It wasn't clear in the film or to me. Is it basically every form but Catholicism?

They said that a quarter of the U.S. population is evangelical, but I don't think I heard of that as a branch of Christianity before this movie. Is it a catchall term for the kinds of churches that actively spread gospel and recruit?

I was raised Catholic, in a "dead church" according to that one odd girl (Rachel?)--Catholicism is universally welcoming, but we don't go around telling people about it or spreading belief systems. You need to come to us I suppose.

Anyway, is it more of a broad category--somehow I can't see Mormons or Jehovah's witnesses going to camp Fire Lake (or God on Fire or whatever it was), but those are the groups I associate with evangelism.

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They're usually white, live in the suburbs, working class to upper-middle class, drive SUV's and minivans, Baptist, nondenominational, or light Pentecostal, Red Robin and Chik Fil A are their favorite restaurants, anyone single, without kids, and over 30 is usually an outcast or has some issues, and overall their Bible is cherry-picked

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Definitely not baptist. I was raised in several baptists churches and none of them were like this, neither were the Methodist churches I went to with a neighbor when I was younger. Then as a teen when I still believed in the church system I would go to youth groups with my friend to her grandmothers church, they were Pentecostal and I remember the violent shaking and crying and kneeling all around me. It was ridiculous and quite frankly awkward to be around. They have massive gatherings and are very extreme in some of their biblical beliefs.

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Why do people think this is a white thing? Most black churches are evangelical. So called Bible churches that preach salvation through faith in Jesus only and a strict literal interpretation of the bible.

The only real difference is how they vote. Evangelical denotes a religious belief not a political party.

Evangelicals white or black liberal or conservative are a major threat to civil liberties and freedom in this country.

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A complete and utter lunatic!

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