I watched this movie tonight and I felt like I was watching a horror movie. I was genuinely scared of the way that these people acted, just so obsessed and they looked like they were in a trance.
I have nothing against religion. In fact, I envy people who practice because I've tried very hard and just never found a place for myself anywhere, especially at churches like this, where people are convulsing on the floor, children are shouting gibberish and crying their eyes out, and parents allowing their young children to go up to any random adult and ask them if they know where they're going after they die.. I guess I was overall just disturbed by some of these behaviors. It's nice that these people have a common place to get together and believe in something and be able to feel like they have more to live for; more of a purpose, but does it need to be taken to this extreme?
For those of you who are Christian, do you find the overly intense styles of church, where people are screaming and damning the devil and screaming to god and laying on the floor, convulsing and crying, to be more supportive than those, such as the Catholic church (I use this as an example because I was raised Catholic), where they are more traditional and they sit in pews, sing quieter songs, and listen to the priests speak?
Also, is there a certain sect of Christianity that goes for this type of service? I know the movie was based on an Evangelical group, but I'm pretty sure other groups practice it?
I'm overall just really curious to see what more people of faith have to say. I don't currently have any Christian friends (not opposed to it, just haven't met the right people I guess) or I'd ask them. I guess I'm just pretty ignorant to the whole religion thing. Like I said, I grew up Catholic and I tried several other religions such as LDS (I lived with Mormons for a while when I was in rehab), Scientology, Lutheran, and even went to a Jewish service once. I just never found anything that stuck with me and made me feel like I was in the right place.
Original Post by katesorad:
I grew up Catholic and I tried several other religions such as LDS (I lived with Mormons for a while when I was in rehab), Scientology, Lutheran, and even went to a Jewish service once. I just never found anything that stuck with me and made me feel like I was in the right place.
I don't have any faith but just wanted to suggest that you might like a Unitarian church.
oh god, i saw that movie.
i literally found it really scary. those poor little kids, brainwashed and homophobic and having no mental freeddom to even choose! i found the pro-life thing particualry sickening. do these kids even really know what they are saying? how could they in their sheltered lives, global warming denial and awful speaking in tounges.
it was absolutly hideous. fundamentalism is so incredibly dangerous!
i belive that sort of christianity is largely based on emotional and mental manipulation. no child should be brainwashed like that.
i am a christian, and i found it really disturbing. im really for the right to choose, and not shoving belief down peoples throats. it just made me feel sick, as does fundamentalism, no matter what religion it is.
as for the rolling on the floor, and the screaming....it seemed to be more like they were possessed. ugh. so utterly disturbing and sad.
I have attended church my entire life, and never been to a church that had this going on. In fact, the preachers will occasionally preach against it. Of course, in my church, we don't have musical instruments, the entire congregation sings and we don't clap while singing. Our services are really very organized and fairly ritualistic. It probably could be described as fundamentalist, but we generally act like a shy person and don't shove anything down anyone's throat, just kinda hold back.
For example, I have beliefs that certain actions are wrong, but I'm not going to just jump on anyone and ask them if they think they are going to hell because of it. I'm not God, I don't know where a person is going to end up. I just try to do the best I can.
It sounds like everyone is trying to "outdo" everyone else. How chaotic. I usually hear this sect described as "charismatics". It would be pretty scary to be in the middle of it, I would imagine.
As I kid I had friends who were from a church like this. Even weirder seeing as my country is generally one of the most secular you'll find.
I thought the movie was pretty nauseating to watch.
Good morning, Campers!
I'm your Brother Ernie,
And I welcome you to Jesus Tommy's Holiday Camp!
The camp with a difference, never mind the weather,
When you come to Tommy's, the holiday's forever!
Welcome!
Get your Tommy T-shirts, and your stickers,
And your Tommy mirrors to smash!
Don't rush, keep steady,
Have your money ready!
Buy your way to heaven,
That comes to one pound seven.
-p. townshend
Funny, we were just talking about this movie in church on Wednesday. It's an episcopal church and we all agreed that what was going on in the movie was horrible. I probably would have been more frightened, but that's how my cousins were raised. I went to more than one of those churches in my childhood, but I always left angry and scared.
I haven't seen that movie but it sounds terrifying. I'm Catholic and people speaking in tongues, convulsing on the floor, and shouting out to the Lord freaks me out.
I go to a contemporary Catholic mass, where we have a full band and sing current Christian songs. I really like it because I tend to get bored during church, so this specific mass works well for me. I'm engaged the whole time! We definitely do that freaky cult-like stuff that you were describing.
hmm...where to begin. First of all, I am a Christian, not a "Christian", which a lot of people casually claim to be. I believe in Jesus Christ for my salvation. It saddens me that people often hear that and automatically think of the church and the people in it who are not perfect, instead of Jesus.
There are many different kinds of churches with many different interpretations of the Bible and how we're to live. Some are crazy and loud, and some are very solemn and ritualistic. You need to find one where you feel comfortable and you agree with the doctrine.
Another thing to consider is the Holy Spirit, which is also a big part in the Christian faith. If you're really curious, I'd recommend reading some of the new testament in the Bible, like the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They're about the life of Jesus, what He said and how He lived. He loves all people unconditionally, but still has a definite right and wrong.
I guess what I'm saying is don't jugde Jesus by the people you see. We all have many faults and often give the wrong impression. I don't want to you meet me and then get the wrong idea of who Jesus is 
i love that movie. i love anything that exposes human weirdness and irony.
and i think those theatrical churches evolved out of the missionary tradition, in which the targets for conversion were illiterate, so those selling religion really had to sell it. when you can't rely on people buying into "the word," you have to put on a good show (and you can tell them anything you want).
but i also think the theatrics are pretty irrelevant. even the most sedate church is about telling people what to believe (and relieving them of the burden of figuring that out for themselves).
