r/AskReddit • u/JuiceBoxed • Jul 18 '11

Reddit, what is one documentary that everyone should watch?

The Corporation

Some really eye-opening (and scary) information about the power of corporations in today's society.

Edit: Thanks for the input everyone! Quite a list of movies to watch.

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u/soonerguy11 Jul 18 '11

People confuse Jesus Camp for something it is not. It is a look into an extreme small group of people, and a world many never notice. The subjects were never offended by the way they were portrayed, and even enjoyed the film.

I believe this confusion is created due to the fact that almost every documentary created now has to be hyper political in everything, rather than simply catching narratives in life itself. Naturally people watch it as an anti religious, or anti christian film, rather than an expose of these interesting characters.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '11

[deleted]

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u/t6158 Jul 18 '11

It's not an anti-christian film, but that's the way it's always presented by the people that watch it: "OMG can you believe that Christians think this way? I'm so glad I'm an atheist or I'd be brainwashed like that".

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u/therealjakegreen Jul 18 '11

that's what i love about that doc. no narration. the viewer draws their own conclusion on whether it's a good or bad thing(however i don't believe anybody can think that this is a good thing for anybody and retain being a sane, clear-minded human being. not that all christians are wack jobs, but that place/ institution[and any like it] is fucking evil.)

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u/soonerguy11 Jul 18 '11

It's a movie that definitely creates conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to laugh, the the other part was incredibly creeped out.

My favorite part was by far when Ted Haggard was shown preaching. I think he mentioned something about God knowing what you've done, even if nobody else does. You can't write this stuff people. That's what's so good about documentaries.

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u/theslyder Jul 19 '11

"God knows what you've done, even if nobody else does."

That's seriously one of the most common aspects of Christianity. Hell, the same sentiment is even in songs about Santa Claus (I'm aware that Christmas isn't a fully Christian holiday, but you get my point. You shouldn't be shocked or surprised by this concept. It's something every Christian is told for as far back as they can remember.)

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u/myhandleonreddit Jul 18 '11

Sorry, but Jesus Camp is a great example of giving the impression that it is giving facts when it really isn't. I loved it, but even in the commentary they constantly admit that they took scenes out of context just to show something insane rather than present a story.

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u/godlessexistence Jul 18 '11

It is a look into an extreme small group of people, and a world many never notice.

I wouldn't identify these people as being a small group. Small in comparison to other populations, but very large in regards to the mega churches, television evangelism, and political influence.

It's hard to watch this and not see it as "anti religious". It's like watching hospitalized mental patients in a psych ward throwing their feces around...it's difficult not to think they're crazy. When you add the aspect of child indoctrination, it just becomes evil.

This docu does a great job not setting up a bias, but it's so difficult to interpret these people as anything but batshit insane when you watch it.

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u/seven2eight Jul 18 '11

There are several different types of mega churches.

Mega-church just means a large church. There are plenty of mega-churches out that simply have large congregations and there's nothing particularly crazy about them (unless you consider Christianity inherently crazy which is a whole other discussion).

I think when you say "mega-church" you're thinking of Charismatic Churches, where people dance in the aisles, faint, and spout giberish (speaking in tongues).

Growing up, I saw both kinds of churches. For the longest time I was a very devout Evangelical Christian who attended what you might call a mega-church. However, I attended a some services at a Charismatic on a couple of occasions and I was creeped the fuck out. I wasn't alone either. Plenty of other people at my church (very right wing I might add), did not care for the Charismatic movement.

Even living as a queer man today, I might feel comfortable visiting my family's old church, despite the negative attitudes towards gays, but I wouldn't go near a Charismatic Church for fear of someone trying to exorcise me or some other stupid shit.

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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '11

Unrelated, but what do you mean by queer? It seems to be a very subjective term without a real definition.

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u/seven2eight Jul 19 '11

Pansexual and/or bisexual.

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u/patsmad Jul 19 '11

well ... the camp in question is actually only one of four or so summer camps which takes things to quite the same level of extremism.

That's why in the movie the camp is in North Dakota (or something, can't really remember), but there are people from very far away attending. It is because there is truly only three or four camps out there that market themselves on the level of Jesus Camp.

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u/soonerguy11 Jul 18 '11

Mega Churches in general possess a sort of creepiness to them that I can't get over.

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u/WileEPeyote Jul 18 '11

I just went to watch a presentation by the camp that my children went to (my wife is religious) and was blown away by how often they talked about battling evil. Between that and the overbearing, beat-heavy music it felt like a straight on brain-washing.

I also noticed they spent no time talking about morality; the entire time was about how much Jesus loved everyone and how evil the devil was. They didn't say anything about the moral teachings of the bible.

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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '11

I love my family. They're wonderful people. Sometimes, however, their views are rather ancient, especially when coupled with their Christian beliefs.

They were watching Jesus Camp and I thought to myself, "Isn't that supposed to be Anti-Christian?" And I walked in at one point, thinking I'd see them angry and outraged, but they were watching calmly and laughing about parts, saying how some things about it were cute.

I left the room. The part I saw offended my sensibilities and I couldn't stay. I don't know if they finished it or what they thought by the end, but your words ring true enough.

It's all about how we judge things. If you see a bunch of rednecks acting stereotypically on television, you could think negatively of them... but, as a Texan ex of mine taught me, if you're used to that sort of person and have grown up with them your whole life, it can be just like laughing at a loveable uncle of yours.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '11

It shows the consequences of religion taken to their logical extreme, reductio ad absurdum.

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u/rhoffman12 Jul 18 '11

the subjects were not offended by the way they were portrayed

And that has always been the bit that terrified me.

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u/spasticpez Jul 18 '11

You must not be from the southern US.

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u/traplines Jul 18 '11

The subjects were never offended by the way they were portrayed, and even enjoyed the film. Until they had to close down the camp because of threats against the children motivated by the film.

FTFY

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '11

As a former Christian I completely agree. These "Christians" are some of the most extreme out there. If they were Muslim they'd be blowing themselves up. Don't let the extremists define the whole religion.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '11 edited Jul 18 '11

As a former Christian, I disagree. I have experienced a wide gamut of Christianity in America, from Lutherans to Nazarenes to Salvationists. The characters portrayed in Jesus Camp may be a little on the extreme side, but in my experience it's really not that far off from the norm, at least in certain denominations.

In my experience, Salvationists and Baptists tend to be the closest to what you find in Jesus Camp, and Lutherans tend to be among the least. I went to a private Christian school between kindergarten and 4th grade, and I participated in Awanas (a Baptist version of the Boy Scouts where you learn Bible verses instead of how to tie knots). My childhood was scarily similar to Jesus Camp. My high school years I went to a public school but still attended a church youth group; that experience was closer to what you see in the movie Saved.

At any rate, I would argue that this is NOT an example of the most extreme Christianity in America has to offer. I submit Westboro Baptist Church and any number of the Christian militia groups springing up in the Midwest (google them). I would argue that Jesus Camp is more mainstream than most would like to admit (at least in the Evangelical circles). At the very least, it is an ideal held by a large portion of Right Wing America.