Remember Kirk Cameron? Former Growing Pains star still thumping his bible.

[buttmunch]

By MARTIN BASHIR
March 17, 2006 — - As Mike Seaver, the eldest son in the smash hit sitcom "Growing Pains," actor Kirk Cameron could make audiences roll with laughter. But now he wants to bring them to the Lord. And he's deadly serious.

Watch "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET for Martin Bashir's full interview with Kirk Cameron.

The show, which began in 1985 , dominated the television ratings. Cameron joined the cast at the age of 14.

At first, he says, he was mesmerized by Hollywood and all the benefits that came from his newly acquired celebrity status. But soon he grew weary of signing autographs and a lifestyle that seemed entirely superficial.

The transition came about after Cameron reached his 16th birthday.

He sat in Beverly Hills in his newly purchased car and decided to pray. "I said, 'God if you're there, I want to know,'" he told Nightline. "'I don't want to be fooled or blinded by any sort of religion, but if you are real I need to know because I've completely ignored you my entire life. And if I die and find out that I am wrong about your existence, I've played the part of the biggest fool, and all of my money, popularity will not mean anything on that day.'"


Conflict on a Hit Sitcom
Soon, Cameron started attending church and began to deepen his own theological understanding and grasp of Christianity. This eventually led to a clash between his personal and professional interests.

"There was a scene where Mike Seaver was to be lying in bed with a girlfriend and as I wake up in the morning, Mike ... rolls over and just says, 'Hey babe, tell me again, what's your name?'"

He found the scene conflicted with the Christian values he had embraced.

"I'm faithful to my wife. I don't wake up in bed next to another girl because I know my children are going to learn by my actions, and I felt that was the responsibility of our show ... to portray real life but in a way that left people with something that would move them up higher morally."

At first he tried to reason with the show's producers.

"If something came up, I thought, let's find another way to say it, let's find another way of doing that. And of course when I would bring that up, then that suddenly became connected with the fact that I was now a Christian. That got spun into 'Kirk is trying to push his religious views onto the show.'"

After seven years, ABC decided to cancel the show. The end of the series gave Cameron an opportunity to resolve the tension he felt between the requirements of his profession and the demands of his faith. He started working on the popular Apocalyptic "Left Behind" film series and then met an itinerant preacher, Ray Comfort, who encouraged him to begin a second career -- as an evangelist.

Together they formed an organization called "The Way of the Master." Operating as a charitable trust, its intention is to educate and equip the church to preach the message of Christianity to unbelievers. Cameron says he is motivated by a literal fear of hell.

"I believe the Scriptures teach that there's a literal heaven and a literal hell, just like Jesus said," he explained. "And without forgiveness of sins that, yeah, the place of punishment is called hell."

In addition to creating teaching materials, books and a Web site, Cameron is now back on TV in a weekly cable program. "The Way of the Master" show features Cameron and Comfort speaking to strangers about Christianity. On occasions, things go badly wrong and the pair is attacked by members of the public.

Comfort recalled one incident, saying "While I was preaching the gospel a gentleman came up and he started spitting on me. And he spat quite a few times." He says he simply remained calm and moved on.

"My favorite Bible verse is where Jesus said, 'If you are persecuted in one city, flee to the next,'" Comfort said. "And that's what I did."

Cameron says that he is producing the show because he objects to the way many churches present the Christian faith. He believes that Christianity has become just another ideology that is used to indulge personal interests and contains little of the original message of repentance and faith.

"Much of the modern message seems to revolve around get what's yours in Christ today. They say, 'If you say this little prayer then all is well' and you'll know health, wealth, prosperity, everything you could ever want. That's not the truthful message of Christ."

Neither Comfort nor Cameron has theological degrees nor any kind of formal training. But Cameron says that he's convinced his new career is vitally important.

"The goal of me doing the 'Way of the Master' and doing this interview is not to convince you that I am an authority on the subject. I have no authority. I am simply trying to be faithful to the God who saved me, who changed me and who has commissioned me to tell you and those who are watching this interview ... about the gospel of Jesus Christ and that it has the power to change people's hearts."

abcnews.com

Born again christianity is for people who don't want or are too scared to think for themselves. I remember reading about him 'getting religion' years ago but still cannot believe what a sanctimonious prat he became. Hollywood sure has a lot to answer for.

