Friday, August 04, 2006

Jesus Camp: Because Brainwashing Works Better on the Young

The esteemed PZ Myers has a great post about a children's camp in that well-known geographic mud puddle of ignorant tribalism, North Dakota. The name of the camp is Jesus Camp, and there's a movie about the camp that was recently reviewed by David Byrne.

"Get 'em while they're young" is the most effective conversion tactic ever used by Christoid cultists. I experienced this tactic firsthand by my own grandparents who began my indoctrination into Christianity since before I can remember. If authority figures tell your young 6 year old self that Jesus is real and that Big Brother is watching your every move (alongside Santa Claus maybe?), what reason do you have not to believe them? Children rely on authority figures for almost everything, and the younger they are, the more they rely on authority figures.

In fact, a main cause of friction between children and parents as they age is the child's growing independence. That is why it's so important to get kids into Jesus at a young age. The younger the child being brainwashed, the more they will rely on their faith as a foundation for their worldview.

Here is a snip of David Byrne's review:

Right wing political agendas and slogans are mixed with born again rituals that end with most of the kids in tears. Tears of release and joy, they would claim — the children are not physically abused. The kids are around 9 or 10 years old, recruited from various churches, and are pliant willing receptacles. They are instructed that evolution is being forced upon us by evil Godless secular humanists, that abortion must be stopped at all costs, that we must form an "army" to defeat the Godless influences, that we must band together to insure that the right judges and politicians get into the courts and office and that global warming is a lie.

Naturally, the kids being so young, there is no questioning of any kind — they simply accept what grownups Fischer and the others say — they get pumped up, agitated, they memorize right wing and Jesus slogans and shout them back obediently. They become part of a support group — a warm, safe, comfortable feeling for anyone, for any social animal, for you and me.


Scary shit. I am glad though that these kinds of activities are attracting the attention of rational adults like David Byrne, and that these kinds of activities are more controversial than they would have been 50 years ago.

PZ Myers has a rather interesting take on how to treat religion:

Maybe we should start treating religion the way we do sex: it isn't discussed in front of the kids, we have committees and institutions that police the media to block access to it, the government works hard to dun fear and contempt of it into young kids' school curricula so that they don't monkey with it until they're at least in their late teens. It seems to me that if we're able to slap sex with the label of shame for so long, without actually destroying the ability of most kids to eventually enthusiastically participate in it, it ought to be possible and fair to do the same with religion, right? We could also treat people who expose kids to Catholicism or Islam or Scientology as disgusting perverts who deserve to be sent to jail, and put them on police lists that are distributed to neighborhoods.

I'm all for it. Let's make religion something in which mature adults can consensually revel, but that we keep away from the kiddies…until they're old enough to manage the responsibility. Sounds fair? I'm sure, though, that that is the last thing the pious would want to do: remove the kids from their oily, sanctimonious grasp, and religion would die back in a few generations to a low level eccentricity held by a small fraction of the population—and those few believers would all be idiosyncratic, and not at all in thrall to the big money institutions of modern religion.


Good idea. While I am an anarchist and totally against the state in all ways shapes and forms, if the state exists today, we might as well get it to work for us, right? Or at least make it consistent in its application of force. I think the Bible has more descriptions of sex than your average issue of Playboy Magazine, and more violence in it than Saving Private Ryan. So why not get the state to regulate the Bible the same way that it regulates porn? In fact, I bet that Pornography is less damaging to children's minds than the Bible is! No Penthouse video with double penetration scenes will tell you that you will go to Hell if you don’t believe Jenna Jameson to be the messiah. No Penthouse video with a sloppy, slurpy oral sex sequence will tell you that you were born a sinning worthless wretch! No Penthouse video ever simulates a pair of daughters having sex with their father! Even hardcore porn has decency standards that the Bible walks all over!

Religious people would obviously never let that happen, because PZ Myers is right. If we kept religion away from kids like we keep sex away from them, then the percentage of faith in the general population would plummet faster than Satan falling into Hell. Within a few generations, Christianity and indeed all theism would be placed in the loony bin file right next to those Kool-Aid drinking comet chasers. Which is where it belongs, by the way.

