Demagogues of Christianity

I’ve always been a calm and pacifist breed of atheist, which most people who know me, already know. I have issues with strongly religious people, and on occasion, I might begin a philosophical debate with the religious people that I feel I know well, and I ask challenging questions of their beliefs, maybe in the hopes that someday I might just cause a single person to see why I think they’re wrong; and if not that, to at least try and understand myself what they’re thinking and why. (I say “in hopes” because the conversation usually tends to leave both parties even more strongly adherent to their original position). Last night I watched the documentary “Jesus Camp”. Anyone who has seen this film should understand me when I say that the people portrayed in it must be clinically insane. Even in my most severe atheist anger, I’ve always been highly tolerant of the quasi-religious and individuals whose beliefs don’t fall into extreme categories (which could be considered an oxymoron in itself…). Anyone who has yet to see this documentary, I would highly recommend it; however, I would also recommend that you watch with an open mind, and don’t even bother trying to delude yourself about what’s going on. What this film made me realize is that I’m no longer comfortable ‘keeping my mouth shut’ about religious extremism and even religiousness at all. The film focuses on evangelical Christians who essentially turn their children into Jesus robots. What disgusted me the most was how delusional the children are, and the parents think they’re doing their kids the greatest honor in training them to be fanatical! The ignorance literally made me feel like vomiting. The youth minister, Becky Fischer, that the film follows, talks about how Muslims are training their youth to give their lives to god, and that Christians have a moral obligation to train their youth in the same way; even going so far as to claim that they have a stronger duty because “[Christians] have the truth”. What ever happened to Christian pacifism? (Oh yea, it never existed in the first place…) They train the kids at camp that the U.S. government is corrupt and degenerate because it is “no longer” (yes, they actually believe it once was) based on Judeo-Christian values and dogma. The children are taught that they have a moral obligation to bring America “back to Jesus”, and are brainwashed until they are willing to defend these beliefs violently. They are taught that “science doesn’t prove anything” and that a third of their would-have-been friends are not here because they were aborted.Just as I was beginning to feel simultaneously physically ill and angry (for several reasons), the youth minister made a comment that there must be “liberals [who] are just shaking in their boots when they see us”. Instinctually, I was feeling defensive, and I must admit, scared and even traumatized. But it made me see something more: if we fight back in rage and anger, we’re no different than they are. Atheists are supposed to be the group representing reason and level-headedness, we don’t let emotions or prejudice control our actions. I know some theists that practice this to some extent as well, and this I respect immensely. Those who disagree with what is presented in this film must stand against fundamentalists and extremists with a clear mind and rationalism behind them. Those who are religious for emotional reasons or because ‘if god is real, I don’t want to go to hell…’ must see reason as well. Reevaluate what you’re standing for and why. As Richard Dawkins so cogently argued, “creationism [and extremism] are only a symptom of the problem [for atheists and rationalists]; the real battle is between superstition and rationalism”. It’s one thing to lead a moral life (which is not necessarily religious at all), it’s another to be willing to die for dogma or to look forward to apocalypse. The greatest moral fallacy of all is to devalue what you have because there may or may not be something ‘better’ waiting for you; something ‘better’ that you have no ‘proof’ of at all. I’d like to ask these people, “what does religion prove”???