On Saturday I took a random turn and drove down to Staunton to visit my good friend. He had told me about this movie documentary called Jesus Camp that looked intriguing. I was sad to see that it was not playing at any of the “artsy” theatres in the DC area, so I had to drive over 2 hours to see it! I could go on and on about this, but I’ll try to keep it brief. I really hope that people go out and see this movie; it’s certainly more frightening than Super Size Me or Fast Food Nation.

The movie was great, it was actually filmed from a pretty unbiased view, and was hardly narrated save for a radio talk show host and some clips from various other radio announcers. The film was shot around the hearings for Judge Samuel Alito and takes place in Missouri and at a camp in North Dakota. The most disturbing thing to me about the entire movie was the fact that the main focus through it all was children. There were some young kids shown - the main 3 highlighted ranged from age 7-12 I think, but through the piece you could see kids as young as 3 involved. These were children who were supposedly experiencing visions and Christ speaking to them, speaking in tongues and crying for forgiveness of their sins and the sins of those around them. In reality, they were all simply regurgitating the words and beliefs of the adults around them. These kids are experiencing thoughts and emotions that many adults don’t even understand. How can they even process it? They cry about their sins and about not being good enough for God. They approach others to try to move them towards Jesus. Free speech is one thing, and the great thing about our country is the premise that we can all believe and follow whatever religion we want. But this…is something else.

The basis of the movie was that these kids are being trained. The leaders used the argument that in places like Pakistan and other countries - kids are being taught to become suicide bombers and to hate America, so why not use our children to spread the word of Jesus. (Or, spread the word that there should be less separation of church and state).

Personally, I think that Evangelicals are scary. They supposedly preach the “gospel” and the truth, but in reality it’s a huge almost cult-like following. According to the movie, 25% of America (or, 80 million) identify themselves as Evangelicals. They firmly believe that the government is an institution out to get them - these kids in the movie took turns taking hammers to porcelain mugs with the word government written on them. Many of the children are home schooled and basically taught that anything scientific is fiction, not fact. They say that the country took a downturn when prayer was removed from schools and that there is a problem with that. How can you denounce a government and system that you yourself are not a part of, or have a desire to be?

The best part of the movie, by far, was the fact that Pastor Haggard was spotlighted in it towards the end. Of course, there was no way of knowing what was to become of him by the time the movie was released, but I found it fantastic that he was shown denouncing homosexuality, and quoted saying something along the lines of, “someone paying you $1,000 to keep your secret. I know what you did last night!” I almost fell out of my chair laughing at the irony. There was also a side note in the movie that stated that he spoke to President Bush every Monday with a board of advisors - contrary to reports now. (On that note, I do feel really bad for his family through all of his recent headline news.)

The second best part of the movie was when they brought out a life-size cut out of George W. Bush, and they all touched it and “blessed” it…basically worshipping him. I mean….wow. I can think of a whole lot of other uses for a cardboard cutout of our fearless leader, and that would NOT be one of them. The Evangelicals were rejoicing that they already had one of them in the White House, ecstatic that Alito got named to the Supreme Court, and gloating in the fact that eventually all of their carefully-groomed children will become prominent members of society and essentially rule the country (taking part in the very system they criticize).

The third thing that got me was the issue of abortion. They had these children crying and praying for unborn children, holding small statues of fetuses (supposedly the size of 7 weeks) and weeping for them, wearing red tape that said LIFE over their mouths (stating that the unborn don’t have a voice). I mean, say what you want – pro-life or pro-choice…but to put that in the hands of children? I was appalled.

I guess I can relax a little in the knowledge that at least half of those kids will probably turn away from the church by the time they are adults.

It’s the other half that I’m worried about…

So, I have a question to throw out to the blogosphere…what kinds of differences in a relationship are acceptable, and what can’t be worked out? Does it depend on the person?

For example, if you are a die-hard Republican and you date someone who is fairly liberal…will that work? What about if you are Muslim and your partner is Catholic. Or Jewish and Mormon?

I’ve always thought that while opposites can (and do) attract, that most relationships are between similar people. People of similar values, backgrounds, socio-economic status, etc…

But where is the line between acceptable conflict and irreconcilable differences?

