Meeting the Jesus Campers
Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2008
by Aaron Taylor
Aaron Taylor
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who pastors a small church near a military base in rural Missouri. Although I've spoken at this particular pastor's church before, a lot has changed in my life since the last time I visited him and his family. Since my first two visits, I've spent a year and a half in West Africa, traveled to Pakistan twice, debated a radical jihadist in London, and participated in a peace delegation with a group called Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank.
The Levi that I'm talking about is Levi O Brien and the pastor that I'm talking about is Pastor Tim O Brien. The church I am referring to is Rock of Ages, the spiritual family of Levi and Rachel, two of the child stars featured prominently in the documentary film Jesus Camp. The film follows Levi, Rachel, and one other girl as they spend the week at a summer camp for Christian youth led by the charismatic preacher Becky Fisher. At camp, the children speak in tongues, dance around in war costumes, stretch forth their hands to pray to a cardboard cut-out of President George Bush (in actuality, the children were praying "for" Bush not "to" him), prophesy to each other, preach to each other, fall out under the power of the Holy Spirit, and pour out their souls in passionate intercession for the spiritual fate of our nation.
When I actually watched the movie Jesus Camp for the first time, I had very mixed feelings. On one level, I was glad to see young people passionate about their faith, but on another level I was thinking "Oh my! I hope there aren't too many non-Christians who will actually see this. They'll think we're all nuts!" It turned out that my fears were justified. Most of the reviews I read all but charged Becky Fisher and the O Brien family with child abuse. Some condemned them to hell for preying on the minds of the innocent and turning them into brain-washed psychopaths. One reviewer called it the scariest movie of the year. Another reviewer compared the children to Islamic jihadists in training.
Before I give my impressions of the O Brien Family and the Rock of Ages Church, let me start off by saying there were several aspects of the film that concerned my wife and I. In the film, Pastor Tim's wife Tracy teaches her children the literal six- day creation theory as if it were the only possible interpretation of the creation account in Genesis, implies that Global Warming is a left-wing conspiracy, talks about America being a Christian nation in a manner that many secular Americans and even a good number of Christians would consider naïve. My wife and I also felt that much of the political activism in the film was inappropriate for children who were too young to understand the complexities of the issues they were dealing with (such as 6 and 7 year olds placing red bandanas around their mouths and protesting the evils of abortion). The most disturbing aspect for me was the filmmakers' portrayal of evangelical Christians as a monolithic entity that by definition votes Republican and supports the Iraq War.
When Pastor Tim invited me to speak at his church, I have to admit that I was shaking in my boots. Not only did I know that I would be preaching a message on the radical non-violent nature of the Kingdom to a church where nearly every member worked for the U.S. military; but with images from Jesus Camp rolling around in my head, I expected my message of refusing earthly power as a means to advance the purposes of God on the earth would meet with cries of blasphemy. Not only did I not get booed off the stage, but afterwards I had several meaningful discussions with the members of the congregation and, most importantly, with the O Briens themselves.
You wouldn't get this impression from watching Jesus Camp, but the O Briens have absolutely no interest in turning the U.S.A. into a Christian theocracy. During the potluck after the service, Pastor Tim shared with me his views concerning the pursuit of earthly power to advance the Kingdom of God and referred me to other preachers who were also speaking out against the national and political idolatry often associated with the Christian right. Pastor Tim's wife, Tracy, was even more forthright in her views. Given her comment in Jesus Camp, I was surprised to hear her say that she agreed with me on my points that much of what constitutes as American Civil religion is based on the founding myths of the early pilgrims who believed they were establishing the Kingdom of God by settling the New World. Tracy also shared with me how she has come to realize that the Constitution is not a religious document, that much of what she learned about American history as a child was candy-coated, and that the founders of America, though they were brilliant, were fallible just like the rest of us. To my surprise, Tracy went on to tell me that, although she loves politics and considers herself a conservative, she hasn't considered herself a Republican in two and a half years!
