UPDATE 9/19/2006 - Original clip is now active again!
If you’re a parent like me and are desperately seeking new and exciting ways to entertain your children… then today is your lucky day! This summer, why don’t you send your little boy or girl to the Kids on Fire Summer School and Ministry in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. Here, your child (as young as 6) will learn the proper way to be a born again Christian. They will become well versed in political activism and radical views.
Still not sure if it’s right for your precious little ones? Lucily, A&E films has created an extensive documentary on the camp so just sit back and enjoy. If after viewing you’ve decided to have your kids saved, then please sign them up and tell them gasmonso sent you to receive %20 off! Now please, just kick back and enjoy this truly horrific beautiful video clip.
Related posts:
- Jesus Camp On The Lam
- Camp Out–Where It’s Ok To Drop The Soap
- The Evolution Of Summer Camp
- Jesus Freaks–The Documentary
- Christians Should Walk Their Talk And Not Squawk
June 10th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Watching the documantary about the ‘kids on fire’ camp was one of the most disturbing things I have seen in a long time, and I struggle to understand how anyone could put children through it. If they believe their path is the right one why do they need to force it so horrifically down the throats of the most impressionable people about. Surely they should be able to trust that a religion they believe to be so perfect would speak for itself, To me the treatment of those poor children boardered on abuse.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Linda —
Actual reported crime statistics aside (America *isn’t* the stand-alone leader in crime in the Inudstrialized World when one looks at per capita numbers, for example), “decades ago” pedophilia went on unnoticed and unabated, as well as a host of other evils.
I am not arguing that certain trends are not disturbing, nor that there are many foolish policies and bits of wishful thinking that harm our society; what I am arguing that there has not been demonstrated a cause/effect relationship in the case of “social ills” vs. “irreligion.” Ice cream sales and rape have a very high positive correlation (as one goes up, so does the other; same for the converse), but that doesn’t mean that ice cream sales *cause* rape.
It is common for humans to look for a root cause where they want to see one . . . and they usually wind up convincing themselves that their pre-judged opinion is “proven.” What is harder is to sift through data to discover that there are *many* causes for our problems (it is, after all, a complex world).
To lay the blame for our social ills at the feet of atheism (or agnosticism, or Islam, etc.) is just pernicious nonsense.
Thank you for your prayers. Good thought never hurt anyone. I hope you and yours have a good life and can see past differences to work with others to create a better world. That world, however — with a few exceptions — is not in the past.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:20 am
Hello linda,
First off, look up the “Post hoc, ergo propter hoc” fallacy, it’ll open up a whole world for you.
1 - [Citation Needed]
2 - how do those things correlate? In countries like Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland etc there are many more atheists, and not nearly as many shootings, rape, crimes. How do you explain this?
Blegh. Pascal’s wager is a LAME argument, and it’s faulty as well.
Yes, I do. However, apearently you don’t. Indoctrination IS NOT free choice. If you really wanted your children to make their own choice, you would teach them to look for information for themselves, examine it critically and then make up their own minds.
What you seem to be doing is telling your kids to believe in God, or else… Indoctrinating young children is easy, everything what mom says is true, so if you tell teach them just to blindly accept everything the bible/priest says, they will do that.
You know, I just did a quick count. I know many, many more kind, friendly atheists then I know Christians. There is however another reason I like atheists more. A Christian does good acts because they think god wants them to and will punish them otherwise, while an atheist does good deeds because they want to out of their own motivation.
You’re free to do and believe whatever you want, as long as you don’t bother others with it. I’d love to spend a little time with you to show you why christianity is just another myth in a long line of fictional-sky-fairy crowd control measures by bronze-age nomads.
You pray for me and I’ll think for you.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
UNREAL!!!
Has anyone looked around at our nation latley? Just decades ago we were God fearing people and we did not have all this madness. There were NO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, NO GANG BANGERS, NO DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS, NO GAY MARRAIGE,NO CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES TAKING CHILDREN FOR SPANKING, NO COURT OVERLOADS OF JUVINILES. We were in fear of our parents not the law. We went to Church on Sunday and we raised our children as a community under God. My children are 24,21,18 and 9 and they are all Christians by choice not by force. But I have raised them to know there is a higher power and what i believe the rest is up to them. I think it is plan neglect to do other wise. To you athist who say we are crazy do you ever stop and think what if? Don’t you think your children should have that choice. We are not all radical in fact look around i bet the best people you now the ones who help others and the ones who show love to all are Christians. I BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY! and I would love to spend a little time with you to show you. I will and do pray for your unsaved souls.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:10 pm
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March 1st, 2008 at 4:26 am
I have been an ATHEIST (which, of course, simply means a non-theist) from the age of three. Then five. And now 48. ALL children are born atheists. Every one on the planet. It’s the parents and local “culture” who program the little darlings so effectively with all this BS.
