The beliefs demonstrated by the workers of the camp in the movie Jesus Camp is very much contradictory of the beliefs help by Thomas Jefferson and Henry A. Giroux. For those involved in Jesus Camp, it is as if Christianity takes the place of the government. During the camp, the kids are shown crushing the “cups of government” demonstrating the lack of respect that the group has for government in general. At another point in the movie, a family of homeschooled children say the Christian Pledge of Allegiance and a pledge to the Bible, however the American Pledge of Allegiance is missing from their routine. What I found particularly strange about this is that the camera kept flashing to a picture of a man (who can be assumed to be their father) in a military uniform. It is both odd and ironic that the family of a man who serves to protect the government refuses to pledge allegiance to it. However, despite all this lack of respect for the government, the members of the camp are shown “worshipping” a cardboard cutout of George Bush during a church service. Instead of respecting Bush as a political leader, they idolize him and treat him as a holy figure sent from God.
As the radio announcer acknowledges during Jesus Camp, religion and politics are very much intertwined in today’s age. Thomas Jefferson would be disappointed in the turn that America has taken, especially since he introduced the idea of the “Wall of Separation” between church and state. The fact that Christianity and evangelicals played such a huge role in the election of presidents such as Reagan and Bush would not settle well with Jefferson. Jefferson would agree with Giroux in that “absolute moralism, when mixed with politics, produces zealots who believe they have a monopoly on the truth and a legitimate rationale for refusing to engage ambiguities, but that it also fuels an intolerance toward others who do not follow the scripted, righteous path of officially sanctioned beliefs and behavior” (270). It is not just Christianity that Jefferson and Giroux want out of politics, it is all religion. However, at this point in America, Christianity is the religion that has infiltrated the government. So when people fight for the separation of church and state, I think that many Christians take it as a personal attack, though generally this is not the case. I think that many Christians would fight for the same thing if another religion suddenly became entangled in the government.
As the radio announcer acknowledges during Jesus Camp, religion and politics are very much intertwined in today’s age. Thomas Jefferson would be disappointed in the turn that America has taken, especially since he introduced the idea of the “Wall of Separation” between church and state. The fact that Christianity and evangelicals played such a huge role in the election of presidents such as Reagan and Bush would not settle well with Jefferson. Jefferson would agree with Giroux in that “absolute moralism, when mixed with politics, produces zealots who believe they have a monopoly on the truth and a legitimate rationale for refusing to engage ambiguities, but that it also fuels an intolerance toward others who do not follow the scripted, righteous path of officially sanctioned beliefs and behavior” (270). It is not just Christianity that Jefferson and Giroux want out of politics, it is all religion. However, at this point in America, Christianity is the religion that has infiltrated the government. So when people fight for the separation of church and state, I think that many Christians take it as a personal attack, though generally this is not the case. I think that many Christians would fight for the same thing if another religion suddenly became entangled in the government.
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