As far as the O Brien children, I don't think I can stress enough how normal they are. Levi is now 15 years old and still dreams of living in India as a missionary in the near future. He loves to read books on history and has a part in a theatrical production in cooperation with other home schooled kids in the area. As much as I appreciate Levi's authenticity, I think the proof of the normalcy of the O Brien children isn't so much with Levi, but with Luke. With Levi's passion for ministry and his Jesus Camp fame, you would think that Luke would be the bitter younger brother starving for parental approval (if indeed the O Briens were the stereotypical domineering type everyone seems to think they are). Not even close. Evangelical haters may be disappointed to hear that Luke is a happy, well-adjusted 14-year old kid who loves Jesus, loves his parents, and wants to chase tornados when he grows up. With his long hair, I told him he looked like he could be one of the characters from the movie Twister. This drew laughs from mom and dad.
Do the O Briens want to kill Harry Potter? Actually no. Jesus Camp viewers may be surprised that the O Briens actually let their children read the Harry Potter books and watch the movies. Do the O Briens want capital punishment for homosexuals? No they don't. They believe homosexuality is a sin, but it's no worse than other sins, such as pride and greed. Do the O Briens want to overthrow the government? Again, the answer is no.
The problem with our media saturated culture is it's far too easy to draw conclusions based on images and 15 second soundbites, especially when the images and soundbites are divorced from their broader context. In today's pessimistic culture, it's hard to believe that children can be passionate about their faith and even harder to believe that human beings can behave so strangely in a religious meeting and retain their intellect. But just because it's hard for people in the post-modern West to accept the strange behavior associated with revivalism, that doesn't means this type of behavior is all that unusual. Not only is American history filled with examples of religious revivalism, much of the non-Western world today experiences manifestations associated with religious ecstasy on a regular basis.
Jesus Camp may have frightened American critics, but I bet if I showed the film to a group of Africans or Brazilians, they'd likely jump for joy and shout hallelujah. This isn't to say that I don't have my own reservations when it comes to unusual behavior associated with religious revivalism. I just happen to know that, from a cultural and historical standpoint, the skepticism in the modern West against behavior associated with religious phenomenon is culturally and historically unique-not the other way around. Trust me. Neither Levi nor Luke is the next Ted Kazinski. You can sleep soundly tonight.
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Aaron Taylor is an author and a speaker. Aaron is currently working on his book "Reformation: A Biblical Response to Holy War." If you would like to invite Aaron to speak at your church or event, go to http://www.greatcommissionsociety.com
Aaron blogs at http://www.aarondtaylor.blogspot.com
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More commentsI appreciate the comments in this article very much. As a child raised in a fundamentalist Christian culture I could relate to quite a bit of the events portrayed in Jesus Camp. Oddly enough, my parents particular religious views actually frowned on some of the standards in the Pentecostal denomination such as channeling the spirit and speaking in tongues. We were what Rachel in the film referred to as a "dead church." Though I don't know if thinking ourselves more "spiritual" than Pentecostals makes us appear more or less radical in comparison. :) I honestly don't think it is harmful to children to try to indoctrinate them with the parents' faith when that faith is by civil and federal law innocuous - does no harm, and when done so in a non-forceful way. The Christian faith can produce tremendous public good. The teachings of Jesus have profitable applications to many aspects of society and a larger population of sensible Christians in this world wouldn't be a bad thing.That said, I disagree with a lot of the fundamentalist Christian mentality. The radio personality at the beginning of the film was correct in stating that Jesus' teachings came nowhere near the idea of "combative evangelism" (coined my own little phrase there). I know that most fundamentalist Christians are not actually condoning acts of violence or anything else illegal done in Jesus' name. But they are teaching children that they should seek to have Christian values protected and/or enforced through legislation. This I strongly disagree with. For one thing, there are in fact tenets of Christian faith that violate some human rights when used to govern state and federal policy. And for another, allowing Christianity to be used as guidelines in our government sets an irreversible precedent allowing any and all religions to have as much influence there. I may be incorrect, but I don't think Jesus ever instructed anyone to use political power to spread his message or to enforce his teachings. This was the misconception of his disciples. They at first believed Jesus actually planned to overthrow the Roman government. (You can see where they might have gotten confused - Jesus used the word Kingdom here and there.) On the contrary, Jesus never sought to obtain, influence or manipulate political power. In fact, he encouraged one "rich young RULER" to liquidate his assets, donate them to charity and follow him, knowing that he wouldn't.I feel frustrated by the role of Christianity in American politics. The fact