"Because other people have died for Christ 'n stuff..."

Oh, that's beautiful. As if the nine year old boy who tacked "'n stuff" onto that rather short chain of reasoning has any concept of death.

I also enjoyed the part about feeling unfulfilled in a materialistic world. Then the camera pans over a sea of "WWJD" t-shirts...

It is the stupefaction at, dismissal of, and mindless ridicule of these people and what they believe that will leave this country and this entire Western society crippled in the coming age. Only real, vital, and informed discourse on the topic of religion, with regard to and empathy for differing worldviews, can dismantle the inevitably ill effects of this movement (which was growing and real when I went to these kinds of camps as a child).

Any lighthearted treatment of this subject spells our demise as a people who value free thinking or even freedom or even thinking.

A hundred years ago, you'd pass people like this in the street every day & not think anything of it. This is how Europeans & Americans have thought for the majority of our history. They only stand out now because they've stayed behind whereas our culture has moved on, especially in the last half century. These folks recognize something is wrong, and they do the normal human-thing: instead of looking at themselves, they blame everyone else for their sense of dis-placement. This adds to their fanatacism. Whereas in the past they'd merely be looked upon as a little more devout than most, today, they stand out. Their isolation fuels their "devotion", their commitment to being anachronistic. Yes, they might be dangerous, but this is where we've come from: this is our heritage.

In other news, Sam Harris' new book comes out tomorrow.

If only there were a source of funding to hand out free copies to everyone leaving the suburban megachurches on Sunday afternoon....

Hey - I'll be dead in fifty years tops, and have no kids. What do I care? These Jesus Freaks are He-llarious!

I figure either way the jokes on them in the end: You die, and you're just dead (i.e. there is no God, and you just wasted everything) OR there is a God, he's not an asshole, and he thinks your assholeish behavior was definitely uncool.

Not that I think God has a gender, but if he does, and he's a guy, I bet he's hung.

Jesus, protect me from your followers.

Christians don't want teenagers to fuck and Jews think god wants them to suck blood out of baby cocks. Only idiots believe in religion.

The Stranger raised $3,000 for Katrina relief, that's more than any Christian organization donated.

The Torah is good for wiping your ass with, the bible works just as well.

Even New York Public Health can't stop Rabbis from sucking blood from baby cock because god tells them to. Check out what Slate says;

http://www.slate.com/id/2133654/

Sucking the blood off the baby's penis is a sacred Jewish ritual. It is anti-semitic to oppose this ritual.

I attended many, many, summer camps for Jewish Children where we were taught our traditions and instilled with love for Israel. The Christian camps only teach children hatred. That's no suprise since Christianity is a religion of hatred.

I love summer camps for Jewish children because they are not ridiculous like Christian camps. In general Jews are more sophisticated and urbane than Christians.

Reminds me of the jihadist camps they show to make us afraid of the muslims.

i know, i know: something about feeding trolls. but still: my parents' church - a single smallish church - made a gift to katrina relief of $20,000.

and, nick: what you said. double over here.

some kids do drugs, some kids do group induced jesus hysteria.

I'll take the drugs option, thanks.

Slightly off-topic, but American media seems to talk about the many and various summer camps an awful lot. Whence this fascination with sending your kids away for long periods?

Jewish summer camps for children teach them important values and instill deep respect for the history of the world's most oppressed people.

Christian summer camps are little more than Jihadist retreats. Religions of oppression and hatred should not be allowed to host children's camps.

RE Monkey: How else are people going to get a couple of weeks to fuck and do drugs. This applies equally to the kids.

Giffy: good point.

Sho: brainwashing is brainwashing is brainwashing. Different garbage, same methods.

Whoa, Sho, slow down with the stereotyping there... I went to a couple of xtian camps in my days, and good god were they dull. There was no hatred, there was no talk about converting others, or no one preaching that non-xtians were evil. Camp was just long days of boredom, some horseback riding and canoeing, intercut with mindless skits about being nice to people. I know a lot has changed in the religious arena, namely with the evangelicals taking over the country, but I'm willing to bet that not every xtian camp is now suddenly like the one in the documentary.