My favorite scene in the movie is when the kids are eating lunch after having heard the sermon about why Harry Potter is evil, and a little boy comments: "My Mom doesn't let me watch Harry Potter, so I watch it at my Dad's house".
People's best attempts to raise children in a sheltered cultural bubble will always be thwarted. Even the most isolated homeschooled child living in a small town in the middle of nowhere probably has television access, internet access, a town library full of books, sees newspaper covers and magazine covers at the grocery store, and is aware that there is a big diverse world out there.
Yeah, I love that movie, would love to see a follow up when the kids reach adulthood. The woman in charge is scary though. Like how at one point she's going on about how she wants the kids to "give up their lives for Christ the way people in other religions give up their lives for their beliefs" Like what, she wants those kids to be suicide bombers or something? WTF, lady?
Original Post by victoria07:
There are many different kinds of churches with many different interpretations of the Bible and how we're to live. Some are crazy and loud, and some are very solemn and ritualistic. You need to find one where you feel comfortable and you agree with the doctrine.
I really agree with what you put here!! you said it perfectly. I don't think one Christian religion is better than the other; they're just different. As long as they are Christ-centered, then who cares about the logistics. Nothing makes me more furious than when someone thinks his/her religion is superior to others. A lot of old-fashioned Catholics are like this, and it makes me so so angry!
Jesus Camp eh? Never saw it but I think I was forced to go there when I was 11. It wasn't that my mom was religious, quite the contrary. She just wanted a break from motherhood and the price was right. I learned how to ride a Western saddle. That's about all I remember.... Oh! and that I upset a pastor with a question about the rationale of Christ dying for our sins. It didn't make sense to me that a loving God would condone such a terrible thing. Its still makes no sense to me.
Original Post by mspw:
Oh! and that I upset a pastor with a question about the rationale of Christ dying for our sins. It didn't make sense to me that a loving God would condone such a terrible thing. Its still makes no sense to me.
Yeah, I know it seems crazy and doesn't make sense...the way I understand it is that we all mess up but God is perfect, right? We all have choices between right and wrong. And we all will pick wrong at some point. At the end of their life, everyone will be accountable for everything they've done. well Jesus is His son. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to take our place. He was punished brutally so that in the end, we won't be. He bridges the gap between us and God. And God loves us and wants to be with us, so Jesus took the blame for all the bad stuff we've done.
Original Post by jcl76:I really agree with what you put here!! you said it perfectly. I don't think one Christian religion is better than the other; they're just different. As long as they are Christ-centered, then who cares about the logistics. Nothing makes me more furious than when someone thinks his/her religion is superior to others. A lot of old-fashioned Catholics are like this, and it makes me so so angry!
what if they aren't christ-centered? does your tolerance extend to belief systems that don't include JC?
Original Post by pgeorgian:
Original Post by jcl76:I really agree with what you put here!! you said it perfectly. I don't think one Christian religion is better than the other; they're just different. As long as they are Christ-centered, then who cares about the logistics. Nothing makes me more furious than when someone thinks his/her religion is superior to others. A lot of old-fashioned Catholics are like this, and it makes me so so angry!
what if they aren't christ-centered? does your tolerance extend to belief systems that don't include JC?
Read my post again. I said I don't think one CHRISTIAN religion is better than the other. I was only referring to Christianity here, so yes, if a religion claiming to be Christian isn't Christ-centered, then I think that's quite a problem. My "tolerance" is open to all religions. I love studying religions. I actually thought about converting to Buddhism for a while. I still might - I just really like that religion.
I think we create our Gods, not the other way around. The athiests might say that God or Gods is/are an anthropomorphization of our desires, strengths, weaknesses,.... I think most are just that.
Still though, there is something to consciousness. I would interpret the story of Genesis as being one about two humans (two halves of our polarized being-human), who became self aware (after eating from the tree of knowledge), and could no longer maintain their perspective of the world as a Garden of Eden, so to speak. The exile from said garden is symbolic of the burden of responsibility consciousness bears.
We humans require symbols to conjure up our emotions and associate them with certain thoughts in order to focus them within a group. I think that's what most people seek in religion, but by and large, these poor people are taken advantage-of by crooks and politicians.
Oh, but thats just my opinion. I don't do organized religion.
To me, there is a huge difference between loving Christ and being 'religious'. Jesus was not especially happy with the legalistic religious sects of His day and we see this in scripture over and over.
I, being a Christ follower, am very ashamed of some of the cultish churches and tv preachers out there. It makes people who have not really looked into it think that this is what Jesus was about. It could not be farther from the truth. Other than the bible I would suggest 'the practice of the presence of God' as a reading source for anyone who really wants to know the difference and what true love for Him is really all about. Grace, mercy and redemption is what Christ preached and extended. Rather or not one believes or does not, that is what He offered. Not the dramatics we see on many of the 'faith healer' shows like benny hinn and such.
Anything can be perverted and distorted, every truth can be twisted and it is a shame that this happens but it often does.
Original Post by jcl76:Read my post again. I said I don't think one CHRISTIAN religion is better than the other.
that's why i asked for clarification. no need to get defensive.
NSFC (catholics) or the easily offended...just dont! consider it an intermission of sorts. heh. i think cc needs more musical numbers in the threads.
So you can log your weight -- which allows you to do the following:
- Plot your weight curve
- Analyze the trend of your weight (see under Recent in the figure above)
- Determine the projected target date (see under Overall in the figure above)