Indoctrination In Jesus Camp Abusing

The documentary film, “Jesus Camp” by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady takes viewers to the American heartland where it exposes the indoctrination of children into the radical Evangelical Christian religious belief system via a ‘summer camp’ experience. Indoctrination is the politically correct term for ‘brain-washing’, or forcing another to “accept the ideas, opinions and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider any other ideas, opinions and beliefs”("Def," ). The parents of these children, though they would violently oppose the idea, are guilty of abusing their children under the guise of religion.

Every parent wants what he or she may feel is best for his or her child. No one would argue the ethics of parents teaching their children about their religion or political or moral values. The passing down of moral and religious convictions is universal regardless of race, religion (or lack thereof), nationality or creed. One might argue that it is a parent’s moral obligation to teach their children about religion, ethics and political values.

Religiously fanatical parents believe they are ‘saving’ their children, but they are actually ‘ethically abusing’ them. Many, if not most, parents are

The highest and all-encompassing law, given to man, is to love the one true God above all else.”("Evan," par. 3) Though this sounds innocuous enough, it is in fact, most dangerous. “In 1861, Charles Guiteau successfully assassinated President James Garfield- based on the belief that he was God's messenger sent to the US to protect it from an evil administration. Experts usually can't agree whether a political or religious criminal has done bad or is simply mad. If we are to call Guiteau crazy for believing himself to be a messenger of God, how do we distinguish him from the many prophets and saints who have been so revered for making similar claims.”(Frances, par.