Shoshanna, I hope you're not being serious. On one hand, you're defending a superfluous and unnecessary practice that threatens small children, and claiming that any criticism of it is "anti-Semitic". On the other, you're calling Christians "murderous", not "sophisticated" or "urbane", or even "jihadists". These opinions seem just as narrow-minded as those of the people that you're criticizing.

By criticizing me, you are attacking Jewish women in general. Jewish women are already the world's most oppressed minority, and your mockery only adds to the centuries of oppression.

Judaism is a religion of tolerance and respect. Christianity breeds hatred and contempt. The jihadist training camps for militant Christians should be detroyed as the Jews have done to Hezbollah.

This is exactly why I ran screaming from North Dakota. Unfortunately,this isn't a new trend. I have friends who've spent years in therapy undoing the side effects of their childhood "christian" teachings. It is a very black and white mentality to say the least.

Christians, Jews, Muslims...you all deserve each other. You're succeeding in turning our world into a Holy Hell. Congratulations. May you slit each other's foolish throats for all eternity.

FYI Jews are responsible for much of the content of The Stranger. Are you seriously inciting violence by posting ...May you slit each other's foolish throats...?

It is anti-semitic to criticize Jews and only people like Hitler suggest that other religions should do violence against Jews.

Camps for Jewish children are different. They teach love for Israel and culture. Christian children's camps teach only hatred.

Yes, I am inciting violence. I think the time has come for the religions of the war to take each other out. I think the Christians should attack the Muslims in their homelands. The Muslims should savage the Christians wherever they find them. The Jews should start bombing the hell out of the Muslims, the Muslims can wreak havoc on the Hindus, and everyone should gang up on the Jews. Then, once you've cleansed each other from the face of the earth, we cockroaches can once again live in peace.

Oh wait, I'm late. It's already begun.

By criticizing me, you are attacking Jewish women in general.

It is anti-semitic to criticize Jews...

Christian children's camps teach only hatred.

Seriously, Shoshana, you have issues. That's about as one-sided and blinkered as you can get. Just to be clear: I'm criticising you, specifically, because you appear to be an unbalanced idiot. Please don't confuse that with my criticisms of religion in general.

And sorry, but you don't get to live in a world where you aren't criticised. None of us do.

I'm with you, Gurldoggie.

By criticizing me, you are attacking Jewish women in general.

It is anti-semitic to criticize Jews...

Christian children's camps teach only hatred.

Seriously, Shoshana, you have issues. That's about as one-sided and blinkered as you can get. Just to be clear: I'm criticising you, specifically, because you appear to be an unbalanced idiot. Please don't confuse that with my criticisms of religion in general.

And sorry, but you don't get to live in a world where you aren't criticised. None of us do.

I'm with you, Gurldoggie.

Anti-Semitism is alive and well in America. Hope you all enjoy going to your Mel Gibson movies. These Christian camps for children have turned you into little bundles of hatred. As a Jew I can only have pity on you. Jewish summer camp taught me to love.

When I read:

"By criticizing me, you are attacking Jewish women in general. Jewish women are already the world's most oppressed minority, and your mockery only adds to the centuries of oppression."

I thought it was someone else impersonating Shoshana. I was amazed to read that you actually believe that. You must have a persecution complex.

By criticizing me, you are attacking Jewish women in general. Jewish women are already the world's most oppressed minority, and your mockery only adds to the centuries of oppression.

Sarcasm doesn't come across that well in brief written comments, S. And usually it has a point.

How is all this any different than the cults we've already had to deal with? The Jones Cult, the Branch Dividian Cult, the recent polygamist LDS Cult, the Hitler Cult, etc. Brainwashed children do not make responsible adult members of a society.