Documentary Review -- God Loves Uganda

VarunaTT

This is an intensely difficult documentary to watch.  I had to pause and walk away for a bit.

The film examines the anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda and the connections between that and the evangelical christian movement in America, specifically the International House of Prayer (yes, they were sued by IHOP at one point, it was settled out of court.  I did crack a joke about someone inviting me to IHOP and taking me to church and being pissed about the lack of pancakes).

Objectively: the film lacks some focus.  In fairness, I think the story the film maker was trying to tell was just too damn big; there was too much to cover.  I think he could've done a trio of films about this issue and all of the things coming into play.

The thing that actually bothered me the most was the colonialism on display.  That's the part I had to pause and walk away from for a bit.  I was just appalled.

I think it's actually a really important film.  It's a story that needs to be told and examined.  I did a bunch of research on the church afterwards and it's a cult.  When you make your members fast for a day and require 25-30 hours in your 24/7 prayer room and have a method of praying that resembles a brain washing/meditation technique and tell people to leave their skeptical family members, I'm calling you a cult, I don't give a crap about your tax status.

GBCK

IHOP is vaguely terrifying (I was explaining the name lawsuit to the Mr. the other day who didn't look like he believed me that it's a thing).

I'll put this on my watchlist for a night when I am not going to want to shoot the TV.

VarunaTT

It's not vaguely, it's really terrifying.

One of the articles I read that was criticizing it was saying that IHOP is a "fringe" movement.  I was interested in that, so I was trying to find out what percentage of christians identify as evangelical, where IHOP fits into that, etc.  While the church itself is around 1K members and has a campus with schools, etc. it's part of a larger movement called New Apostolic Reformation.  And reading about that, that movement's influence, and their goals is terrifying to me.

Oh and he touches on the AIDS issue in Uganda and how the Bush administration allowing the tying of AIDS relief funds to abstinence only education has had the direct result of the AIDS numbers rising in Uganda again.  Destroying the effort that had resulted in them having the lowest AIDS number in Africa.

dharmabunny

I'm putting this on my watch list for next weekend

We have an intern coming in that did mission work in Uganda (not IHOP, though)... Some alternate perspective will be very enlightening.

Couple that with the battery of people directly/indirectly involved in mission work around the world I know (for a variety of motives)...and, crap, the history of NM and Jesuit missionaries.

Some good quality deep thinking.

larrygaga

I know so many people who think they are doing amazing things by going on mission trips, and I just wish I was the kind of person that would ruin a relationship in order to show them what their mission work is actually doing.

VarunaTT

I don't mind all mission trips.  I have one acquaintance who is going to one that uses their workers to staff vaccination clinics in Ethiopia (I think).  That is important enough, to me, to look past my side-eye about the religious hook.  But this particular church isn't going over to do any charitable work, they're doing in to convert.

I think I forgot to mention, the reason for the mission is that the movement believes once they have witnessed to everyone on the planet and been able to convert as many as possible, they'll bring about the second coming.  I really can never wrap my brain around the people who believe they can bring about the end of the world and they want to.  I have thoughts about it.