Oh those poor kids. I can only pray (hahaha) that they will be able to open their eyes as they get older, think for themselves, and remove the yoke of religion from their minds. Unfortunately, going from Jesus lover to freedom lover is a rather emotionally painful process.

It's tough to accept that everything you were taught to believe by the adults that you loved and trusted is a lie. It's tough to accept self-responsibility after spending your whole life with the emotional comfort of having a cosmic Big Brother who gave you a free pass to eternal bliss for all your faults just for submitting to Him. Its difficult to accept that you are indeed a good person - not born a guilty evil wretch - especially after your parents, friends, and family members convinced you that you were. It is difficult to get through the pain of realizing that you were deceived and hurt by the ones you loved, and the ones who raised you. And it's also very difficult to come to terms with the fact that while you managed to open your eyes and break the spell, the friends and family that you love are still trapped by it.

While I like David's review of the film, there is one small problem with his closing remarks:

When one sees religion perverted — in the U.S. or in Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan or India, one wonders if the spiritual seeds, planted by visionaries and enlightened prophets like Jesus, Mohammed, Marx and others, are just too volatile for large societies to deal with.


Emphasis mine.

No David, my friend. All religion is perverted. That line should read "When one sees perverted religion..." but then it would merely be redundant, wouldn't it?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aaron, dude, I just spit coffee everywhere when I read 'Jenna Jamison as the Messiah'

She sure as hell would make a better one then Christ though, and I'd LOVE to see what her version of heaven looked like!!!!

:)

-olly

Aaron Kinney said...

Brings new meaning to the term "eatin the body of Christ" doesnt it? LOL!

breakerslion said...

Thank you. Some old fuck priest once said it best. Loosely translated, he said: "Give me the child to brainfuck, and I will show you the man."

The definition of obscene has always amazed me.

Anonymous said...

Do not deny Jesus Christ as being Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ came to save men, women, boys, and girls from their sin (John 3:16). Everyone commits sin every day, but God has made a way for someone's sins to be removed and to be forgiven. Jesus Christ is the way. Sin cannot enter into heaven because heaven is sinless. Good works cannot erase sin...good works cannot take the place of sin. If you are someone who does not believe in sin, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, heaven, hell, or satan--you are not excused. You will have to give an account before God.

Those who die and have not accepted Jesus Christ into their heart, will not go to heaven. They will go to hell. God says it and I believe it. You should believe it too. Your soul has a place to go--heaven or hell. Believe in Jesus and you will go to heaven. Deny Jesus Christ and you will go to hell. Receiving Him as Lord and Savior will save you from going to hell and ultimately, the lake of fire. Both places are real and are in-escapable for those who die unsaved. Confess with your mouth and accept Jesus Christ into your heart (Romans 10:9). Pray to God for forgiveness. Read the Bible and tell others about His goodness. You will be richly rewarded for doing so.

Aaron Kinney said...

Tawanda,

That was very uninspiring. Lets make it more interesting. Why do you believe in God?

Anonymous said...

Aaron,

I believe in God because He is the one, true living God. God is the creator of everything and I thank God He created me.

God has also done the most amazing thing for me...He has given me His Son, Jesus Christ as a way of salvation. Little 'ole me...a person who sins...God has made a sacrifice so great...a sacrifice that no one or anything could compare to...yet, God gave His Son for me. Would any parent freely let their child die for someone else? Would any parent freely let their child die for someone who lies, has cheated, has stolen things, has had sex before marriage, on and on? No! No parent would and I thank God that I don't have to rely upon a parent to make that sacrifice. Praise God, Jesus did it.

I believe in God because He has shown me Himself in the Bible and I believe everything that precious book contains. The Bible is over 3000 years ago, yet it continues to be fulfilled today. You can't deny that. God has given so many commandments and principles for us to live by. I have put those commandments and principles into practice and found that they are true and correct. I have also disobeyed some of those commandments and principles and found that when I did, things did not go the way I thought they would. I made BIG MESSES, but when I turned back to God, He worked it out for me. God is a great guide!

