Kirk Cameron was well known as a teen television actor in the 80s and 90s. The past several years, however, he has become an outspoken spokesperson for Christianity and conservative family values. I spent a few minutes with Kirk before he addressed the Baptist Bible Fellowship in Ventura in the September meeting.
Editor: I had read an article about you a couple of weeks ago and the author said there’s a target on your back, and it gets bigger with your newest film. Do you often feel singled out?
Cameron: When I’m around a bunch of Baptists, I do (laughing). I feel singled out in more like a fish out of water in Hollywood then I do when I’m working on the movies that I do, or I’m traveling around in a marriage conference, which are normally in churches. So when I’m in a Christian culture, Christian community, no, I feel like I’m with my brothers and sisters. But here in L.A., yes, it’s different. I mean, culturally I’m the guy with the target on his back.
Editor: I’ve seen a lot of the so-called “celebrity Christians” for whom Christianity basically is their hobby. I certainly don’t get any of that from you. You’re not just an actor that happens to be a Christian, you are a Christian who occasionally …
Cameron: Who moonlights as an actor?
Editor: Where did that come from?
Cameron: Let’s see, I was an actor long before I was a Christian. I say long before, I was nine years old when I started acting. I came to Christ when I was about 17-18 years old. I think as is the case with anyone who is regenerated by the Spirit of God, you come to a place, like the prodigal son, where you recognize your own depravity, and you come to your senses, and you say, “I’m headed down the wrong road,” and you turn back to the one who can save you. And so I know that happened with me. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and I sensed that as an atheist. I understood that I’m smaller than a little gnat under the mighty hand of a holy God. And you don’t play games with that.
Editor: Were you an atheist intentionally or was that sort of a default position?
Cameron: I think it was more of a default position. That’s a good question. It was probably more of a default position, but, it was one I embraced as I got older, because it was more conducive to the funnest [sic] forms of sin. Interestingly, it really never was a default position, because the Bible tells us in Romans that what can be known of God is clearly seen by the things that He’s made, so that no one has an excuse. So the default position is to believe in the Triune God of the Scriptures. And we have to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So, that’s kind of a long answer, but that’s the way that I approached Christianity.
Editor: Who or what turned you?
Cameron: Well, I was asking some questions at about 17 years old and a friend invited me to go to church. I had no interest in church, but I had a great interest in the girl that invited me to church.
Editor: Same thing happened to me, the same age, too.
Cameron: There is always a pretty girl in there somewhere. So I went to church and heard Chuck Swindoll. And I started asking questions and investigating Christianity and the claims of the Scriptures. My pastor told me once, and I always remember this, he says, “Kirk, I want you to remember something. When people ask you how did you find the Lord, I want you to remember, you did not find the Lord. He wasn’t lost. You were and He found you.” I can look back now and say, you know, I wasn’t seeking after God, I was seeking after my own pleasure and God sought me out and turned me around and he saved me.
Editor: You’re wearing a Liberty University shirt — what’s this all about?
Cameron: Oh, my Liberty shirt. Let’s see, Liberty University is a great university.
Editor: We know them well. Good friends.
Cameron: I was at Thomas Road in Lynchburg, VA, and this last year I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the staff and some of the students at Liberty University, and we have actually been in partnership on the new film that I’m making called Unstoppable. So they are helping to produce through their film department some of the content for the Unstoppable project.
Editor: It is going to broadcast from the campus.
Cameron: It is going to broadcast live from Liberty University next Tuesday and I have had a chance to tell a lot of people about Liberty University and I think they are doing an incredible job.
Editor: Tell me about the movie.
Cameron: Well, it’s called Unstoppable. It’s a brand new project that is based on a true story — a very personal project. My friend Matthew, 15 years old, just died of cancer this year and this is kind of a visual journal where I take a journey to the heart of the question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” I think it’s fresh and unique in its approach
Editor: Is it a documentary?
Cameron: What I actually do is recreate the Biblical narrative, starting in the garden of Eden with Adam being created out of the dirt, and Eve coming out of his side, and Cain murdering Abel, and the flood, and all the way on through. So, I like to look at it as — I think of it more as a visual journal of a guy who’s trying to wrestle through the question “Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?” and he goes to the Bible to find the answer in the great narrative story from the garden to the heavenly city and figuring out, where is, why is God letting so much tragedy take place in this whole thing — where is He?
Editor: One last thing — talk to me about your wife’s foundation —Firefly.
Cameron: The Firefly Foundation — the camp that we run is called Camp Firefly. We started it about 25 years ago and it’s a camp for terminally and seriously ill children and their families. We invite six families every summer around the country to an all-expense paid family vacation where they get away from needles and chemotherapy and doctors and treatments and just have a blast together. So, you know, kids with bald heads and missing limbs are all jumping in the pool together, and dads are golfing, and moms have queen-for-the-day makeovers and forget about all the difficult stuff, and just have fun and develop family memories and talk about their faith and just have a great time together. And it’s called Camp Firefly. We’ve been doing that for about 25 years and actually, that’s how we met Matthew, who is the inspiration for my film Unstoppable when he came to camp two years ago.
Editor: Kirk, thanks so much for talking to the Tribune.
Cameron: Oh, you’re welcome, my pleasure.