I searched Google for some responses from the documentary and this jumped out at the screen at me;
"'I'm beginning to see why Christians were fed to the lions."
I also searched you tube for some responses and the common theme was that this film was representative of all evangelical Christians.
Oh Dear.
I am someone who believes in Jesus; in his teachings from his life, in the mystery of his death and the power of his resurrection.
I am also someone who wants children to know and to understand for themselves what this can mean.
What I can say is this; it was my choice to follow Christ. I was not pushed, shoved, bribed or bullied into anything. Now, I want to give children the same choice that I was given; I don't intend or nor do I push, shove, bribe or bully kids into faith.
A common theme in Christian Thought in bringing up children is "breaking the will of the child", this idea comes from Augustine’s theology that everyone is a sinner. Pullman in his Dark Materials alludes to this. Breaking the will of a child involves physically, mentally and emotionally breaking them so they can understand Sin and submit to 'authorities'. There are some Christians who believe that this is what is right and what should be done. I do not. A suggestion can be made that the children in this film have had their wills broken. That in fact they are living according to their parent’s wishes and not their own.
Children's Work within the church should be about the child as they are and not fundamentally about their potential. It focuses on the here and now and not the future and the maybes. Children's work focuses on responding to children's needs and helping them follow Jesus in a way they find appropriate. I want to make a suggestion that training children, as the film had shown, is dangerous to their development.
This film is not representative of all evangelical Christians in anyway shape or form. I'll give you £10 if you can find me three Christians who think and act exactly the same.
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