MovieChat Forums > Jesus Camp (2006) Discussion > Just wondering what the motive of people...

Just wondering what the motive of people watching this movie is

posted 10 years ago by icyharris-539-169904
31 replies | jump to latest

I watched some of it because I was intrigued by the title and wanted to see how Christians were depicted. I didn't even make it past the first third because I saw where it was going. Invariably, these documentaries pick the most extreme of the Christian world. Hopefully, no one on these boards thinks that's how all of Christendom thinks and behaves. Where are the documentaries on people like the missionary I used to support who provides relief to Haitians who have been through numerous natural disasters? Or the people from a local church who went down and did clean up work during the tornado season of 2012? Or the woman in Atlanta who opened a rescue mission to get girls out of the sex trade and to help them finish their education and learn valuable job skills? There are all sorts of good that people are doing in the faith community, but you wouldn't think it by these movies.

[–] Clothes-Off 8 years ago

FYI:

In an interview the filmmakers said they did not really select this extreme group at all., They sought to make a film about children and faith, and Becky's name kept coming up. They were directed to her.

And I;m guessing that at least some of the people only knew OF her, while others may have actually sent kids to her may not have known what a kook she was.

Don't blame the movie. Blame the people who let this get out of control on their watch.

One more thing I pointed out on other threads. The people depicted actually saw NOTHING wrong or unusual when they saw how they were depicted. They liked it.

"Well, for once the rich white man is in control!" C. M. Burns

[–] zwolf 8 years ago

I didn't have to see the documentary to know that there are Christians like the ones depicted in it. I live in a state filled with them and have witnessed them first-hand.

Are they all like that? No, not at all. Many are decent, kind, normal people. But there are sizeable (in fact, mega-church-sized) portions of the religion who are as crazy and radicalized as the ones in this documentary. They aren't a anomaly, they're a faction. You have to face it.

I know it makes a lot of Christians uncomfortable that that portion of their flock is being seen, but it's pretty valuable... not only for the public, but for the rest of Christianity as well. If you're a Christian and you recognize them as something that's not good, then perhaps you can work harder to make sure your non-radicalized, non-crazy version of the religion is the one that becomes the most prevalent in society. I think we'd all like that much better, just as people in Muslim countries -- most of whom are also good people -- would be happier if extremists like ISIS didn't have so much control over their religion.

But, you'll never save your religion from its most radical members unless you first see them and acknowledge that yes, they exist, and yes, they are a detriment. Things are going to get worse... if the good Christians let it happen. Those of us outside the church are never going to be able to make much change to these radicals, because they see us as "the enemy" anyway (partially because they make their own bull**** movies like God's Not Dead, to demonize the secular). It's up to you to save your religion's reputation, and I wish you the best of luck, because if you don't succeed, we all lose.