This show was aired in the UK last night and is part of a series called Cutting Edge by Channel 4.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uBthAP6phk]Since that’s incredibly depressing, here’s a bonus video of slug mating set to opera via Wired.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLuH9hAH1yA]
I actually used to know someone whose parents made him evangelize as a kid. To be fair, this video doesn't actually say this kid's parents make him, but that seems to be a reasonable implication. In any case, I hope this poor kid doesn't become royally screwed up like the guy I knew. When I was talking about using my chemistry degree in a career where I could help people, he suggested joining the military to work on chemical warfare. Seriously. He wasn't joking.
Anyway, I wonder if those slugs are having superorgasms? ;)
The video doesn't say that they're making him evangelize, but I think it's pretty obvious that they're at the very least encouraging him.
Seriously. How many 7-year olds do you know who even know what an adulterer or a blasphemer is, let alone being able to spell it correctly?
I only managed to get as far as, "… is a seven year old evangelist." Before I got too angry to keep going and had to turn it off. The snail porn was epic though.
Doesn't it seem like that should qualify as child abuse? >:(
I loved the snail video, though … unexpectedly sensual, and it was nice to see a mating ritual in the animal kingdom that doesn't require the male to be on top. ;)
I very nearly made a comment about child abuse myself.
That is very disturbing. If the child is that serious about these beliefs at 7 imagine what he's going to be like at 20 (if he keeps going down that path) can you say "Fundamentalist in the making?"
As kid i was forced to sit in church for 4 hours every sunday and it was in South America so it was all in spanish. I wished I could have reported my grandparents for child abuse back then.
they're absolutely supporting it, if not forcing it on him. although he seemed pretty determined himself, so maybe they just brainwashed him super-early so he would be like this on his own.
the snail porn is amazing. it's from the movie microcosms. my husband has the movie which we watched one night and were hysterical at the music they set with it. the whole movie is actually really interesting, although i'm afraid of most of the other bugs. :(
OOPS! i meant to write "microcosmos," not "microcosms." sorry about that.
We gotta find a 1970's porno soundtrack for those snails….
If you get too depressed, take a look at another former child evangelist: Sam Kinison.
Thats pretty sad. It reminds me a lot of the movie Jesus Camp.
Ick. After see ing that, I don't want to go anywhere near a church for at least a month.
I don't know whether to be more angry or afraid…
I´m no fluent english speaker, but what I understood from the child in the video was a couple of phrases like "Obey the bible! Stay with the bible!" … Guess he´s heard his parents say that like a million times, so no wonder it stuck… and he did´nt even have to spell "blasphemer" (did I get that right?) – from what I could see, he merely used a stamp!
I seriously doubt this child understands the slightest bit of the stuff he keeps repeating.
But why do TV companies broadcast crap like that?
If this kid does understand half of what he is saying thats pretty impressive. My guess is that he is just doing what his parents want him to. No doubt he believes in it, but no kid that young can accurately comprehend those concepts, hell I sill have trouble with the differences between Heathen, Blasphemer and Heretic.
I think I just vomited in my mouth.
Kind of makes the reasons Dawkins likens religion to child abuse just a little clearer, doesn't it?
The whole show was sad. The young African American boy who's family looked at him like a meal ticket was also sad. This young blond boy however was made to suffer in New York City; the poor kid had never set foot outside of hicksville (or wherever) and to see him watch his father be abused by your typical New Yorker was too sad for words. The kid will be scarred for life no doubt. Child abuse is not enough to describe this horrible situation.
Well … that sucks.
But then again, maybe it saves me from getting worked up about the child abuse.