I came across this the other day. There is this thing called S.M.I.T.E. Camp. That stands for Summer Missionary Institute of Training and Evangelism. Sounds like boot camp.
Looking at the web site associated with this S.M.I.T.E. Camp, it seems to be hardcore preparations for young people to do battle against those crazy non-believers. Reading the application makes one wonder why any kid would want to go to it. Of course if you have hardcore evangelical parents you might not have any choice.
The application is a hoot. First off is the “modesty visual.” This is for those females to make sure they don’t show too much flesh that might tempt those horny teen boys into doing the nasty. Just look at the neck lining for “very immodest.” One may ask WTF? Heaven forbid you end up looking at a girl’s cleavage! That would give a boy a boner in 2 nanoseconds.
And take a look at the side view. We don’t want those boobies sticking out too prominently do we? Makes one wonder why they don’t insist on the girls being dressed in a burka. Talk about girls presenting a very unappetizing picture to those boys. Maybe that’s the point.
But the most interesting (and scariest) was the dress codes. The boys only have about one paragraph to deal with. Shirts and pants. Standard stuff. The hair could be an issue for boys. “No afro, punk, weed eater, or cool dude hairstyles.” Now what white kid (and most of the applicants would probably be white) would wear an afro? Seriously? I’m not sure what a “weed eater” hairstyle is. Throw back to the 60’s maybe? And what boy going to this camp could ever be a “cool dude?” Come on, be serious.
Now we come to the girls (or ladies as they are referred to). There are four sections just for them. Of course nothing tight fitting, nothing sheer. No toe rings or anklets. Not sure I know what a toe ring is. Anyway, you girls can’t have them.
No pants ever, always dresses. And the skirt must cover those knees. I know how erotic knees can be!
Then we get to the dress check. I guess this is where the counselors get their kicks. Raise your arms so the counselor can see either your bra or possibly a little side boob. And the girl has to bend over. How kinky! Wonder if there is a frontal and rear check at that point. “If any cleavage, cupping, mid-rift, undergarments, or parts of the knees show, it will not be approved.” Educate me on cupping. Is that where a boob might fall out or am I missing something?
All this fun at the expense of the evangelicals leads to a larger point. There is the real effort by many evangelicals to shut everyone, especially the young, from the outside world. You see that in the effort for home schooling. There’s the creation of evangelical colleges and universities with the expressed aim to feed only their view to the young and to shelter from the big bad world of real things. I’ve heard it said over and over about how young Christians who attend secular schools loose their faith. Yep, that’s what happens when young people are exposed to critical thinking and reason. The Christian faith doesn’t hold up. That’s what atheist turned ardent Christian C.S. Lewis in his Mere Christianity. admitted. One really could be reasoned out of the faith. The answer, according to Lewis, is to repeat over and over, this is true, this is true, ad nauseam. That exposes the frailty of Christianity. it withers in the light of logic and reason.
I’m hoping that the more crazy stuff like this make the light of day, the more people see religion for what it is. Just an old belief system that’s run it’s course. One could hope!
