Perhaps the most frightening movie Americans see this Halloween is neither Saw III nor The Grudge 2 but a documentary about evangelical Christians called Jesus Camp. Principally focused on the young attendees of the "Kids on Fire" bible camp in North Dakota, the film sheds light on a sect of Christianity that has woven itself into the fabric of U.S. politics and culture. It also bites off more than it can chew by half-heartedly drawing conclusions about national political developments (such as a Supreme Court judicial nomination).
The value of Camp lies in its eagerness to explore every facet of an evangelical child's life at the camp. The viewer watches the "Kids on Fire" as they eat, sleep, learn, chat, pray and primp, and, expectedly, the subjects infuse each scene with a religiosity bordering on silliness: they pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, pray that the Devil doesn't ruin their PowerPoint presentation, and ask Jesus to let them bowl a strike. They speak in tongues and apply war-paint to their faces. And under the leadership of their fiery pastor, Becky Fischer, the children learn about the sins of abortion, evolution and, of course, Harry Potter.
Easy as it is to call these kids brainwashed, the indoctrination of the youths in Jesus Camp is nothing new. For thousands of years parents have quested to instill in their offspring all sorts of values and customs. Filmmakers Ewing and Grady probably think it's a shame that so many evangelicals believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old, but in a free society, citizens need not learn what they don't want to learn. Seeing children parrot religious propaganda is scary; but better Mom and Dad determine their individual beliefs than Big Brother.
