Evangelicals
Pelosi Documentary: Evangelism in America's Heartland
Yesterday, I watched with fascination, awe, and yes, a good feeling, Nancy Pelosi's daughter's documentary about evangelicals in America, "Friends of God."
God, Mom and Country: A Filmmaker's Odyssey - The New York Times:
Ms. Pelosi with her son, Paul Michael Vos, born in November.
You are a young documentary filmmaker with a reputation for capturing politicians' antics. In a deliberate departure from politics, your latest film isa road trip into the world of evangelical Christians that includes a drive-through church, a Christian wrestling federation, a stand-up Christian comic, and an evangelical Elvis.
HBO's Friends of God - TCA Report - TV Squad:
Documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, who also directed the doc about the Presidential campaign of George W. Bush "Journeys with George," tackles evangelicals in "Friends of God," an original film for HBO. It's a startling look deep inside the conventions, beliefs, and personalities that make up this larger than you would think demographic in the United States, which contains an estimated 50 to 80 million Americans.
Here is what one dismissive critic had to say: "Friends of God" goes into the belly of Evangelical America - TELEVISION REVIEW - Los Angeles Times:
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But in "Friends of God" Pelosi takes her "Real World" self and noncombative questions into Evangelical America and fails to achieve any intimacy whatsoever. The film is a Rough Guide of Holy Roller-ville, Pelosi the Blue State girl hitting the road with implied Trader Joe's snacks to have look-but-don't-touch encounters with Christian wrestlers, Christian car enthusiasts, Christian theme park operators, Christian home-schoolers.
What she observes — that there are millions of evangelicals out there, sectarian culture warriors, young and old, folded into pop culture and with political might — never rises to anything more than the preordained tour into the Land of Difference that Pelosi herself is on.
At its worst, it all comes off as a social worker's patronizing home visit, as when Pelosi drops in on a brood of Christian home-schoolers in Pikeville, Tenn., and seems to want to spirit away the mother of 10, maybe take her back to New York City to teach her how to blog.
Though Pelosi does, once again, get a "get" just by having a knack for being there. In this case it's the Rev. Ted Haggard, disgraced ex-leader of the New Life Church and National Assn. of Evangelicals, who resigned over "sexually immoral conduct" shortly after Pelosi finished her documentary.
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Freaks and Jerks
If you are a conservative, you'd expect a hate-filled film, ala Michael Moore, about a subject so foreign to such a secular family as the Pelosi's. Indeed, several evangelicals are up in arms about the film, saying that Ms. Pelosi focused on the "freak-show" aspects of evangelicals.
Dr. Larry Poland said that seeing certain evangelicals on-screen made him cringe a bit, because "Every congregation has their 'jerk factor.' The gays and lesbians have it, the Democrats have it, and we have it."
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Ironic Backdrop
Ms. Pelosi, when she made this documentary, could not have known two things that would be true when it first aired: that her mother would be installed as the first female Speaker of the House; and that her main spokesman for the evangelicals in the film, Ted Haggard, would disgrace himself.
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True Believers
I watched the smorgasbord of "freaks" and "jerks" but didn't get the same feeling as some of the defensive evangelicals feared. In fact, witnessing the panoply of eccentrics, as well as the many more ordinary believers, just gave me the feeling that these people really believe. They really really believe, to an extent that is absolute. They are a mighty army trying to use all of modern man's quirks and idiosyncrasies to fight the war for Christ. In their own minds, and with tangible results in reality, as in election victories and stable families, they are winning, one soul at a time.
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Disclosure
In the interest of disclosure, I am not an evangelical. I believe in God, with a mix of Catholicism, Judaism, New Age, and an ear towards listening to God in the real world. If anything, I am biased against evangelicals, since though I believe in God, I do not believe in mankind's absolute interpretations of Him. I believe all religions have something to offer humanity, and do represent a communion with God, but that fallible humans have taken the Bible, the Qur'an, and other holy books, and characterized them as the literal spoken word of God. They presume that they know God and no one else does. Why? Because it says so, in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Qur'an, or the Bhagavad Gita.
God Speaks to Everyone
So I get very nervous when I hear someone so certain that they have a direct pipeline to God while the rest of us are out in the cold. I believe God speaks to all of us—Christians; Jews; Wiccans; even Muslims, the good ones; Buddhists; and even atheists and agnostics.
Charlatans, God, and Fallible Humans
Still, though I believe that about 60% of the pastors of these evangelicals are charlatans, just out to rake in the money, and I cringe at the absolutism of the evangelicals' beliefs, I do sense God in their midst. They are so happy, so involved, and so certain of their salvation through Christ.