[MrsDark]

I always thought he could have been a much bigger star if it weren't for this.

[Tierra]

Is he DJ from full house's older brother?

[Laurent]

Together they formed an organization called "The Way of the Master."

Odd name for his organization. Sounds a little S&M.

[buttmunch]

Tom Cruise probably backs it.

[Laurent]

Originally Posted by Tierra

Is he DJ from full house's older brother?

Yep, he and Candace Cameron are brother and sister.

[Grimmlok]

Cameron says he is motivated by a literal fear of hell.

You joined a religion out of fear? I highly doubt the God of love and compassion who gave his only son for humanity wants them trembling and worshipping out of abject fear of eternal torture and pain.

That has to be the worst reason i've ever heard.

[HWBL]

Originally Posted by Frank_Rizzo

What part of ACTING doesn't he understand?? That's what ACTORS do. They play a ROLE. That doesn't mean he's cheating on his fucking wife. What a total reatard.

No friggin' kidding!

And in what part of Disneyworld did he live when he says he wanted to portray "reality" but in a way to uplift moral standards? (But then he was just a teen when he realized that, so maybe he was still a virgin. But then, he still must have been a virgin on the Disneyworld part of town, to not be aware that that WAS reality for many people )

[buttmunch]

As my favorite writer, Philip Roth (referring to Mr. Bush, not Mr. Cameron) said, "Born-again Christianity is the ignorant man's version of the intellectual life."

[Bellatheball]

Religion, to me, is an intensly private thing. Bible beaters and those who throw their beliefs at everyone are hard for me to understand. From that perspective, this guy sort of bothers me. On the flip side, here's a young guy who wants to set a good example for his family and young fans. I can't find fault in that. If more actors and actresses shied away from drugs, excessive alcohol, multiple partners etc, I think society would be better off. Of course, we'd all be bored to tears here, but I don't think anyone can fault the guy for trying to live a decent life.

[buttmunch]

It depends on what you define as 'setting a good example'. Being a sanctimonious twat who thinks his way is the only way is not, to my mind, setting a good example. Certainly faithfulness, abstinence from drugs and alchohol, etc. are all admirable qualities to some.

I think there is alot more to life than being someone's bizarre version of 'pure'. I'd rather be a booze-guzzling, pill-popping sex addict who had something to offer the world than some white bread version of boring. I refer you to my signature below.

[red wine]

Originally Posted by Grimmlok

You joined a religion out of fear? I highly doubt the God of love and compassion who gave his only son for humanity wants them trembling and worshipping out of abject fear of eternal torture and pain.

That has to be the worst reason i've ever heard.

Excellent point Grimmlok. This is exactly why I dispise a lot of born-again beliefs. Where is the joy in that? I won't believe our only purpose is to shiver in fear from God, I choose to believe our God loves us like we love our children.

I saw a part of his TV show and they were interviewing people on the street, basically telling them they were going to hell. It was gross. I can't stand Kirk Cameron.

[Bellatheball]

^^ Right but if the specific example is whether or not he chooses to take a role that has him sleeping with a woman he doesn't know, what's wrong with him saying that's not something he feels comfortable with? Every actor has the right to choose their roles. We all bash Madonna for the choices she's made (as they pertain to her having kids who will see her crap). Here's a guy who is chosing to show his kids more wholesome stuff yet he gets bashed for it too.

[LynnieD]

I hate this guy, hated him when he was the on the show and hate him now.

Hope his wife is cheating on HIM! Holy shit would I laugh!

[CheriLyn]

Born Again Christianity is simply putting your faith in Jesus Christ, who died on a cross for the sins of the world. We're not supposed to beat people over the head with it, people have to make their own choice to believe or not believe.
I don't see anything wrong with Kirk Cameron living his belief. Christianity isn't a 'religion', it's simply faith. 'Religion' can be and frequently is used to do more harm than good. Some 'religions' have nothing to do with the Living God, but give Christianity a bad name because it is lumped in with the blanket term 'religion'. The people who put Christ to death were 'religious'. Heck, Scientology is called a 'religion'. I don't know anything much about Scientology, but what little I do know I certainly wouldn't associate it with Christianity and God.
JMO...please be gentle on me.