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Christian in Cambodia

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Evangelical Christianity is taking root in Cambodia, where thousands who suffered under the Khmer Rouge are still searching for answers and a fresh start. Though Christians are still a small minority here, the spread of their faith has created tensions with some Buddhists. Some converts join the church to escape from the past; others see it as a way to move up in society.
carrieaching

29 responses // Christian in Cambodia

  • Nice job. Very thorough.
    maracamp
  • excellent work... well done and professional. I am blown away at your coverage and the camera work as well. This is a topic that deserves more attention.
    migsono
  • The question "Why are Cambodians turning to an outside religion" has a very simple answer: Because the outside religion is sending in recruiters to convert people by making promises they can't fulfill. Ick. I GUESS the Christians are better than the K.R., but its a close call.
    BigMac
  • The question "Why are Cambodians turning to an outside religion" has a very simple answer: Because the outside religion is sending in recruiters to convert people by making promises they can't fulfill. Ick. I GUESS the Christians are better than the K.R., but its a close call.
    BigMac
  • Fascinating story. Excellent coverage -- very well balanced. Gotta give it a GL.
    DanPersons
  • Why just 5 GLs? This is an excellent report.
    stardate
  • I enjoyed watching this pod. It shows us the impact that Christian missionaries are having on a new generation of Cambodians and why some Cambodians are turning to a new religion. Solid reporting, with a nice casual, conversational tone. The beginning title cards seem too long and distracting. You might want to incorporate some of this information within the pod. Could use some tightening. Nice work.
    lauraling
  • well covered and an interesting topic...got my GL
    Mikolino_Gonz
  • Such an excellent piece... thoughtfully told & beautifully shot!
    heartstrong
  • This was an incredibly interesting story. I agree with lauraling about the beginning cards. I was just about to click away when you started to talk. And as soon as you started talking, your story grabbed me.
    mscrankypants
  • wow great piece, very thoughtfully done and very engaging, great music and visuals, GL for sure...

    as always, if you have time, check out my pods.
    srfpir8
  • My friends and I were just talking about this topic at work, how it's happening in African countries. For such a short, un-wordy video, it said a lot. Good job!
    misslee77
  • Excellent report.
    cossey_m
  • Excellent report.
    cossey_m
  • Cool, smart and informative. A nice break from some of this week's more nausea-inducing yet higher-ranking pods.
    wike
  • deep and yet easy to understand. perfect for tv! :-)
    Nathanja
  • i have just returned from cambodia in the last two days, and have seen evidence of the issues raised in the film. the topic is approached gracefully and really epitomizes what current tv should be about for me. great work.
    kully
  • Hey Carrie, it was nice to meet you 10/31/06 and and now to discover your amazing talent as a documentarian. I went to Cambodia once, I knew the people were poor, but not like this. There were a lot of buddhists there, and I found it to be an intriguing practice. Hopefully Christians and Buddhists can happily co-exist.
    noahbaron
  • Hey Carrie, it was nice to meet you 10/31/06 and and now to discover your amazing talent as a documentarian. I went to Cambodia once, I knew the people were poor, but not like this. There were a lot of buddhists there, and I found it to be an intriguing practice. Hopefully Christians and Buddhists can happily co-exist.
    noahbaron
  • Nice piece of work - the title cards at the beginning went on for a bit though - you have a pleasent voice and it would help to hear you a bit sooner.
    cog2803
  • You're creating a false dichotomy. It is a basic characteristic of all humans to take care of themselves and $400/year isn't much. Just because your subject would choose the job that pays more does not necessarily mean that he doesn't actually find hope in the Christian gospel.

    A good documentary should just tell the facts and give people the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. You provide conclusions throughout that are almost completely unsubstantiated by your material. You might as well call it "How Christians are Buying Believers in Cambodia". That would at least be more honest.

    Maybe some people in Cambodia believe in Jesus Christ solely because someone gave them money, but it isn't necessarily true. You claim that for young people, that is their only motivation. How can you really know that?

    Jesus taught people to feed the poor and help the sick. If your point is to demonize the Christian Church for the way it "buys" believers, you would probably be better off not pointing out that they provide for the sick, poor, and destitute. It sounds to me like they are doing something everyone should be doing--caring for those in the direst of need.
    perlmunger
  • At first I believed that you were going to make a nice "biased Free" documentry, but was sadly dissapointed........... Im sure the young man in the film would be upset at the way you twisted his words to fit your ASSUMPTION...... and you can do that because the kid wont ever see it......This just shows every journalist, pro or amature has an agenda to push.
    boverboy68
  • Great job! Your report gives insight into how religion continues to galvanize people throughout Southeast Asia. This piece makes me wonder about the interplay of cultural, emotional, and financial factors in regards to the faith of a populace, not to mention the long lasting effects of colonial missionaries.
    On a personal note, I got to visit my birth country of Malaysia recently, and stayed with my cousin who belongs to one of the fastest growing Christian sects in a region that is mostly Muslim. Because of my cousin's continuing faith and support of those around her, my granny is now converting from Buddhism to Christianity after almost twenty years, mostly because she feels that Christianity offers her the emotional support that Buddism, which is more of a philosophy at heart, has not. That conversion causes mixed feelings within me, some of which your piece addresses.
    Your profile says you're a Bay Area resident too! I'm relatively new to this community and am wondering if there is a little collective of Current members who are collaborating in any way beyond the scope of this site. You can check out my station promo here
    bingko
  • I think this is an excellent report. We know that there are some who convert because they want to, but this shows us a different element as to why Christianity is growing. I liked how there was the comparison to why the some of the older generations converted to Christianity and some of the reasons why new generations are embracing the faith.
    SoupyTwist
  • That was a nice report! I was oringally Christian, however i converted to Buddism snice it fit what i belived better. Christiany I belive has always been the fate, not that i don't apperiate it and it's very good for peaple who belive in it, that wants everyone to belive in it and that there is the the best of them all.
    Sparkle_Hippie
  • the conclusions you draw for viewers are totally false and misleading, carrie! was it your intent to belittle one particular faith?

    (I'm in *complete* agreement with perlmunger. I'd thank bingko for his personally candid and more respectable views as well. ) how can a predominantly buddhist nation claim to be "starting from scratch"? "It's tough," the monk says, huh? Well how about Vek Huong Taing? To suggest he's merely "sensitive" to "criticism" is just a gross and misleading understatement. He accepted Christianity at a time and place when it could certainly have gotten him killed.

    "So ***anything*** would qualify for me to be killed." [emphasis mine]

    And it seems entirely plausible that he may still be in some fear of violent reprisal for little more than being educated and following his own prerogative to *keep* a faith that he honestly believes in to this day apparently. [Don't we in the states believe in 'freedom of religion'? or has it become something we merely pay the little value of lip service to, while considering it shallowly more fashionable to criticize anything 'Christian'? I think the latter is much more the hypocritical order for more than a few...especially ignorantly self-prejudiced secularists.]

    The Christian church model has always been to help those in need. Is that supposed to be a sin by some unaddressable backwards standard? Or are you self-appointed to the liberty to pervert and twist that to somehow mean "a new trinity" of education, money/jobs??? And yet you provide no honest or objective opportunity for the viewer to "21 year-old Embun Ton's" own honest or candid regard for the faith. What a potential begrudging demagogue you seem so likely to be carrie.

    But thanks for pointing out all the "good" things Christians are doing there...
    echoz
  • sociological, psychological and economic explanations of religious practice neglect the, well, spiritual aspects.
    BooksBrown
    2 responses to this

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