Their young people are smiling. They might have rings in their lips, and purple hair, and sing punk rock, but it's Christian punk rock. These kids seem to have channeled their youthful rebellions into peculiar dress codes instead of drugs, sex and violence.
The families appear happy, united, working hard, the way families are meant to be.
The one glaring failure of all Christians, as with all humans it seems, is in the sexual realm. There are so many sexual scandals. Witness your Jimmy Swaggarts, your Jimmy Bakers, several Catholic priests, and your Ted Haggards.
Still, the evangelicals evidently have great sex lives with their partners. Another plus.
Haggard as Spokesperson
I found the use of soon-to-be-morally-exposed Haggard as the main spokesperson for the evangelicals to be ironic and emblematic. He seemed a good enough fellow throughout the film, full of good will and cheer, enlightenment, and moral certainty, even against gays. Until he was exposed as having gay sexual encounters himself. Again, Pelosi did not know Haggard would fall when she made her film. Still, he added a lot to the documentary, including its irony and a warning to the world that all is not as it seems.click to show/hide the rest of this section
Kansas City Star | 01/16/2007 | Journeys with Ted and "Friends of God":
Besides, it's hard to see how "Friends of God" could have survived if Haggard had been sliced out of it. As president of the 30-million-member National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of a sprawling megachurch in Colorado, Haggard proved a helpful guide, on-camera and off, for the secularized, urbanized Catholic Democrat as she began her explorations of the praise-Jesus crowd.
If “Friends of God” is able to overcome the doubters and become a useful document of today’s Bible Belt, much of the credit must go to Haggard (he also was featured in the film “Jesus Camp,” which was partly shot in Lee’s Summit). Pelosi said he took her into his family and on trips through the evangelical world; opened doors to Jerry Falwell, who allowed her to film inside his Thomas Road Baptist Church; and turned her on to subculture phenomena like Christian wrestling, which looks just like the blood-and-guts version on cable TV, except there’s an altar call at the end.
Unfortunately, Haggard also provided what, in hindsight, will surely be the film’s touchstone moment. Standing outside church, he tells Pelosi’s camera that surveys have found evangelicals enjoy the best sex lives. Without warning, he turns to a couple of men standing nearby and asks them, “How many times a week do you have sex with your wife?” and, “How many times does she climax?”
But as weird as this exchange is, it does help establish an authentic voice for “Friends of God” that it would not have if it had been made by a born-again believer, who might have left scenes like that one out.
Larry Poland, an evangelical who was a consultant for Pelosi and HBO, told the TV critics he wasn’t entirely happy with the film, but then, “the film I’d have made wouldn’t have been interesting and fascinating."
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Cult?
Are evangelicals part of a cult? In my opinion, definitely yes. Some parts of the cult are harmless, as when the pink-haired wrestlers proselytize after a Christian wrestling match.
I am reminded though of the extent that evangelism can go when I watch the 1980 movie about the charismatic psycho-preacher, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, the guy who led almost 1000 followers to commit suicide. I am reminded of the absolute faith that some Muslims have that lead them to fly planes into towers of innocent people.
Yet, most of the cult of evangelism is either harmless or even positive. After all, they advocate following Christ, whose teachings were very humanistic and positive to all. Until, of course, you get to the dark side, where lurks hatred for those non-Christians, gays, and sinners of all kinds. Then, these Christians forget that Christ said ye without sin cast the first stone.
There is also something creepy about having these guys and gals proselytize 24 hours a day. Who likes a "Bible-thumper" bending your ear when you don't want it?
And, as a cult, there is also the mind-numbing, automaton-like behavior of people in groups—doing, saying, and thinking the same things, reinforced by ritual, song, and groupthink. This is no different from any kind of brainwashing (although evangelicals would say it is a kind of good brainwashing). All religions do it, but evangelicals do it with a special gusto. Radical Muslims do it too, only with evil in their hearts.
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Conclusion
I will never be an evangelical, and I would not want my children to be one either.
On the other hand, if I could capture the good parts of the phenomena, and add tolerance, skepticism about their beliefs (a healthy uncertainty), an openness to other religions, and a receptivity to God speaking in the here and now, then I think you'd have something. Keep God and Christ, and the rituals and goodness. Get rid of the hatred, exclusivity, moral certainty, and sinful pride. Admit that you are human, fallible, and that your interpretation of the Bible, or any other holy book, is your interpretation. Don't mistake your interpretation for the word of God.
On the other extreme, I advise not to discriminate against evangelicals. They are mostly good people. Very good people.
I urge every American to see this film, "Friends of God." It captures some truth about America, and about God, and is supremely entertaining.
Rock
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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On your word Mr Rock, I will watch the film.
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