If you were a Muslim parent, I’ll bet the farm that ALLAH would be the truth and the light. No doubt about it. And our Christian “God” is a fallacy.
So let’s kill the infadels, shall we?
See, we atheists dwell in the REAL world. We don’t have any more hatred of “God” or “Jesus” than we do the tooth fairy or Humpty Dumpty. All all fictional. But when these so-called “harmless” religions do HOLY battle, what do you get? That’s right! DEATH. Lots and lots of death! Then, if you haven’t worhipped him sufficiently, eternal damnation and suffering. But God loves you! Unless you piss him off. Then get ready for lakes of molten brimstone to burn the flesh off your bones for all eternity.
Gee… Now I’m starting to understand the attraction! Sign me up!
Here’s a delightful website that all you of “faith” might find enlightening: http://www.evilbible.com Think the bible is “compassion and love?” Think again, my misled friends. Check out the site. If you dare. The Koran is, no doubt, the same type of sadistic “follow or suffer” mentality. Except with Allah you’ll have 101 virgins waiting for you as soon after the bomb taped to your chest explodes. A perk you won’t find in Christianity.
Rediculous, you say?
Disturbingly, no more rediculous than what’s in between the covers of the Bible.
February 17th, 2008 at 1:25 am
[…] infamous Kids on Fire summer camp in North Dakota, made infamous by the movie Jesus Camp, has been officially shut down (for now). […]
February 11th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Thanks, Andrew
I must admit I had not even heard of the Garden of Gethsemane.
Now I know.
Peace
February 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Badgerbear,
I’m an atheist now, but I used to be Christian.
The story that I learned goes that Jesus suffered for our sins in a super-human way in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion. The ides is that, yes, he suffered for our sins in a way not possible by a human. Then a couple days later, he also died for our sins. Then a few days after that, the resurrection overcame the sins. He knew in advance that all of this would happen and chose to go through with it cause he loves us.
I hope this clarifies this part of the mythology for you a bit. It’s a common enough mix-up for non-Christians and Christians alike.
February 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
alcari is right. A lot of us here seem to be paragraphically challenged. I will try to do better.
Now, I will probably get a lot of flak for this but I must say it…
I keep reading the obligatory “Jesus died for my sins.” in this forum. OK. Certainly a well known part of the story. My question, as an atheist, is this:
Yes, he may have “died” on the cross. Being in mortal form at the time, this is possible. But was his “suffering” truly any worse than any other mortal of the time who could have taken his place that day? Did he suffer a greatly magnified amount of pain during his crucifiction in order to atone for the billions of future humans to come? Unless there is something I missed, I think not.
Point two: Was Jesus aware prior to his death that he would be “resurrected” days later? Or was this kept from him to increase his anguish?
Point three: He was supposedly brought back to life and then ascended to heaven, right?
So…
Could someone of “faith” please explain what the great “sacrifice” was? Us mere mortals die by the thousands every day. Sometimes during heroic acts to save others and sometimes in states of fear and pain far, far worse that Jesus could have known during his crucifiction.
So the ultimate question I am asking is:
What’s the big deal?
February 10th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Oh, and by the way, I am an atheist, a progressive-liberal AND… shhh… A HOMOSEXUAL! I bet you’re not surprised there. So grateful to know I will simply cease to exist when I die. Quite comforting, really. I did not exist before I was conceived and I will return to that state after I take my last breath. I wouldn’t want to live “forever” anyway. I mean, what if I got bored of tending sheep after several billion years?
February 10th, 2008 at 7:48 am
To jdaly 98: Not that I’m targeting you exclusively, my friend, but you’ve provided such enticing fodder! Your comment of “I will raise my children with the understanding that…” is EXACTLY my point here. Religion, of whatever sort, can be likend to a bad gene that keeps getting passed on from one generation to the next. With your statement above it is obvious this “gene” is still alive and well. But the unfortunate thing about genes is that they don’t care if they do the person good or harm. They just do. Here’s a thought… Why not wait until your children can fully understand what religions even ARE before forever branding them as what YOU think they should be. Doing otherwise is nothing less than child abuse in my opinnion.
