Really scary movie

Hi all, ah mi and I just went to catch the movie documentary, Jesus Camp, over the weekend, and I must say that it's quite disturbing to see things like that happening. I must admire their faith in their religion, but it appears that they are putting it above everything else. Even their lives.

Throughout the movie, I can see them asking their children, "Are you willing to lay down your lives for God?". Isn't it abit too extreme to ask your children that? So are they willing to sacrifice their children's lives for God too? It's scary to see parents indoctrinating their children in this manner, drilling into their young minds that there is nothing more important than God. The children in this film are also home schooled, and are taught that creationism is the truth, while evolution is crap. This is another scary thing about the families depicted in this movie. Their strong passion in their faith makes them over reliant on it. Hence, for them, everything will be "God will help me". For me, I was brought up with the notion that "God helps those who help themselves" lah, so I still need to help myself.

Another thing that I noticed in the film was this little girl, Rachael, was going around trying to spread the word of God, meaning converting people lah. One phrase that she used was "Sir, if you were to die today, where do you think you will go?" I must say, I have heard this phrase a couple of times myself, when local Christians come knocking on my door and trying to convert me, even when I tell them that I'm a Roman Catholic. Apparently, to them (people trying to convert me), Roman Catholics will still go to hell after death.

On the afterlife issue, I decided to post a question to this blog that the families in the film was maintaining to dispel the misunderstanding of people who watched the film. And here is the brief exchange:

Peter

Hi, I've got a simple question. If I do good all my life, but I'm not a Christian and had never been "born again", will where would I go after I die? Thanks.

Monday, September 3, 2007 - 03:07 AM

Tim

Peter,

Thanks for the question.

We answer this question several times on this site, but the site has become almost too large to look for specific stuff. If we want to get in a conversation on this one, it might be better on the God thread, but I will give our simple answer here.

First, we are not assigning anyone to hell. That is not our job and hell is not a focus with us at all. I don't think hell is ever even mentioned in the movie.

Secondly, I do not believe that those who have never heard the name of Jesus or had an opportunity to understand His claims will automatically be assigned to hell. Billy Graham agrees with me as do many other ministers and Bible teachers and Christians.

Romans says the Gentiles "who do not have the law, [but] do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law." (Rom 2:14 NIV) This is an indication that God is just and will judge everyone according to their situation. God is not trying to get people into hell. He is on the side of people. He is on your side. Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world." (Jn 3:17)

Now, if you have had the opportunity to understand the claims of Jesus as the Son of God, then I think it would be dangerous to reject Him. You would be rejecting God's love for you. Keep an open heart so that God can reveal Himself to you and keep being a seeker of truth. If you do that with a clear conscience, then I believe God will show Himself to you in this lifetime.

Monday, September 3, 2007 - 10:31 AM

Personally, I think my question is not really answered, maybe let me try asking another question, and see how is the response like. Will post it here, just in case you are interested in this boring theological argument thingy.

Pete out.