When I call upon God, He always answers. I talk to Him and He talks back to me. God says that if I ask of Him anything in Jesus' name, He will hear and answer me. I have put that into action...I have prayed to Him in the name of Jesus and I hear from God...I receive answers from Him.

I believe in God because He has healed me. A few years ago I ate fast foods all of the time, did not exercise, and gained a lot of weight. I ignored warning signs with my heart and blood pressure. I became seriously ill and went to the emergency room where the doctors told me that I had congestive heart failure, a disease that an elderly person should have. I was 31 years old. My heart rate was 20-25 and my blood pressure was 209/110. The doctors told me that I would have to be placed on the heart transplant list. But God healed me. Within two months my blood pressure and heart rate returned to normal and I was doing my normal routine. I did not need a heart transplant...didn't even have to have surgery. My cardiologist was delighted at my swift medical progress and complimented me for the turn around. I told him that God had healed me. Today, I am healthy and I have no problems with my heart and blood pressure. I do not have congestive heart failure. I went from having a severely damaged heart to having a normal heart. God is amazing! I
have seen God work miracles in my life and in the lives of others.

I have put God into action...I have done the things He has said to do...those things have worked for my benefit...God has never let me down...I work daily to not let Him down. I believe in God...I trust God...I love God with all of my heart...He truely is my God.

Make Him yours by saying this prayer: Father God, I know that I have sinned. I have believed that You and Your Son were not real. Father God, today I believe that You are God and Jesus Christ is Your Son. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart right now. I thank You for hearing me and for loving me. I know I am saved and covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Write me back Aaron.

Tawanda

Vic said...

can you say 'sucker'? Hahahahahhahahah

Anonymous said...

When will people grow up from these fairy-tales?

The depressing part is that this lunacy appears to be on the rise in the states. Why I wonder? Is it that more people find that they need an emotional crutch?

Anonymous said...

Methinks that living in North Dakota would be a rather quick proof that there is no God.

Aaron Kinney said...

Hi Tawanda,

I appreciate your good intentions and your sincerity. But you didnt really answer my question. You said:

I believe in God because He is the one, true living God. God is the creator of everything and I thank God He created me.

You simply push the question back a level. Why do you believe in the one true living God and why do you believe that God created everything?

God has also done the most amazing thing for me...He has given me His Son, Jesus Christ as a way of salvation.

Why do you need "salvation"?

Little 'ole me...a person who sins...

Werent you guilty of sin before you ever sinned or were even born according to your Holy Bible?

God has made a sacrifice so great...a sacrifice that no one or anything could compare to...yet, God gave His Son for me.

How does sacrifice, or the destruction of innocence and purity (Jesus Christ), forgive sin? How do two desctructive acts cancel each-other out? How do two wrongs make a right?

Would any parent freely let their child die for someone else? Would any parent freely let their child die for someone who lies, has cheated, has stolen things, has had sex before marriage, on and on? No! No parent would and I thank God that I don't have to rely upon a parent to make that sacrifice. Praise God, Jesus did it.

It would be immoral for one to sacrifice their child for the crimes of another. And Jesus Christ is no exception. If a parent today offered their innocent child as a sacrifice to forgive a convicted Death Row inmate, would you consider that good or bad? Do you think the public would think positively or negatively of those parents? Should the sacrifice of that little innocent child set the convicted murderer free?

Your Christian moral system is backwards and ridiculous, Im sorry to say.

I believe in God because He has shown me Himself in the Bible and I believe everything that precious book contains.

Again my friend you didnt answer my question. You only pushed it back one level. WHY do you believe in everything that that precious book contains?

The Bible is over 3000 years ago, yet it continues to be fulfilled today. You can't deny that.

Yes I can. Well specifically, I cant deny that its very old, but I can deny that its prophecy has been fulfilled. While you make these kinds of claims without supporting them, I am free to reject your claims without supporting my rejection of them.