February 10th, 2008 at 7:30 am
To jdaly98: I respectfully ask you this question… You were a “Christian” at age three??? Interesting. I was still pooping in my Huggies at that age (I think). Quite amazing that you had such a firm and convictive grasp on what being a “Christian” was at such a tender age. And, lo and behold, nothing less than “born-again” at five. May I humbly suggest that you did NOT have a choice in those first few years. Whomever were your parents or guardians had no doubt pummeled you relentlesly with stories of fire and brimstone until your poor, “I’ll believe anything” 3 year-old brain had firmly locked in that concept. Irregardless of the logic you would develop later on. I’m surprised you didn’t go even further back and say you were a “born-again FETUS.” But, I guess, that wouldn’t make much sense, now would it? Kids of three and five need to be fingerpainting and watching Barney the dinosaur and playing with blocks. Not having to worry about whether their toddler-souls are going to burn in Hell.
February 9th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
I know some people that grew up like this- and guess what? 2 of them have stuggled with repressing homosexuality, one has turned away from the church to become a software engineer, and the other one is no longer my friend because she slept with 2 of my husbands friends while vacationing- oh did I also mention that she is a drug addict? She knows the bible backwards and forwards but shes been diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorder- all due to her parents religious cult upbringing.
I could go on and on about all of the hypocracy I have seen over the years due to “so called Chritianity”- one story even involves my mother telling me that if I converted to Judism, she would “never” talk to me again becuase she loves “Jesus” with all of her heart and soul. She later appoligized because she was out of line. In family growing up, my recollections of Catholic churc on Sunday was smelling the stale booze off of my fathers breath, my parents tension, resentment and guilt from their Saturday night partying. When a 7 year old hears a robed old man saying “this is the body and blood of Christ, come eat/drink” I have to admit it isnt a warm and fuzzy feeling, I knew even then that they were all freaks- so thats why I despise religion, that and the fact that everything they spew from their ignorant minds can be discredited.
January 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am
i’m… speechless
…
…
that’s horrendous
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 am
Good for you, jdaly98. That is a Christian perspective I can respect.
I am, however, surprised you remained a Christian even after you studied other religions. What reasons do you stick with it? Be aware that I will likely challenge any answers you give in the spirit of debate. Your level of participation in that debate is entirely your choice :)
January 1st, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I have been a Christian from the age of three. I have been a born-again Christian from the age of five. I am very well educated. I have completed several courses about other religions and continue to know that Jesus Christ is my choice. The key words there are ‘my choice’. The problems with fundamentalist Christians are they forgot that Jesus Christ did not come to Earth and attempt to cram religion down people’s throats. I do not believe in abortion, although it is only my responsibility to inform a person of what I believe God would want her to do (of course this is to be done in a gentle manner not yelling at the clinic). It is between that person and God concerning what she actually does. I do not believe in homosexuality, although it is not my place to judge that person. What happened to the person with no sin casting the first stone? Even Christians sin; however, I think many forget that fact.
I will raise my children in the understanding that “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light”. That is also my right. Parents are to raise their children to be the best adult he or she can be; we all have some value learned from our parents. As a teenager, young adult, and currently I need to decide for myself what I believe. That is a parent’s responsibility; raise the child with the knowledge for him or her to make the right decision in the future.
December 31st, 2007 at 10:08 am
allroundthinker.
First things first. Paragraphs are your friend, those of us with dislexia will be gratefull.
the fact that these kids are being to “believe in God, or else…”. What else would you call that, if not fear-based?
What do you mean by this? If you mean that we have the ability to seperate thruth from fiction, then it’s just not true.
Nothing is different. All forms of indoctrination are wrong, no matter what form it takes. I plan to raise my future children to think critically, have an open mind and form their own opinion. You say we’re all entitled to that, I would say that everyone should be allowed to FORM their own opinion, based on all information.
You mean that all monotheistic religions are based on a previous form? before making claims about Christianity, I’d advice you to take a look at Judaism, which is a lot older and on which Christianity is mostly based, and before that Zoroastrianism.
Everything. First you claim that everyone should have their opinion, but then you limit the ammount of information your children recieve. How is this any different from indoctrinating them? How is anyone supposed to form an objective opinion about anything if you select what information is available to them?
