A church in the small northern Maine town of Orrington believes it’s never too early to set an example of service for the youngest among us.
The church, Calvary Chapel Bangor, has kicked off a week of Military Bible Camp for kids as young as age five.
After all, how better to symbolically celebrate America’s 250th than with a military-themed Vacation Bible School Military Academy?
Apparently that’s the wrong question, judging from a church critic on Reddit.
“As part of the event, a military helicopter landed on the church lawn for a demonstration aimed directly at the kids,” the poster wrote. “This seems like a heavy-handed mix of military recruitment imagery and religious programming.
“Introducing that level of militaristic spectacle to preschoolers comes across as inappropriate indoctrination-creating “soldiers for Christ,” the Redditor added. “I find it incredibly unsettling to see such young children exposed to this kind of stylized propaganda.”
Church officials aren’t wasting time apologizing, going so far as to feature a military “recruitment” poster on their website saying “We Want You!”
The camp description is called a “military briefing,” including a “countdown to deployment.”
“Join us for a week of Bible teaching, worship, team challenges, and fun as kids learn to stand strong in the Lord,” the camp says. “This year’s military-appreciation-themed Vacation Bible Study will encourage children to grow in the Lord through courage, obedience, and faith.”
Good for the Church and good for the military in sending the Helo. A bit of Patriotism before the Fourth of July here in the increasingly leftist State of Maine is fine to see.