that so many Christians in America vote for political candidates based on their stance on abortion, gay rights and gun control, has led to the abuse of this phenomenon by some members of the Republican party. A number of years ago, certain political strategists realized that by including an anti-abortion stance in a platform, a presidential candidate could automatically secure roughly 45% of the popular vote - regardless of their stances on other issues. Well meaning Christians who believe it is their duty to vote Christians into office who will "reclaim America for Christ" are being tricked into supporting candidates unfit for office. I don't support abortion for example - that's my personal decision and I'm entitled to it. But I feel that this issue does not effect our country in the way fiscal, foreign, and domestic policies do. When I evaluate candidates, I look at their voting records on such issues. Thus I am not being manipulated by unscrupulous politicians through my faith. Moral issues have to be dealt with on a personal level. I think abortion is bad, so I will live MY life accordingly and I will share my convictions with anyone who asks for them. I believe homosexuality is not in God's design but I can't speak on the subject because I have no experience, so I will not comment. I will try to respect and love anyone regardless of their personal feelings on the matter. If they are interested in learning about Jesus, I will tell them what I know, show respect and acceptance for their point of view, and let God handle the rest.So in a nutshell, I don't think Jesus Camps should be boot camps for the GOP. That's really all I meant to say. Sorry for rambling.No need to apologize for your comment Will. What you said was well thought out. You may be interested in a book I've written. I deal with the topics you raised extensively. It's called "Alone with a Jihadist: A Biblical Response to Holy War." It will be released in October, but you can pre-order it on Amazon.
Blessings!I am really relieved by the post above, a confirmation that Christians can also be reasonable people. The film Jesus Camp was not only disturbing because it portrayed the political indoctrination of children at a vulnerable age (every bit identical to the Tamil Tigers and the Islamist madrasas in Pakistan...remember the camoflage-dressed boy wielding a stick in mock combat), but it was also ridiculous to outsiders, such as myself, for so many reasons. I would like to be tolerant of Christianity, but if Jesus Camp represents Christianity (which it doesn't), then Christianity as an institution is not worthy of much sympathy (much less Federal tax dollars).The Constitution, as Aaron and the previous poster note, is not a religious document. The fight was not easy, but its framers deliberately and purposefully kept the U.S. Constitution clean of religion, thus preserving religious freedom, rather than imposing a state religion. One need only research Pastor John Leland's petition to Thomas Jefferson to learn that many of the Colonial Christian ministry rejected inclusion of Christianity into the U.S. Constitution. They knew something that is lost on today's Fundamentalist extemists, that religious freedom is inherently implicit in a secular constitution.State religion was what the Puritans escaped from when they founded the Bay Colony at Plymouth Rock. There was a turbulent period during the Colonial Era when each state was dominated by some religious faction or another. Massachusetts was intolerant of Quakers. New York was intolerant of Catholics.as George Washington told the Jews in Rhode Island, "All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunity of citizenship."
I hope that Levi becomes a thinker as well as a preacher--because otherwise he will just be parroting what he is taught. G-d gave us a mind and a heart and we need to use them. I am glad that he is still into preaching--I just hope he struggles with ideas and beliefs and becomes a true "G-d wrestler." I don't believe that Mom is so open--unless she has gotten "religion." Her take on global warming was frightening as was her take on evolution. Could she have changed that much in 3 years? Thanks for the update on Levi. Would love to hear more about this amazing kid.
Glad to hear of a follow up on Levi and his brother. I thought they were incredible kids. Wishing them all the best in life.
Any family that teaches their children creationism as if it were a fact is a family that does not care for the well being or intelligence of their children. The kids in that movie were psychologically manipulated by using the devil (boogeyman) to scare them into doing as the adults wanted. So sick.
God created humans. Period. The mom has every right to keep her children out of a school that teaches evolution, just like your child doesn't have to say "under God" in the pledge of allegiance. Those kids were not manipulated, and to be honest B from Connecticut, what child isn't scared at times to do what their parents want? Not every child wants to pick up their rooms, but when they realize a whoopin could be right around the corner, they are very quick to get that room cleaned up. Abortion is everyone's concern, not just adults, because children are losing even their own possible brother's and sister's to abortion. If you don't like it, fine, don't send your child to church or Jesus Camp, but don't get mad at parent's who have the right to choose how their children are raised. They did after all create them."They did after all create them."So then, you're saying God created us, when it suits your argument, but then again, our parents created us, when it suits your argument? This kind of double standard manipulation of logic is what creationism and its evil twin "intelligent" design excel at.