God has given so many commandments and principles for us to live by. I have put those commandments and principles into practice and found that they are true and correct. I have also disobeyed some of those commandments and principles and found that when I did, things did not go the way I thought they would. I made BIG MESSES, but when I turned back to God, He worked it out for me. God is a great guide! When I call upon God, He always answers. I talk to Him and He talks back to me. God says that if I ask of Him anything in Jesus' name, He will hear and answer me. I have put that into action...I have prayed to Him in the name of Jesus and I hear from God...I receive answers from Him.

What does God/Jesus tell you when you ask Him if I will ever reconvert to Christianity? ;)

Also, does God/Jesus tell you that the 2nd coming will be within your lifetime?

I believe in God because He has healed me. A few years ago I ate fast foods all of the time, did not exercise, and gained a lot of weight. I ignored warning signs with my heart and blood pressure. I became seriously ill and went to the emergency room where the doctors told me that I had congestive heart failure, a disease that an elderly person should have. I was 31 years old. My heart rate was 20-25 and my blood pressure was 209/110. The doctors told me that I would have to be placed on the heart transplant list. But God healed me. Within two months my blood pressure and heart rate returned to normal and I was doing my normal routine. I did not need a heart transplant...didn't even have to have surgery. My cardiologist was delighted at my swift medical progress and complimented me for the turn around. I told him that God had healed me. Today, I am healthy and I have no problems with my heart and blood pressure. I do not have congestive heart failure. I went from having a severely damaged heart to having a normal heart. God is amazing!

So do you still eat fast food all the time, dont excercise, and weigh a lot? Did prayer heal you without a change in your lifestyle? There was a recent prayer study that showed that prayer doesnt help in medical situations.

I have seen God work miracles in my life and in the lives of others.

I said the same thing when I was a Christian. But lets put this in perspective. What kind of miracles happened in your lives and the lives of others? Did you or anyone you know witness an Ocean splitting in half, or see a talking snake, or maybe hve a conversation with a burning bush that didnt decay like a normal flaming shrub would?

Did you or anyone you know happen to witness the reanimation of a 3 day old corpse?

I have put God into action...I have done the things He has said to do...those things have worked for my benefit...God has never let me down...I work daily to not let Him down. I believe in God...I trust God...I love God with all of my heart...He truely is my God.

How old were you when you first believed in a God, and then how old were you when you first believed in the Biblical God? Or did those two events possibly occur simultaneously? Were you too young to remember exactly?

Did you have a special revelation to acquire your "faith" or was it some other event, realization, or information that you acquired?

Make Him yours by saying this prayer: Father God, I know that I have sinned. I have believed that You and Your Son were not real. Father God, today I believe that You are God and Jesus Christ is Your Son. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart right now. I thank You for hearing me and for loving me. I know I am saved and covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I could say this prayer simply for your sake because I think you are a kind, good intentioned person and that you believe you are trying to help me. But if I did say this prayer, it would be a lie. I dont want to lie or say something for your sake if its insincere.

If I ever was re-convinced that the Christian God was real, or at least *likely* real, I would almost certainly recite a prayer and pledge my allegiance to Him (what choice would I have at that point?). But Im not going to pray to something I no longer believe in.

Tawanda, when I lost my faith, it wasnt easy. I was very, very dedicated to Jesus Christ since I was a little child up until about 17. And when I was in the process of losing my faith, I was struggling not to. I didnt want to lose something that was such a huge part of my life and my beliefs. I didnt want to admit that a being that I loved so much and felt so connected to probably didnt exist. I didnt want to admit that it was all in my head.

And I was also extremely afraid of the change and the dismantling of my Christian worldview. At one point I was even afraid that I was making God angry for losing belief in Him, and that He would send me to Hell, but I also felt distress and frustration because I knew that I couldnt help stop my slide into atheism. I couldnt lie to myself and force myself to believe in something that was becoming less real to me the more I examined it and the more I attempted to defeat the atheistic logic and evidence (and find Christian logic and evidence to support my beliefs).

My loss of faith was very much unwelcome, unwanted, yet totally inescapable. It wasnt by choice or desire for me. My deconversion to atheism happened through a mix of cold hard facts, philosophy, logic, and aver expanding awareness of the physical world around me.

