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 Kirk Cameron released a documentary in theatres on Friday titled "Monumental."
April 13th, 2012
05:02 PM ET
With 'Monumental' Kirk Cameron emerges as Christian activistBy Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN)– Kirk Cameron could have joined the ranks of former TV heartthrobs who rode off into the sunset, reappearing only for the occasional reunion show or career-reviving role in a TV drama. Think Ricky Schroder or Scott Baio. But Cameron, known to millions of Americans as Mike Seaver on the hit ‘80s-era show “Growing Pains,” is carving out a new niche for himself, as an unlikely voice of politically conservative American evangelicals. Cameron has a new documentary on the faith of America’s founders that arrives in theaters on Friday. He is neither a historian nor theologian, but the film, “Monumental,” shows him consumed with Christianity - and with rage over what he says has been the systematic removal of religion’s role from American history. The film opens with Cameron sitting on an Adirondack chair in his backyard. Looking straight and silently into the camera, a voice-over of his own voice alerts viewers that the world around him is going to hell.
“There is something seriously sick in the soul of our country,” the voice-over says. “Don’t worry about the fact the world is going to hell in a hand basket - just get out of the hand basket,” his friends tell him. But Cameron explains that he refuses to listen and instead sets out to make “Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure,” which investigates the debate over America’s soul. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Over the last decade, Cameron has become the wholesome, boyish face of Christian cinema. He starred in “Left Behind,” the low-budget film based on the wildly popular Christian book series. More recently, he played the lead role in “Fireproof,” a breakout film that shocked the Hollywood establishment when it debuted in the top 10 in its first week and wound up taking in an estimated $33 million. The film was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, for just over $500,000. Cameron was one of the only professional actors in the film; the rest were congregants from the church. Along with such popular movies as Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” ”Fireproof” showed the potential for a new market in explicitly Christian films. In the last two years, crossover movies like “Soul Surfer” and “Courageous” have had parallel advertising campaigns targeting churches. The movement has propelled Cameron back into the spotlight. “Monumental” is Cameron’s baby. He is its executive producer and its star. “When I survey the landscape and turn on the news, all signs are saying panic,” Cameron recently said. “Instead of listening to everyone play the blame game … maybe the best place to look for solutions was to talk to the men and women who built this country 400 years ago and laid the foundations that resulted in a nation that has experienced more blessing and prosperity and strength than any other nation in the world,” he said. “That launched me on this journey to retrace the Pilgrims and find the sacred sauce.” In the film, Cameron retraces the Pilgrims’ steps from England to Holland to the New World. He talked to scholars and historians, digging in on the faith of the Founding Fathers. What he found, he said, is a forgotten historical narrative not taught in schools. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Those first principles, as Cameron sees them, are spelled out in a scene depicting a large stone monument near Massachusetts’ Plymouth Rock, the spot memorialized as the place the Pilgrims landed. “Faith in God … produces character, character will produce courage, courage to face the challenges of the day,” Cameron says in the movie, riffing off the Pilgrims’ story. Cameron teamed with NCM Fathom, a company that streams live events to movie theaters nationwide, like live performances of the Metropolitan Opera and boxing matches, to offer a sneak peek at the film a couple of weekends ago. That debut was emceed by Cameron, featured live performances by Christian bands and was beamed out live on more than 600 screens, grossing $1.23 million, according to NCM and Cameron's publicist.  Kirk Cameron stares at an inscription at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington. The new documentary has faced criticism for its inclusion of self-taught evangelical Christian historian David Barton. A favorite among evangelicals for his Christian-centric views of the Founding Fathers and his vast collection of historical documents, Barton is heavily featured in the film. “The reason I went to go see David Barton is because he owns the largest collection of original source documents from the founding era that I can get my hands on and that you can go and see,” Cameron said. “When you look at those documents it becomes incredibly clear there has been a lot of cherry picking of the evidence done to support a very particular worldview, and that’s the worldview our children are learning in school and it’s not the full and complete historical record because it doesn’t reflect the faith of our Founding Fathers,” the actor said. In a version of the film made available for screening and in clips posted online, Barton shows Cameron the “Thompson Hot Press Bible,” which Barton said was printed in 1798 and was funded by 12 signers of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, including John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. “They wanted the word of God out to every family,” Barton says in the clip. “If these guys happen to be Christians it makes a lot of sense.” Barton then picks up a small rare Bible known as the “Aitken Bible.” “The Bible of the Revolution was printed by the Congress of the United States. So Congress printed the first English Language version of the Bible,” Barton said. He goes on to say the Congress said, “This was a neat edition of the Bible for use in our schools.” Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College, a private Christian school in Pennsylvania, has criticized Barton’s version of history and Cameron’s films. About much of the history featured in the film, Throckmorton said, “That’s just not what happened.” After seeing clips of the documentary, Throckmorton fact-checked some parts. He said he found that the “Thompson Hot Press Bible” was not funded in total by 12 Founders. Instead, he said, the Bible was funded by a subscription base of 1,200 customers that included 12 Founding Fathers. “The printers funded that Bible, the Founders didn’t fund it. It was a business venture for them.” As for the quote Barton attributed to Congress about putting the Bible in schools, it actually came from Robert Aitken’s petition to Congress. Aitken was a colonial printer. The Journals of Congress from 1782 shows Aitken completed the Bible on his own and sought the blessing of Congress. The record shows a report from two congressional chaplains who examined the work, which they praised. Congress passed a resolution to recommend “this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation in the manner he shall think proper.” That resolution did not mention it being put in schools. “David Barton gets the facts wrong when it comes to these two Bibles,” Throckmorton said. “The facts of the case are stretched and embellished to create a narrative that is misleading.” Cameron defended Barton’s work. “No one is more guilty of cherry picking evidence than those who bow to the god of political correctness, especially historians,” Cameron said. “Everyone is going to select the information that is important to their thesis. If you’re bent on being politically correct, it’s very easy to fall into that trap.” Throckmorton noted that he and other critics of Barton’s work hail from Christian colleges and universities. Early controversy surrounding Cameron's comments on social issues have given the film more media coverage than Cameron could have imagined for a small-budget documentary. Appearing on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight last month, Cameron fielded questions about abortion, gay marriage and what he would do if one of his six children came out to him as gay. None of the topics appear in the film, but Cameron expressed views on same-sex marriage, abortion and homosexuality that are common among conservative evangelical Christians. Cameron called homosexuality “unnatural,” adding, “I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization." His comments sparked outrage from gay rights groups like GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The group led a campaign to counter Cameron’s comments with other 1980s TV stars and evangelicals on the other side of the theological spectrum. GLAAD spotlighted a bevy of celebrities who chided Cameron for his positions on homosexuality, including a tweet from Rosanne Barr, who suggested Cameron was “an accomplice to murder with his hate speech.” Cameron said his support for traditional marriage is rooted in faith and thinks it should inform policy decisions: “You either believe marriage and human sexuality are sacred or you do not.” Cameron jokingly described his faith as “high octane” but said he considers himself part of the evangelical Christian tradition. He said he goes to a small nondenominational community church near his home in California, though his publicist later clarified that he is not a member of the church, whose name he would not disclose because of privacy and security concerns. Cameron said he was caught off guard by the controversy around his comments. “It is my goal to love everyone. I hate no one,” he said. “Regardless of their race, religion, their proclivities, the desire of their heart and how they want to live their life and the decisions that they make. I can even respect people’s decisions and lifestyle choices just as I hope they have the courtesy to respect my decisions and my choices.” soundoff (2,339 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Why do I have the feeling that someday we will see a news report that Kirk Cameron and his band of evangelical groupie whackjobs all committed suicide while waiting for a comet to pass by, or somewhere in a South American jungle compound "drinking the Koolaid" ?
I'm more inclined to believe that eventually pictures of Kirky starring in a gay p0rn film will surface...
Love it.
Cameron seems like a stand-up, moral guy not unlike the many kind and intelligent Christians I know. Looney left liberals will always see Christians as crazy. What they don't realize is that they are projecting.
To Whatever .... oh sure, and Jim Jones, David Koresh and Warren Jeffs all appeared like fine upstanding moral guys too at first.
No, Writer, they did not. They harbored guns and proclaimed themselves to be the messiah. Come on. Cameron is merely professing his mainstream faith in a public way. That's why his Christian movies have sold so well, because they espouse rational, reasonable Christianity. If you were to label his movies immoral in some way, I probably would not like to know you.
To Whatever .... Bravo ! That's the true Christian spirit, "believe what I believe or I would not like to know you" you could not have summed up Christian Hypocrisy any better
Whatever: Loony Left Liberals? Wow, how clever. Did you come up with that on your own?
In any case, your bloviating indicates that this is not just a matter of belief to you, it is one of politics (hence, the Loony Left drivel).
