Before break, we watched a film about a Fundamentalist Baptist Church. It was shocking to me how much church was involved in their everyday lives. The pastor inserted himself into the relationships of his attendees as well as into the education of their children. One of the people focused on by the film was a man whose brother wanted him to become born again. The man had been going through a tough time, especially with his marriage. His brother had also gone through marriage troubles, but tried to convince his brother that becoming born again would save him. The man clearly was very torn, because he did not feel like he was in place where he was ready. During a “discussion”, his brother and other members of the church tried their best to convince him to accept, making the man extremely emotional. It was an intimate moment that I’m surprised happened while a camera crew was in the room.

Throughout this course I have tried to remain objective and not pass judgements based on my own feelings. However, following the story of the woman who was not able to see her children because she was living with another man and would not accept the faith was emotional to watch. Her ex was clearly abusive towards her and the kids, but she was made out to be the “bad guy” but her ex and the pastor at the church because she was not going to church and was living in sin. Although I have no actual way of knowing, I was of the feeling that her ex was using religion as an excuse to punish her for leaving him. No matter his motivations, it was frustrating to also see the pastor try to convince her to return to her previous relationship. Overall, this documentary opened my eyes to how all encompassing religion is for some.