My loss of faith was based on infinitely better justification (evidence, logic, observation) than my initial acquisition of faith (indoctrination from parents and grandparents, assumption of the validity of popular beliefs, desire to fit in socially, cultural conditioning, etc.)


Write me back Aaron.

I hope you liked my response. I am sorry for replying 2 days after you replied to me... So far I am enjoying the dialogue with you!

Write me back too, Tawanda :)

Anonymous said...

If someone said to me " I killed my child just for you," I would quickly get out of their presence and call the police. What kind of sick nonsense is that. I love you so much that I am willing to kill innocent people for you. I definitely would not go around touting that kind of action as virtuous and loving.

I completely understand what the bible says and how the sacrifice of jesus is portrayed, but now that i am on the outside looking in I feel horrified that I once thought that human sacrifice was a loving act.

Aaron Kinney said...

Wow Sally,

That is a great analysis of the Christian sacrifice-of-the-innocent moral system.

Glad to find that you, like myself, are now seeing the concept of sacrifice with opened eyes. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, just stumbled here via atheist journals. Thought you might be interested in these (possibly one or both for your side bar):

Project Sifter



If you read the latter, I'd appreciate any feedback,

-Simon

Anonymous said...

Meh. That looked fine in the preview; I couldn't tell you why it's fracked.

Bahnsen Burner said...

Aaron: "Why do you believe in God?"

Tawanda: "I believe in God because He is the one, true living God. God is the creator of everything and I thank God He created me."

Now there's a classic non-answer there. Nothing in Tawanda's response explains how she acquired awareness of something that is said to be invisible, immaterial, infinite and everpresent. She gives no instruction on how one can distinguish between what she calls "God" and what she may merely be imagining. What she describes is essentially a mood which she has personified and projected into an imaginary realm which exists behind the actual realm which we perceive.

Tawanda says: "When I call upon God, He always answers. I talk to Him and He talks back to me. God says that if I ask of Him anything in Jesus' name, He will hear and answer me."

Indeed, many passages from the gospels put some hefty promises into Jesus' mouth. Consider John 14:14, which states:

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Here we have a statement in the bible which couldn't be more explicit and clearly stated. Also, keep in mind that the gospels attribute many healings to Jesus involving blind persons receiving their sight back.

Now, I am not blind, but it seems that every year my eyes need stronger prescription glasses. Prayer never worked for me, but apparently Tawanda has a better relationship with Jesus-god such that it answers her every prayer. So perhaps Tawanda would ask Jesus to restore my vision to 20/20. Think of the amazing coversion this would bring: that snarling, sabertoothed atheist Dawson Bethrick abandons his evil atheist worldview and humbles himself before the throne of Christ. It would send shockwaves throughout 7 or 8 internet blogs for at least a couple days. Apologists would quickly forget about Antony Flew's reconsideration of his position (well, perhaps they already have) for now they'd have something stronger than merely stepping away from strong atheism.

So, what do you say, Tawanda? I'm game. Want to give it a whirl? I'll even close my eyes and bow my head as you say the prayer. Just let me know when I can expect to throw out my eyeglasses once and for all.

Looking forward to the spiritual alternative to Lasik surgery. Can't wait!

Regards,
Dawson

Aaron Kinney said...

Simon,

Thank you very much for the links. I just sent you an email, so I hope you got it ok. Respond when you get a chance because I really would like to start a dialogue with you.

Dawson,

Fucking brilliant! I gotta do a post about that sometime soon.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion religion is those who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those that have been there and don't wish to return.

I think that religion has failed the world.

I was brought up born again Christian and I was devestated by the anger and hypocracy of the members of my Church.

Now that I am an adult, I see things totally different. I believe God is real, loving and caring. I also do not feel the need to force people to believe what I believe. I understand why people are Atheists.

I have seen instances in my own life that show me that there is a creator and that there is purpose in life.

I believe that the teachings are Jesus are very profound with or without believing in the diety of Christ.

Thomas Jefferson had his own version of the Bible "Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" this version excluded all of the "miracles" of Jesus and just stuck to the basics.

