As an evangelical, my problem with "Jesus Camp" is that it provides a seriously skewed picture of the movement. We range all over the political spectrum from Chuck Colson on the right through Jim Wallis on the left. Ditto for our styles of worship and views on other issues. You won't see that in "Jesus Camp". Instead, you'll see what many of us would consider to be an embarassment.

...it's only about some real people at this one Jesus Camp. So what's unfair about that?

If full representation of the broad political spectrum and worshiping styles of evangelicals is the criterion by which you decide to see movies, then what movie of the last 10 years (I playfully ask) do you recommend? (I'll admit, it would make an amazing subject. Can we round up some investors?)

I truly think that what's "skewed" is the presumption that a movie depicting some real people must be making a larger comment about some wider swath of people. But nobody reads, say, "The Thin Blue Line" as an indictment of all cops everywhere; or "Murderball" under the impression that all people in wheelchairs are amazing, agressive athletes.

Lets give the kids at "Jesus Camp" their due, and appreciate the film on its own terms.

I mean really, worshipping a god with the head of an elephant? C'mon.

How would you feel about a movie named "Kos Kamp"? It would introduce audiences to the world of liberal Democrats by highlighting the people who took part in the infamous tinfoil hat-making contest at the Daily Kos convention. It would be accurate in what it showed, but surely misleading in the bigger picture of what it means to be a Kossack let alone a liberal Democrat. That's the same kind of concern I have about "Jesus Camp".

The film is what it says it is. It is a look at some people at a camp run by a Pentecostal minister. It is "Jesus Camp." It's not claiming to be representative of all evangelicals or of all Christians (you don't see Catholics and Presbyterians getting all hot under the collar over it, do you? By the logic espoused by some here, a Muslim might think it representative of all Christendom). It's a very specific film about a specific group of people and how those people take their religion more seriously than anything else in life, infusing all parts of their lives with their religion, including their dealings with the worlds of politics and commerce. t is interesting to see how different people believe, and to see how they behave on behalf of their beliefs.

There's nothing "unfair" about it. It says it's about a fundamentalist Christian camp for kids and that's what it is. If someone is offended by Jesus Camp, by all means they should go out and make their own documentary about their own specific beliefs and show their own specific comrades at worship. But don't proclaim that Jesus Camp is unfair because it doesn't show your particular brand of religion. It's not meant to be a stand-in for all Christians, so stop behaving as if it is.

David P. Graf, could you tell us if you've seen the movie? Obviously that would lend weight to your opinion here.

I haven't seen the movie, nor am I likely to; I imagine it would be interesting, but I don't expect that I'll be able to see ANY movies for the next few years. My little boy can't stand the blastingly loud sound levels that movie theaters insist on using these days. Not that "Jesus Camp" sounds like something I'd want to take him to, anyway...

As a native of Indy,a skater,and a friend of the guys that used to open up for them- it was a delight to see the Zero Boys mentioned in the article. I haven't thought about those days in a long time.Damn- I'll bet there are still some of the stickers we slapped somewhere in Broad Ripple...

First off, I have not seen the film, I only read the reviews. But there is a wealth of information on Christian Reconstructionism and Dominionism, from Fred Clarkson’s "Eternal Hostility" to the latest post on the yuricareport.com (American Vision's "Worldview Super Conference 2006").

The outcry against this film from the Dominionist is the same tune heard when anyone attempts to expose their political strategy to the light of day. The Rev. Ted Haggard, known to his congregants as Pastor Ted, is currently the head of the National Association of Evangelicals and the founder/head of the Association of Life-Giving Churches. Pastor Ted is also in contact with the White House once a week to discuss the politics of the far right.

Now you would think that as a tax exempt 501(c) (3) organization, they can not get involved in politics, but this only works if the law is enforced. And the ultimate goal of Pastor Ted and his fellow god men, whether anyone chooses to believe it, is to overthrow the Democratic government of the United States and replace it with a theocracy based on their interpretation of the Old Testament.

So when any group attempts to talk about them in book or film no matter how "fair and balanced"; the god men go nuts. The last thing these theocrats want is to have their strategy and tactics exposed to the light of day.

This article had way to many words. Andy baby this is

the internet. On any day I have more access to words and opinions

then there was during the lifetimes before the internet.

True I read "Classic Comic Books" instead of the Classics

never the less ......

Andrew O'Hehir, one of my favorite cultural critics, makes one important mistake in his otherwise splendid interview with Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing, the makers of "Jesus Camp."

Writes O'Hehir: "One criticism that's been launched against 'Jesus Camp,' by both secular and evangelical viewers, is that Fischer's ministry belongs to the charismatic Pentecostal movement, which holds extreme theological and (in some cases) political views, and is regarded as a fringe movement by many other Christians. At Fischer's "Kids on Fire" services, worshipers are slain in the spirit, speak in tongues and prophesy the future. Many Pentecostalists believe that the sick can be healed, and the dead raised, through the laying on of hands (beliefs other evangelicals and fundamentalists do not widely share)."

Pentecostalism is hardly a fringe movement; it's one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of Protestantism. Pentecostals have been part of the National Association of Evangelicals (N.A.E.) since its inception in 1942. And Ted Haggard, an anti-hero of "Jesus Camp" and the film's fiercest critic -- and president of the N.A.E., a coalition representing some 30 million evangelicals, is a charismatic Christian himself. I interviewed Ted and many of his congregants for a May, 2005 feature in Harper's. Speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, prophecy, faith healing, exorcisms, and other charismatic practices are quite common at Ted's New Life Church. Though I certainly didn't witness it myself, many of his congregants spoke in awe of a time when a man died during services and then was restored to life.

Ted's church is one of the largest megachurches in the country, and he's one of the most powerful evangelical leaders out there. His politics and his religious practices are every bit in line with those depicted in "Jesus Camp," as are those of tens of thousands of churches large and small around the country.