The Hidden Dangers of Summer Camps

According to a report from The Daily Wire:

The American Camp Association (ACA), an organization of 10,000 summer camp professionals, is one of the groups that has embedded leftwing theories on race and gender into their operations. The organization is also responsible for accrediting summer camps across the country.

At their winter conference, the ACA had a session titled “Trans Inclusion in Overnight Programs” that was focused on “best practices for overnight camps striving to be welcoming spaces for trans and gender non-conforming campers and staff.” Another session was designed to help camps create “affinity groups,” which, apparently, are “identity-based groups that allow people who share an identity to connect, talk openly about issues related to that identity, and brainstorm positive action steps for promoting inclusion and equity.” These affinity groups are “center[ed] around historically marginalized identities.” In other words, they’re helping camps create LGBTQ groups and groups that are segregated based on skin shade.

And those were just two of the training sessions at the conference! Others focused on safe spaces for LGBTQ children and staff or teaching “equity and justice” activism to children. Two other camp organizations, Outward Bound USA and Camp Fire, along with many individual camps, are likewise pushing or accepting all things LGBTQ and critical race theory as part of their core identity.

This embracing of LGBTQ and CRT is likely not advertised by your local camp. But parents must be aware that these ideologies are infecting everything, and they need to do their due diligence to look into the camp to determine if it’s a safe place to send their children where their kids will have a great time and not come home confused! Now while all the camp organizations I mentioned above are secular, Bible or Christian camps aren't immune to this either! Certainly there are many wonderful, biblically-based camps out there run by Christians who love God's Word and want to point children to the truth, but parents cannot just assume because a camp is advertised as Christian or Bible-based or whether it’s even associated with a certain church or denomination or was great "when I was a kid," that it hasn't "gone woke" or compromised God's Word. Always do your due diligence to ensure that the place you send your children will teach them truth and point them to God's Word and the gospel.

We need to be preparing our children from a young age for the times they live in (the times God has chosen for them to live in!) by giving them the right worldview, built on the right foundation (the very Word of God) so they can see the lies of the enemy for what they are and stand strong.

Of course, our children will eventually be exposed to LGBTQ ideology and critical race theory—it’s unavoidable in today’s world! We need to be preparing our children from a young age for the times they live in (the times God has chosen for them to live in!) by giving them the right worldview, built on the right foundation (the very Word of God) so they can see the lies of the enemy for what they are and stand strong.

As disheartening as it can be to hear that even your local summer camp may be misleading children, it’s a good reminder for parents to be diligent each and every day to teach their children the things of the Lord. And it’s a reminder to pray for this nation and for the next generation that is growing up under this teaching.

Safe Summer Camp Experience

Oh, and if you want a summer camp experience for your child that won’t confuse them or turn them into activists for ungodly causes, consider Answers in Genesis’ Explore Summer Camps. Each summer, we have a 5-Day Science Camp and a 5-Day Forensic Science Camp (for ages 11–18), and a 3-Day Science Camp for younger children (ages 5–10). These camps glorify God, teach kids about their Creator, and allow kids to do hands-on science activities. We also have single-day experiences as part of our Explore program or half-days for younger students through Explore Jr. I encourage you to check them out.

Get More Answers on Answers News

I discussed this item today on Answers News with cohosts Tim Chaffey and Patricia Engler. Answers News is our weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience here at the Creation Museum and broadcast on our Answers in Genesis YouTube channel and posted to Answers TV. We also covered the following topics:

• Racism is being redefined in Kentucky.
• Was armor an evolutionary “boomerang” trait?
• The origin of life gets another rewrite.
• And more!

Be sure to join us each Monday at 2 p.m. (ET) on YouTube or later that day on Answers TV for Answers News. You won’t want to miss this unique news program that gives science and culture news from a distinctly biblical and Christian perspective.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.