I think that spiritual truths are found in all religions and no one will ever know "the truth".

If there is a God he/she is determined to remain anonymous.

Anonymous said...

Hi
I must first begin with this, I am a Bible-believing, fundamental Baptist Christian. I am here to say that what these people in North Dakota is very controversial, and yes it does appear that they "brainwashing". But the video is not what im here to dispute. I am here to say that not all Christians are out to "brainwash" and to rise "armies" to fight unbelievers. In fact, only a few small radical groups are like that. Just like not all Muslims are out there to blow people up and kill infidels. Most Christians are peaceful and preach a message of love and forgiveness. I leave you with this, please don't base your entire opinion on one radical goup.
IN Christ, A.

Anonymous said...

A serious and generous discussion is always welcome, I find wih most Christians like myself. Many of us don't speakon complicated topics very well because we rest in certain simplicities of our faith, but don't progress with our doctrine.

When asked why God kills babies in the old testament, we hardly have a response, because regardless of what happens we believe God is in control and knows best. Ask us to take the discussion any further and we often fall very short of any reasonable answer. Our often near-sighted responses, however, doesn't mean that there is no answer.

But, what if we flip the question around and hold other belief systems to the same standard. Who holds atheism responsible for the crimes committed in its name? Stalin, Mao Tse-Tsung, Castro, Pol Pot were atheists weren't they? And they slaughtered millions of people. Some of them, too, once claimed to be Christians had rejected God.

Even an atheist obeys something, even his own concience. He also disobeys his own conscience. Who then constrains the atheist pedophile if all the world believes that all men are free? What if a group of freeman happen to agree that pedophiles need to be locked up? They are then forming a social contract to eliminate what they believe is bad and form a new coalition. What a contradiction this is with the atheist/anarchist belief.

The comparison between religion and sex earlier in this post is so weak that I don't even want to bring it up. However it illustrates more faulty reasoning. Goverment control of sex education hasn't reduced the amount of people having sex so why would government control eliminate massive conversions to Christianity. Religion is even more natural than sex. It springs from belief. There is no way to stop belief, there is no way to stop worship and there is no way to stop the search for truth. One can only corrupt the practice of these things, but can never destroy the essential truth. Truth has a personality. Truth has a will. Truth will protect itself. Truth calls out tenderly. Those who listen to it, will hear it. There will be a time when Truth will not look for its lover. Scorned, truth will reject the one it sought and finally make a clean house for the one who has loved it in return.

Good reason and arguing can destroy all lies, but no arguing can make you believe. You have to know the truth to believe it. The atheist is left with only materials to prove God's existance. There are other means to know the truth, but the atheist rejects all other hints of truth. An atheist is indeed fortunate for finding a girldriend, much more a wife. For the scientific method will never prove to him that the pretty girl likes him back. The hints are too subtle for his materialistic mind.

What proof do you need that you are loved? What will satisfy your desire if you never call on that beautiful girl? Are you scared?

Do you want to know why there is evil in the world and why God doesn't just get rid of it all? To get rid of all evil, right now, He would never have a chance to love you. We would be cleaned out like kemo to a cancer cell. So what is a good God to do? Kill you or heal you? God is going to clean house one day, but not until He has called out to you all He can.

We know historically that a man named Jesus Christ existed. It is historical record. We know that he was killed on a cross, this is only disbuted among the most ignorant. He died on a cross of his own will (if you don't believe in God then you have to believe that). If there is no God, then no God forced Jesus to die on a cross. If you believe in a loving God then you also have to believe that Jesus went willingly. So the question isn't God or no God, the question for many is, loving God or bad God?

How do you know God loves you? The hints maybe too subtle for you to trust.

I'll close with this personal note. My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 18 months. Upon diagnosis he was ushered into critical care. The horror of that night was enduring all the pain he had to go through which might lead to death. The doctors had me hold him in place as they literally pushed thick gauged syringes into his wrists. As he cried to me with eyes that had he not been so dehydrated will have had big round drops, all I could really do was comfort him. Not by being cheerful, but by being truly sad. We cried together. We endured together. One thought that rang through my mind was to my son, "Please, don't look back on this and be afraid of me." He would have died had not the doctors done those tests and treatments. Dehydration, starvation and coma would have killed him.