Those who purport to speak for god do not know what they are projecting
strange how so many of you are calling him a hack or has-been or crazy because you don't share his beliefs. while he may sound more extreme than most people in America, his views are shared in some degree by about half the people living in this country.
He sounds like a mainstream Christian to me. No one but the media can seem to truly define what an "Evangelical" is, but apparently it is synonymous with Christian.
yes, and those half of the people are Crazy, also. Comments like calling people 'unnatural' and 'detrimental and destructive to civilization' - then in another breath say that you 'respect' those same people, is cowardice! The problem with people like Cameron and other faux-christians in this country, is that they are masking their extreme religious beliefs by feigning respect for the very people they loathe. To me that seems sociopathic; which equals crazy.
well Relax People ... his beliefs include the Earth being just 6000 years old and that there is a God who spends his time watching where gay people put their penises, so you decide if Cameron and his type are crazy. Just sayin ...
First, if your name is going to start with AlphaBeta, it probably ought to end with Omega. 😉 Second, of course, the people you call crazy think your half is crazy. What you think is reasonable is for Christians to call something moral which they believe is immoral. That's unreasonable and irrational. Ain't gonna happen. Your "tolerance" amounts to "Believe what *I* think you should believe." So, how are you any different from those you call crazy? Hint: You're not, you just believe differently (and wrongly 😉 ).
can anyone answer this........which Christian religion is Kirk promoting? I need to know which one is the right one.
any religion is the right one, just ask any of them
and I say Kirk Cameron "is" the Messaiah, I should know, I've followed a few
I suspect Obama is one of those Messiah's you followed? LOL
I was raised in a strict religious household, church every Sunday, studied the Bible for both Communion and Confirmation classes. I was an acolight and a member of our youth group. I read the Bible 4 times cover to cover, the Koran once, was taken to many Billy Graham conventions, and can say that I am 100% HUMANIST. Thanks to Spinoza, Sagan, Einstein, Dawkins, Hitchins, Jefferson, Gates, and all of the other doubters with half a brain who have helped pave the way for those of us following in your footsteps. If Christians would concentrate on life before death half as much as they concentrated on life after death, this world would be a much better place.
Christian's started hospitals, education systems, orphanages, and thousands more "earthly" good works. The Catholic Church gives more time and money to the poorest of the poor then any organization in the world. Maybe your studying was not as complete as you thought.
I agree, very good ventures. Are you implying that without belief in God they would not have tried to contribute to the common good?
Funny, I've had a similar upbringing and education, yet I've come to a different conclusion. In addition to what you say you've read, I think you should also read Neitzsche, Kirkegaard, and other existentialists. Then, go back and re-read Ecclesiastes. Don't think that because you've become a humanist your thinking days are over.
“A little philosophy makes a man an Atheist: a great deal converts him to religion”
― David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
More people have been killed in the name of "god" than for any other reason in all of human history. Probably why they need all those hospitals, orphanages....etc
@DPGW More people have been killed in the name of Nationalism in the last hundred years then anything else. Though the Hitchesites will say it's all religion!!
If only we had more actors and actresses coming forth like Kirk. I just love this guy. The Catholic Church also teaches that the world is approximately 6000 years old, and I think that a credible statement.
Personally, we reject "modernism" in it's many forms. That doesn't mean that we reject new medical procedures, that would be tantamount to be dressing as some of the Middle Eastern countries do, which we don't. C'mon now all you agnostics and atheists, some day if you ever have the humility to do so, you'll find out that Kirk Cameron and millions of other Christian people in this country are correct. Can't have it both ways.
Without any faith foundation, everybody becomes his own god, so to speak, as any morality, right or wrong, in in the eye of the beholder, himself. Those kinds of people are practicing Secular Humanism which has been declared a religion in two instances by the Supreme Court many years ago. So yes, even though you claim atheism/agnostiicm, you're still practicing a religion, it's just your own created religion.
I seriously hope this is a joke. If not, please pray to your GOD that we never cross paths, I would never be able to reciver from the ignorance.
I'm not sure how you'd reciver from your ignorance anyway, Linden.
He has stated what he believes and how he feels on certain issues. He also states that he respects the decisions made by others. What else do you expect?
I expect him to keep his opinions on religion to himself, where they belong.
Hey Kirk:
Jesus phoned me this morning. Said you were full of s &* t. Sorry...
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/b6ddedd57e/ccokc-child-celebrities-opposing-kirk-cameron?rel=player
Studies have proven time and time again that there is a higher incidence of incest among those families living in the southern bible belt. Particularily those residing in trailer parks. And even more so if the family last name is Palin.