It amazes me how Americans who profess freedom and tolerance only seem to be bothered by true God seeking Christianity. Wake up Americans!!! Lest we loose the benefit of our so called freedom! Why do some consider the Constitution such a great document until Christians to claim it for themselves? Why do we think it is so aweful and even abusive to "endoctrinate" children to love God, love their country, love the unborn, stand up for the weak and those without a voice, to hate sin yet love the sinner, or to stand up for Christ? Yet, we seem to tolerate when homosexuals or liberals attempt to chove their ideas down our throats and we, the right winged individuals, must be tolerant to their endoctrination of our children. WAKE UP AMERICANS!!! Lest we loose our so called freedoms! The only thing some cannot stand is the Body of Christ waking up and rising to take a stand for righteousness. WE WILL BE THE GLORIOUS CHURCH CHRIST IS COMING FOR! You will see and you will know that there is ONE TRUE GOD and ONE ALONE, THE GOD ALMIGHTY! JESUS IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. YOU ARE RIGHT WE ARE OUT TO SAVE A GENERATION FROM PERVERSION AND INMORALITY...AND WE WILL NOT STOP FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN!!! AND BY THE WAY, JESUS DOES LOVE YOU AND DADDY GOD AWAITS FOR YOU TO REACH OUT TO HIM! SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND, KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE OPENED TO YOU!
I have to admit that after watching Jesus Camp, I was very curious about what had happened to Levi, and I am glad to know that he is somewhat normal.That doesn't make up for the fact that these kids are being brainwashed and are not being allowed to make up their own minds about religion and the world. This is the part of Christianity that makes me sick.I was relieved to see that the radio announcer was not only Christian, but that he had some common sense about him and was not naive. It restored my faith in humanity and religion.I have to agree, but then I just watched a college commencement today from the University of Michigan and those kids have no more freedom of mind--with their cant talk about making a difference and hope.--they have no more notion of their own limitations than the kids in Jesus Camp.
The point isn't that these people have no intellect. It's that they have to leave their probably capable intellects completely behind while they are possessed by all these ideas they've been indoctrinated with. The whole point of the filmmakers (a brilliantly made point for anyone who knows how to watch films) is that these kids have the normal tendencies of all children, and that they've been invaded by something unnatural. I consider my mother a wonderful person...and then she starts talking about God's justice and I have to remember that it isn't her talking anymore.
i find it interesting how these "christian people" bash Jesus Camp. it just prooves how alot of these "christian people" are ignorant about the Word of God. i'd hate to be luke warm at a time like this.. time to buck up and start living in Kingdom Power!
And you wonder why Atheism's star is in the acendant (Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Lance Armstrong, Bill Gates & Steve Jobs to name but a few)?If Jesus Camp is the best that right-wing funda-mental-ist Christianity represents, then frankly it should be legislated out of existence (thank goodness it doesn't exist in my country, the UK - and never will).But then, considering the perpetual P.R. traincrash that is right-wing funda-mental-ist Christianity in the US (Becky Fischer & Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Kent Hovind, Tony Alamo, Fred Phelps & his WBC, Timothy McVeigh & Scott Roeder, Andy Schlafly, Sarah Failin et al), it's doing a perfectly good job in destroying itself (and hopefully, the GOP along with it). And the sooner it ceases to exist, and replaced by the true face of Christianity, Unitarian Universalism, Quakers et al who are Left-wing, humble, reserved, non-political, loving and HYPER-tolerant, the better....I truly hope you were being ironic, and NOT as ignorant as the schizophrenic hypocrisy abounding in your comment suggests. "Left-wing....non-political"? The fact that you threw some extra words in the middle, doesn't make this any less of an oxymoron. As for "Humble" and "HYPER" tolerant- your comment shows you to be neither of these things. The extent of your "tolerance" is that there exist some groups of individuals should be "wiped off the earth" according to their principles and practices. As for your humility, you make YOUR SELF and your OWN sensibilities the gauge by which these groups right to exist should be tested. Your assertions are the antithesis of tolerance AND humility. I find people like you to be far more dangerous than any of those appearing in "Jesus Camp", and more importantly, History has proven it.
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