I believe that he recognized my sadness, Because of that sadness he knows my love for him. I too have diabetes and we share many experiences. This I hope encourages him that I love him and understand him.

Even more so, how about a God who had gauged spikes hammered through his wrists, rejected and by those he hoped loved him back. My God doesn't stand apart with his arms folded across his chest, scorning my bad behavior with detachment. I look up and see him crying with me. The hope is there and He knows it, I'm too small to see it all, but I'm encouraged that He loves me, because I see Him crying right beside me.

Best,
Bill Alexy

P.S. My family laughs alot, too. Alot.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I have read only a little bit of this. I am also a Christian, and I was looking into the Jesus Camp thing and found this site. I have to say from what i read, i will definitely be praying for Aaron, I was not raised in a Christian home. Actually the exact opposite. And i know that i once was very lost as well. I don't know if anyone checks this anymore, but I thought i would leave this comment anyway. God is the one true living God, because the miracles he performs everyday, because of the way he has changed my life, and because the way he can give me a peace within myself, when it seems like everything is falling apart. that is why i believe in God, because he has always provided, yes there were times when i cursed his name, and hated him for the things that he allowed to happen, but I know now i am stronger, and better for them. God has never let me down. God bless,

Tyler

Anonymous said...

I'm going through the seperation of the church realising that God is real but that he cannot be contained in a religion.I beleive religion is closing our eyes and letting our insecurity take over. I actually was studying to become a pasteur and found that our loving God is said in the bible to be a real scary God. Not true god does take care of us all of us he created us and I believe that he assumes his responsabilities.

Anonymous said...

Man you guys are all ridicules. Especially the ones talking about how God introduces Evil so he can show us love.. Well we can only hope a serial rapist comes into your house Rapes your wife and murders your children in front of you. Probably be happy about it can say well God did this to my family so he can show me his love. You’re a crack Pot; Millions of people have family members murdered and or killed and your saying that’s Gods way of show his love. HA HA. Good times… your SICK and you need help. Another thing that worries me is the fact that Christians think they are being watched, is this the only thing keeping the majority of you from going out and murdering people? Guess it’s a good thing that you evil bastards have a God who knows what type of crime you would commit if you did not.
The majority of Christians don’t brain wash their children and have thoughts of getting everyone on the same page, or preach down other styles of life or religions. This is total crap, Bob Larson #1 Christian Author believes in that type of crap and enough people buy his books to support his theory. I don’t believe in God but I have attended plenty of churches in my days studding the religion and the simple “God is love and those that don’t believe in God cannot love” Is an attack on other Cultures and inserting a seed of prejudice into mind of those who fallow. Christian based belief in the mass we have today is not that of LOVE and peace. It was the churches so called “A Holy cleansing” it was centreys of murder, torture, genocide, and planting the seed of fear to the point the Majority of people left, all had the same belief in one God. If you look into torture devices you will see the church has invented the masses of them. The Iron Maiden, A coffin style box with spikes used by the church to kill and bleed the so called “heathen blood from those that did not believe in their God. Movies, Games don’t create Valiance the Church does with its fear-hate covered by the illusion of love does. Do I have a problem with Gods? Nah if it keeps the insane and weak at bay then I am all for it. But to preach that your God is the only God and other people are wrong, that’s what caused the “Slaughter of innocence” all the pagans, natives that where killed in their beds and children feed to dogs in the name of the Christian God. The Church is a Cult its collects more people; it offers toys candy free stuff to pull kids into it. You can tell me how much you’re God is love and how he is the true God, but in history the truth is revealed. Mankind is general will Kill will Love will hate and show Passion it always has no matter what God or lack of God you believe in. Take your money, take the hour or 2 you waste in Church and put it to Good use bettering your knowledge or mankind not putting so much time into Fiction books. Religion has held the technology of mankind back for long enough. We need to move forward the Government is what stops people from committing crime not God!

-Raymond
Unholyfuneral@yahoo.com