Persuasion techniques used in Jesus Camp film - Essay Example

? Order 526755 Topic: Persuasion techniques used in Jesus Camp film The persuasive techniques used in the film George W. Bush seems to be the icon for the children in this movie. A life size cardboard cutout is displayed in front of them, a waving American flag graphic projected behind it reads, “Here’s President Bush, come to visit us…!” The children come forward and pay respect to him, touch the cutout and one could see the charged emotions on their innocent countenances. After providing such a backdrop, the children are asked to pray and profound vocabulary of Christianity pours out, like flesh and blood, principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness in this world, spiritual wickedness etc. Do the children really understand what they are being taught? Not one of them perhaps, but their minds is being polluted and they develop deep grudge against something which they do not know precisely. They begin to hate that which ‘not Christian’ according to the new values taught to them in Jesus Camp. In a scene, children dance to the accompaniment of Christian Heavy Metal music, in strangely painted faces brandishing sticks and thrusting them to an imaginary enemy and shouting “War! Warfare!” The girl participants in the dance wear black. The Jesus Camp is against abortion. Good, but it is taught, as if through a system drawn through the prison manual. The mouths of the children are shut with a red duct tape with the inscription LIFE. Those running this movement of Christianity are not apologetic about their intensions and speak with deep convictions. They are on the mission to form a generation of "Conservative Christian Republicans." Another ‘highlight’ of the camp is all children, irrespective of their age, are taught the same Christian principles. A toddler and a teen are given the message, whether it suits their mind set or not, without applying any thought about the dangerous consequences as to what imprint it may leave on the tender minds. The words Satan and Sprit are often used and the children are made to believe that a horrifying evil monster continues to stand at their back to watch their actions. Any deviations in following the issues that are taught in the class, any lethargy, would destroy them! What could be the finished product, of the children who entered the camp as innocents, their mind fresh as the flower in bloom? Trauma is their bonus! How can their mind process such hard messages? The trans-inducing methods must have done irreparable damage to their life, which is difficult to erase. Most of the children look physically tired and emotionally exhausted, their eyes drained due to excessive tears they shed, and at the subconscious level, poisonous seeds are planted through the vicious lessons of Jesus Camp that will grow into saplings and will ultimately yield poisonous fruits. The mind-set of one such ‘finished product’ of this move, Levi, by name indicates the line of thinking of the future generation the movie will sure to produce. At one stage of the movie, he clearly expresses his hatred for the non-Christians in equivocal terms. He is led to believe that everything about non-Christians is bad. This camp has shut the doors for the real Jesus. His teachings are abandoned in this class and some political figures are chiseled out of the personalities of the youngsters. They are taught about the dangers to Christianity and America, which in reality are not there! This indeed is the manufacturing unit of human bombs that will leave far-reaching consequences to destroy the society. 2. My opinion of the appropriateness of the techniques Religion is good; “religionism” is bad. Fundamentalism in the practice of any religion is the worst thing that can happen to humankind. It is a double tragedy—for the individual personality and for the culture of the Nation as a whole. As for Christianity, when the religious leaders give more importance to the cross on the neck than Christ in the heart, the fertile field of true religion begins to rot. Jesus Camp (Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady/Magnolia) is one of the dangerous documentaries produced for the so-called cause of Christianity. It deals with a religious camp, two week’s duration, and latest brain washing techniques are used to teach the unwanted and unethical, to the children, whose minds are impressionable. I brand such techniques as white-collar crime against humanity and ethical values. The teachings in this session have nothing to do with the true Christian values and are the brain-child of ultra-fundamentalist Christian community leaders. Fundamentalist Christianity is as dangerous to America as the fundamentalist Islam is! To spiritualise politics is not a bad idea! Infuse politics into spirituality—that is the worst development that can happen in a society. Religion is not an after-retirement project; true religious principles need to be taught to the children to enable them to foster intelligent inquiry as they grow up. But what I saw in Jesus Camp is caustic and abusive and a true Christian will be deeply hurt by those illogical, venom-filled utterances. The latest mind control techniques are used throughout; emotional contagion has been intensely applied. The peer group discussions are tailor-made manipulative scripts—that is nothing but hypnotism of a tantric. I can see the emotionally disturbed children, their face-expression utterly tense and they are given lectures on the state of the nation by the pastor, whose sermons are comparable to an electioneering campaign. That apocalyptic ranting is difficult to condone, it will result in life-long irreparable damage to the jovial nature of the children! Children are innocents. It is easy to manipulate their mindsets and mold them as per one’s choice. In this movie the age group of children is 5-10 years and one sees the pastor sending them to frenzy with the oratorical skills. She must have practiced hard to tell the children that they have sinned, and what a way to tell them, the children are in tears, not knowing what exact their sins are, and turn frightful about the consequences that may have to face. And this drama is enacted in front of the session of 100+ children, being watched by some of the parents! They participate and involve in these discussions on psychotic manipulation, as they have been brainwashed previously. Their counseling of children once they reach home will be in continuation of what they have been taught in the camp! The master manipulator of this sect is Pastor Becky Fisher. Her physical structure matches with her destructive, venom-filled mental formation. Each and every molecule of her body is filled with venom! She takes absolute control of the army of children sitting in front of her and enjoys their frenzy, created out of fanaticism and fear. She sternly advises the children about the necessity to fast, a fast that may last up to 40 days. Her rotund figure is the clear proof that she will swoon if she practices fast just for 3-4 hours. The entire movie is nothing but the syllabus of hypocrisy. 3. Discern and comment on whether the film was biased and talk about the effect that the movie might have on a person who does not understand Christianity. An average non-Christian has noble feelings about Jesus Christ and Christianity. He might not know about the scriptural revelations of the Lord, the Sermon of the Mount etc., in depth but the modern Church is considered as an enlightened religious institution. The first reaction of the person on viewing Jesus Camp would be that of utter shock! It is comparable to the experience of a detective, if he comes across a secret site that is out to manufacture atom bombs, all of a sudden. Can a Christian sect reach to such low levels? This sect is doing the greatest disservice to humankind, and to the concerned children and their parents. The film is totally biased without an iota of true Christian preaching. They say desperate situations need desperate remedies. If it is not possible to close such hatred manufacturing institutions legally, the society should bring about intense moral pressure to down their shutters. Such activities should be nipped in the bud, in any religion, more so in Christianity, known for its benevolence. The power of the electronic media is lethal, and this movie will dishearten the millions of viewers, Christians or non-Christians. A non-Christian, but who has equal love for his country America, will find it difficult to understand the logic behind encouraging such evil preaching though the medium of the movies like Jesus Camp. The contents of the movie are also against the constitution of America that guarantees equal right of religious practices to all people. But is Jesus Camp screening, in tandem with exercising this right? This tantamount to the Satan quoting the Bible! One final observation—Oh, Lord! Pardon them. They do not know what they are doing to the children of immortal bliss! Read More