Thank You and a Movie Recommendation

First, I'd like to thank you for reading this blog! There have been many more people talking about reading it than I ever imagined would. Thanks also for making comments--those of you who are doing so!

I have a request -- would everyone who is reading this right now please leave a comment on the blog just saying hi so I'll know who all is reading? I'd appreciate it. I see there is now a link to this blog at pcusa.org, along with our great poem from the Ghost Ranch retreat, and a newsletter from Patrick. You can read newsletters and blogs and view photo galleries from other Young Adult Volunteers around the country by clicking here.

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And now, on to a movie recommendation. Over the weekend my roommate Tara and I went to see the movie Jesus Camp which is currently playing in Green Hills. For those of you back home in Indiana, you'll have to go to Indy to see it, or wait until it opens in Columbus in November, or wait and rent the DVD. Jesus Camp is a documentary about a Christian children's minister who is part of the very influential conservative Christian movement. Pastor Becky Fisher runs her annual "Kids on Fire" camp, which is the subject of the film.

The film is framed by a demonstration of the rapidly growing political influence of conservative Christianity in the nomination and confirmation of SCOTUS Associate Justice Samuel Alito. The children at the camp are only taught about one social issue -- abortion, and well, Harry Potter (warlocks are the enemy of God, just so you know!). This type of Christianity, where personal conversion is the only important thing, flies in the face of the teachings of Jesus. There was very little love being given by this group. Fear was the main mode of operation. National Association of Evangelicals leader Ted Haggard (who meets with President Bush every Monday, while the president has rejected meetings with leaders from the United Methodist Church, his own denomination) is one of the "stars" of the documentary. He specifically calls out Presbyterians in one part of the film, which made Tara and I laugh out loud in the theater. "We don't need a General Assembly to tell us what God is thinking--we've got the Bible!"

It was interesting to attend church at Second Presbyterian the morning after seeing this movie. (Second is one of those "dead churches" as the kids in the movie called them, where they sing three hymns and have a sermon!) Second is a pretty progressive church in one of the most liberal denominations (a local choir of mostly gay and lesbian people sang this last week). There is quite a difference between a faith based on hatred and fear as in Jesus Camp and one that embraces the radically inclusive love of Jesus, being able to see the sacred image of God in each person regardless of their worldy condition.

http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/