Would you please quote me this so-called “law of procreation”?
I have no problem at all with whatever fairytale they choose to believe. I have a problem with the indoctrination of children, using methods that are forbidden by the Geneva Convention. I have a problem with people thrusting their unfounded beliefs on others and forcing them to act on it. I have a problem with people disrupting the lives of others, just because they think they have some god-given mandate to do so.
December 30th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Hello to all:
I am new to this site only because I like to do research about topics, which include locating and disseminating positive and negative information. I have viewed the video and I don’t understand what all of you guys are referring to when you speak of a fear based camp of drones out to run amuck as radical jihad, with no concern for other life. We all have the ability to discern information, some less than others, but none the less everyone has that ability. What I have observed is people airing their beliefs to children of their faith. What is so different from their teaching their children and the parernts of atheists, muslims, hindus, jews, bahai’s, jehovahs witnesses, wicken’s (which most of us hide when we see them come to our doors)teaching their children? This is not hatred all of you are clearly mistaken. These children are not fearful, no not the least. If you listen closely to the words of the children, they are commanding satan to release his hold of specific “demonic” forces. Christians are taught that the devil/satan/the enemy tactic is to steal, kill and destroy everything he touches. Christians also believe that by being born again through their belief and the baptism of the Holy Spirit they also partake in the power over sin and death. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Not infecting other with blatant ignorance is also a choice. All religions have a part of Christian principles tied into them. Muslim faith was started by an illegitimate offspring of Abraham. The principles that the Bible has, everyone has used, scrutinzied, misused, or clinged to. Why are they so wrong with teaching their children their beliefs? I have children and i take great caution in regards to the information my children receive. Everything is not meant to be thrust upon babes. But your beliefs are the foundations of your character, integrity and position in life. By the way, money answers all things. For the person that says that churches are money hungry: it takes money to thrive in any economy, life, or sect. You are truly confused if you don’t think this is a reality. Churches are no different. There are pastors, teachers, evangelists, that are working two jobs and find time to share their beliefs with others. Every country (except canada :)) homosexuality is an abomination. It is against the law of procreation. That too is a choice, and people make their choices based on past experiences. So what. Some of your comments are really anal. In essence, all of you on this site have preached hatred. Either to each other or another person. Everyone on this site has an issue with racism, classism, or sexism. Everyone has faults. People are starving, killing eachother in the name of thier GOD, genocide is stronger than every. Why would you pick something so miniscule, let them believe what they choose and you can continue to believe what you believe. Because until you are free from all issues, none of you have the power to judge.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Seriously, that is sick shit. I dont know what it is with america (and i know i’ll get flamed and told ‘not all americans are like that’ etc) but that shit just aint cool. fucks sake, what is it with your country?? i libe in australia, have lived in europe (UK) as well as the US, and its really creepy how many deluded religious people you have over there. really creepy. i mean, didnt they realise just how bad that jesus rap was at the start and to join the dots? lol.
September 4th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Hello KatherineEdgar,
Forgive me for quoting you at length, but as my comment will be on a separate page than yours, I thought it would be convenient for any readers.
Since you are addressing me in this portion of your comment, please allow me to respond. First, in the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I have no children. Thus some of my opinions on the topic should rightfully be suspect. If and when I do have kids, I’m sure I will fear for their safety and health. I believe that is a natural part of parenthood.
I think alcari got it right: education is better than fear, if the goal is influencing adolescent behavior. Let me take an example. I, like most parents, would teach my children to look both ways before crossing a street. I would explain that they need to watch out for cars that can injure them. That is educating them about the possible negative consequences of crossing without looking. If I were to use the fear-mongering methods used in the video to warn my kids about crossing the streets it would sound something like this:
“God wants you to look both ways before crossing the street. If you do not obey God, SATAN will send a car to run you over! Satan always targets little boys and girls just like you.”
I hope this example helps you see the difference between education and fear-mongering. I will educate my children about the risks of many behaviors, such as unprotected sex. But all of us take risks everyday. The real goal is to enjoy life while minimizing the risks. Most of us take our biggest risk everyday by driving to work. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of premature death in many places in the industrialized world, including America. Yet we are willing to take that risk regularly to hold down a job that enables us to better out lives. Instead of making our children afraid of those risks, we should teach them to balance the long-term risk/reward consequences of their actions.