I'm At A Loss For Words And Yet This Is Quite A Long Post

Yesterday I was taken in by a show on A&E. I later realized it was the documentary "Jesus Camp". Wow! This was disturbing on so many levels. Of course because of the extreme nature of these individuals it puts a bad light on Christians in general. The people who spoke to the kids at this camp were treating them like they were adults who could truly comprehend everything they were saying. I got some of it, I even agreed with some of it. I would NEVER talk to kids the way that they did.

I think what got me so flustered was that some of these kids seem like they are fired up Christians, but on the whole I got the vibe that they were regurgitating what they've heard and don't truly understand everything they're saying. I believe that it is that way for any child (elementary age) who is adamant about beliefs, be it Christianity or ANYTHING else. I think because I've been around enough kids, I can tell when they're just spouting off things they've heard they're parents say.

It this was all pretty obvious by the scene at the end of the documentary. You see two kids sitting with their parents in a church service and the pastor is talking about things that I even have to think about to understand in my mind. When he's finished he wants an "Amen" or some sort of confirmation on what he has just said. After the kids come out of their daze, they are shaking their heads in agreement and clapping along with the audience. They clearly had NO idea what the pastor just said.

I think when you exploit kids in this manner that the end result is ALWAYS "creepy". I feel this way about "Toddlers In Tiaras" as well. Whole different show, same creepy feeling.