My dad just sent this in to the Washington Post as an op-ed…I thought I would share it with you all. I think it goes along the lines of my own 9-11 post and post about the situation of the world in general.

He (my dad) is a former Air Force pilot and government advisor turned United Methodist minister, and is currently the owner/President of a company he is trying to get started (if he ever gets more financial backing) called Planning for Peace…so this just a sample of his thoughts and vision… I hope it gets published in the Post because I really believe in it and hope others feel the same.

Too often these days I hear people say that September 11, 2001 changed America – that “9-11” is the pivotal point in defining our recent 21^st century. I do not agree. This is not to abstract the horrific loss of life in the twin towers, airplanes, or Pentagon. I lost good friends and colleagues on that day. However, what I believe to be pivotal to the definition of our recent 21^st century was articulated by our Nation’s president one month later when he eulogized saying that “in our anger we will find our purpose.”

Our nation or the world (including our Islamic brothers and sisters) was never given permission to grieve. For it is in our grief that our purpose is to be found. It is not what happens to a person or group that defines them. What defines them is how they respond. Instead of allowing for hearts to be broken, hearts were hardened. Anger now serves our purpose and this is spilling over into our interpersonal relationships as well as relationships on the global stage. The rhetoric of anger ushers in the wrath it seeks because anger, unchecked, all too easily can create an atmosphere of fear resulting in a terror of its own making.

John Wesley, a spiritual leader, a great man of the Church, and to many still today, once remarked, “Whatever it is that drives you to your knees in prayer, that is your calling in life.” For me personally, that is planning for peace. I find myself saddened that nations plan for war (I have served as an integral part to that end) but seemingly do not think to plan for peace. It seems humanity expects peace to come as easily as the next breath; yet, the work of peace is exceedingly more challenging and elusive than our human body’s automatic and preconditioned responses to life. This is because peacemaking is fall down and get up again relational work. To ensure it, one must never let go of the other with whom you are in conflict and always remain engaged in serving the other to the end that reconciliation is realized and blessing flow again.

So I write to encourage others to take the time to find the way to be peacemakers in their personal lives, families, and communities. Be a peacemaker in daily life – get up every morning and tell yourself you are going to follow a rule of life that helps you be a peacemaker each day. Pray for peace and please pray that the nations expend greater energy planning for peace.

Read about peacemaking and be careful what you watch, what you read, and you view on TV. This includes the movies as well as games that celebrate violence. We are what we eat. Feeding on violent events feeds our propensity for anger. And, finally, find ways you can financially and spiritually support the work of peace.

I just saw a commercial for a new way to get family friendly flicks delivered straight to you. Fox Faith. I don’t know if it was the idea of super conservative movies coming as fast as I can order them, or the fact that the Fox network was sponsoring it…but it made me want to vomit.

Now, it can be seen as no less cheesy than the Hallmark channel, or no more controversial than the Logo channel…but doesn’t Netflix’s “Faith and Spirtuality” genre cover this? Does it need its own separate vendor? OK, so some of the movies on here are good…such as Cheaper by the Dozen or old Garfield cartoons…but when it comes to choices such as Billy Graham Presents: Road to Redemption, which will eventually lead to the Left Behind series and even Touched by an Angel episodes…that’s where I start to get a little nauseous.

I guess I’m being a little harsh the more I think about it, but my initial reaction when I saw the commercial was NO. STOP. HALT. DECIST.

I just saw a commercial for a new way to get family friendly flicks delivered straight to you. Fox Faith. I don’t know if it was the idea of super conservative movies coming as fast as I can order them, or the fact that the Fox network was sponsoring it…but it made me want to vomit.

Now, it can be seen as no less cheesy than the Hallmark channel, or no more controversial than the Logo channel…but doesn’t Netflix’s “Faith and Spirtuality” genre cover this? Does it need its own separate vendor? OK, so some of the movies on here are good…such as Cheaper by the Dozen or old Garfield cartoons…but when it comes to choices such as Billy Graham Presents: Road to Redemption, which will eventually lead to the Left Behind series and even Touched by an Angel episodes…that’s where I start to get a little nauseous.

I guess I’m being a little harsh the more I think about it, but my initial reaction when I saw the commercial was NO. STOP. HALT. DECIST.