Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Religious Right Around the Globe: Jesus Camp's Becky Fisher Preaches to Children in Singapore

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's 2006 documentary, Jesus Camp, followed the Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. Pastor Becky Fisher, who headed the camp and ran a children's ministry at Christ Triumphant Church, urged children to "take back America for Christ", pray for godly judges, and end abortion. The video below captures scenes of heightened religious fervor in the documentary.



At one point in Jesus Camp, Fisher brings in Lou Engle to talk to the kids about ending abortion. This was my first introduction to Engle, and seeing him whip the children into a religious frenzy was disturbing.



Although the Kids on Fire summer camp has since shut down, Fisher still preaches to kids. This YouTube video shows Fisher preaching to Children in Singapore about performing the same miracles that Jesus did. Fisher asks children to pretend that they are dead, then asks other kids to lay hands on the "dead" children and pray for them to return to life.



At the 5:45 mark, after two play-resurrections, Fisher tells the young audience that other children have raised their pets from the dead.

"Do you see how easy that is? How many think you can do that? Isn't that easy? Can I tell you a secret? Don't laugh if I tell you this. You promise not to laugh? I know some kids that have prayed for their dead animals, and they came back to life again. Now not after they've been dead for ten years and in the ground, but after they just died, and they weren't breathing anymore, they laid hands on them and prayed for them, and called them back to life, and they came back to life. God can do anything. Say God can do anything. [Children repeat] God is all-powerful. [Children repeat] And God wants to use me. [Children repeat] And I can do the same miracles Jesus did." [Children repeat]
This is NOT healthy. Telling impressionable children that they can raise the dead only sets them up for disappointment and heartache later, when they find themselves unable to resurrect loved ones. Playing resurrection games sends a morbid message to children, and it certainly won't help them make sense of death.

Becky Fisher, sadly, has changed little from her Kids on Fire days. This video suggests that she continues to indoctrinate kids in Singapore, just as she did in the U.S.

(Hat tip to On Knees for Jesus)



For additional commentary, visit the following link.

New Nation: Jesus Camp Invades Singapore

The Good Atheist: Jesus Camp 2: Singapore Edition

7 comments:

  1. I have relatives who have built their children's lives around programs like these. Now, those children are grown and devote themselves to training others to do the same. While their program has no direct connection to Engle, there is a similar approach that puts kids in intense social situations and proselytizes to them. It's no different than gathering them into one venue to sell them video games or Barbie dolls in my opinion.

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  2. I've seen parts of this documentary, and I admit, it scares the bejesus out of me. I feel so sad for these children who are taught to live in such fear of not going to "heaven." I agree that it is very dangerous. Sigh...cannot post a comment for anything...just keeps

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  3. Nance -- This was likely the intent all along -- to indoctrinate them so thoroughly that they pass the message along to the next generation.

    Sherry -- My heart goes out to these children as well, who have been taught to fear hell so completely.

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  4. Very sad. Children simply are not equipped with and cannot develop the insights and cognitive or emotional skills to protect themselves from this type of abuse. It messes them up. And yes, I'm speaking from experience.

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  5. Cognitive Dissenter -- It's becuase children lack these skills to process input that religious proselytizers target them in the first place, sadly. The proselytizers know exactly what they're doing.

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  6. This documentary scared me when I saw it awhile back. I was having a hard time deciding if I should stay in Mormonism for the kids...because it's good for them, right?

    Now, I get my kids as far away from this kind of thinking as I can. It's not safe for their minds and emotions to be manipulated so grotesquely.

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  7. Heather -- I'm happy for your (and your kids). Religious manipulation like this is NOT healthy for young minds.

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