Fundamentalism and indoctrination of kids

tygrrr

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There is an interesting discussion going on about fundamentalism as such, but I decided to put this in a separate thread since it has a special focus on kids: I watched a youtube clip from a Bible Camp for kids (Pastor Becky Fischer's Bible camp in North Dakota) that contained the following: speaking in tongues, weeping for salvation, praying for an end to abortion and worshipping with a large cardboard cutout of President Bush kept very visibly in the room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co1_9lR9EpM

I found it quite shocking to watch - this certainly is a long long way from Sunday school teachings as I experienced them myself.

Pastor Fisher says: "I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as they are in Palestine, Pakistan and all those different places - because, excuse me, we have the truth."

Watching this clip made me think that this is actually akin to child abuse. The way I see it, children should be protected from experiencing something like this. - Do you agree? - Any other thoughts?
 

hot-rod

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tygrrr said:
There is an interesting discussion going on about fundamentalism as such, but I decided to put this in a separate thread since it has a special focus on kids: I watched a youtube clip from a Bible Camp for kids (Pastor Becky Fischer's Bible camp in North Dakota) that contained the following: speaking in tongues, weeping for salvation, praying for an end to abortion and worshipping with a large cardboard cutout of President Bush kept very visibly in the room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co1_9lR9EpM

I found it quite shocking to watch - this certainly is a long long way from Sunday school teachings as I experienced them myself.

Pastor Fisher says: "I want to see them as radically laying down their lives for the gospel as they are in Palestine, Pakistan and all those different places - because, excuse me, we have the truth."

Watching this clip made me think that this is actually akin to child abuse. The way I see it, children should be protected from experiencing something like this. - Do you agree? - Any other thoughts?
There's no such thing as "gospel".....This shit was written by people just like you and me. These people were high on something....opium poppies, maybe?
 

joyboytoy79

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Wow.

This is sick on so many levels. Children are impressionable. One of the great things about being a child is that it's so EASY to believe things. Children don't need to be handed something to believe in, as pastor Becky seems to think. There's plenty out there for them. What really bothers me though is that some of these kids seem to think it's OK to "die for god." It's only a small step before that "die" turns into "kill."

Yikes.
 

jakeatolla

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This is wrong on so many levels.
But, why is no one comming out against
Hamas for doing the same thing ?

I don't recall ever seeing a thread castigating
muslims for brainwashing their children against
Jewish people and wanting to push Israel into the sea ?

Deep down , people are people no matter where they live.
We're all fucked up and flawed, and the same no matter
what Religion we choose to believe .
 

rob_just_rob

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jakeatolla said:
This is wrong on so many levels.
But, why is no one comming out against
Hamas for doing the same thing ?

I don't recall ever seeing a thread castigating
muslims for brainwashing their children against
Jewish people and wanting to push Israel into the sea ?

Well, to be fair, the mainstream press has had plenty of stories about radical Muslim clerics inciting violence and indoctrinating the young. The story cited in this thread is new to me, so I'm glad it was posted.

Bottom line: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish... fundamentalists of ANY faith are pretty damn scary.
 

D_Sheffield Thongbynder

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rob_just_rob said:
Well, to be fair, the mainstream press has had plenty of stories about radical Muslim clerics inciting violence and indoctrinating the young. The story cited in this thread is new to me, so I'm glad it was posted.

Bottom line: Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish... fundamentalists of ANY faith are pretty damn scary.

Succinct and accurate. What a sad state of affairs.
 

Lordpendragon

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My personal Christian friends have closed the door on this subject with me.

However I hope that the Christians (or other faiths) will have a look at this if only to understand why moderate non-believers get so worried about what is going on.
 

Gillette

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This is enough to scare the crap out of Christian believers too. Anyone with more than a single synapse firing should get the willies from seeing that.

I have to wonder if the parents who sent their kids to this "church camp" knew precisely what would be going on. If they did know in advance and still chose to send their kids, then I really, really despair for the future of this planet.
 

B_Stronzo

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that was an extremely disturbing watch...

Increasingly we become and us and them society. What remains with me after watching that is the blond boy speaking in "tongues" so vulnerable and easily swayed to believe that shit's real.

Why isn't this "child molestation"? I say it is.
 

dudepiston

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Good point, here, Pecker, but I think ethicists & philosophers throughout the ages might have a thing or two to say about right vs. wrong. There really IS a solid, unshakable right, and an equal evil to balance it out.

One measuring stick we might use to judge extremists on both sides is "purity of intent." The Muslims I have spoken to who seem more 'radical' in their beliefs give much lip service to advancing their religion but upon closer inspection, these more radical Muslims seem to believe that by either converting the infidels or killing them that they will get amazing rewards, some of them sexual in nature, in the after-life. They will forgo earthly pleasures to have these amazing experiences when they die, things that are forbidden in this life. Conversely if we really get down deep into the psyche of the fundamentalist Christian (and I did, I attended a fundy church during college) some similiar ideas emerge: i.e., I'll make it to heaven, I'll build my heavenly mansion if I convert so-and-so, if I don't do this, don't do that. This seems fundamentally selfish to me, and indicates that the intent behind the behaviors is rarely pure - that is, unselfish, and truly in the other persons' best interest.




Pecker said:
You're going to find extemists on both ends of this argument. Who is to judge which is right and which, if any, is wrong?
 

Lordpendragon

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Pecker said:
You're going to find extemists on both ends of this argument. Who is to judge which is right and which, if any, is wrong?

I think the proposition is that they would both be equally wrong in terms of exposing young unformed minds to this level of indoctrination / mind control via mass hysteria.
 

Gillette

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Pecker said:
You're going to find extemists on both ends of this argument. Who is to judge which is right and which, if any, is wrong?


It is always wrong to teach religion combined with combat. Religion is supposed to be about loving your fellow man.

Seeing the boy in camoflage face paint in a fighting stance made my blood run cold.

And I'd like to know what the purpose of the girl breaking mugs with a hammer was. What was written on them?
 

Lordpendragon

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Kotchanski said:
I take back everything I've complained about in my life. I've been subjected to some horrific things in my short life, but this puts it all in perspective. Throughout it all I was allowed my own mind, and to be myself, I may not have had much say over some of the things that happened to me, but they were short lived. These children are being subjected to this by the people they look up to, those they turn to for guidance, and this is what they get? I pity these children, and loath their guardians. This is nothing more than legalised child abuse.

Something else that disturbs me very deeply, is that they certainly know that there will be a fucked up fall out rate in later years and they don't care.