Hey, if it was good enuf for Cain and Eve ...
You have just summed up the meaning of your existence palintwit. Your life is so empty that you spend any portion of your life with expressions of the connection between Sarah Palin, trailer parks and incest. Have you ever considered that there is more to living your life, regardless of your beliefs?
Jesus..Still dead after all these years....
Kirk is a great example of how even ignorant delusional people can succeed. Especially in a country that is (unfortunately) filled with many of his ilk.
“There is something seriously sick in the soul of our country,” the voice-over says.
Bin Laden said the same thing about Saudi Arabia when he formed Al Queda.
comparing Kirk Cameron to Osama bin Laden. absurd doesn't even begin to describe you
How does Kirk Cameroon reconcile his self created image of Thomas Jefferson with the Jeffersonian bible?
Very true. Jefferson left behind many unmistakable clues about his opinion of religion. But as with a god, the faithful will create what they need, and will create it out of their own image.
"We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are." - Anais Nin
He has THE LIAR David Barton tell him more lies about what Jefferson really meant.
Kirk Cameron has an agenda against gays, evolution, abortion, etc. He's just another extremist who is trying to control others through a strict letter-of-the-law belief system. His heart is in the right place(a belief in a Higher Power), but it's his head that I'm really worried about. Kirk doesn't understand that God and life are all about the Spirit-of-the law, which certainly includes kindness, compassion and acceptance. I would suggest strongly that he find another religion, a much kinder one.
OH MY GOODNESS! I hope this is published on one of those flaobuus wedding sites, like Style Me Pretty or Wedding Chicks. This is just sooooooo flaobuus. The wedding itself is amazing, from the cake and pastel decor and crazy gorgeous flowers to the bride herself in her retro hairstyle and beautiful dress and jewels. Bravo we love your photography and ALWAYS check out your latest. -Weddingish
He is the epitome of the person Katie Goodman is describing in her video "Probably Gay". You Tube it.
He believes the earth is 6000 years old. That means all modern science is wrong. But when he gets sick, he still goes to the doctor. In theory since the doctor's treatments are based upon modern science there should be nothing in the doctor's office that will work for him. He lives in a world surrounded by modern science that says everything he believes is not true. What you are really seeing is the end of the road for child star who can not stand the fact that the lights have gone out. This is his version of doing infromercials for a living.
You nailed that one Eddie!
"I am a Catholic. In case of medical emergency, please call a priest."
"I am an atheist. In case of medical emergency, please call a doctor."
If you truly have blind faith that science has disproven religion, then you are more of a lost cause than Cameron could ever be. There are plenty of highly educated and intelligent people who are religious.
@Reality
The cool thing about science is that you don't need faith in it. You read the facts and see the results that scientists produce (they also independently verify each other's results) and if it seems pretty accurate to you you accept it. If it doesn't make sense you are welcome not to believe it or try to disprove it yourself.
What you missed there, 80's icon, is that I said faith that science has proven religion wrong is the issue. It hasn't. It won't. It can't. Science describes the physical world as we fallible humans see it. Science has nothing to say about metaphysics. Science is great. I'm a scientist. I'm also still a Christian.
I have been a Christian all my life, but the bigoted and hateful behavior of these Christian nut jobs has chased be far away. I'd rather be a good agnostic than one of these pushy, intrusive, and hateful people ANYDAY.
You were never a Christian to begin with, for if you were, and practiced being Christian, you wouldn't have fallen for your present state.
Cameron is not in any way hateful or bigoted. People who accuse him of such are intolerant and hateful.
Right you are, Lainie11, because as well all know, TRUE Christians never give up on their pushiness, intrusiveness, and hate.
And then a person like Lainie11 comes along and shows you how religion is egotism cloaked in fake humility. If you disagree with their view they show their egotism by suggesting it is you that simply doesn't get it... oh, but they still love you
@Lainie11: Do you have a single clue as to the definition of the word Agnostic?
Christian is equal to Theist (a BELIEF in god)
Gnostic is knowledge that a claim is correct.
Atheism-disbelief in god(s)
Agnostic-a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable
No honest person is gnostic in terms of god or no god, so glorydays is at least being honest in their stance.
@Lainie11 RISEN, not fallen!
If something exists that we would call god, it has nothing at all to do with religion here on earth.
Lainie is a perfect example of one I chose not to be like.
Mr. Cameron, can you tell us about the Banana?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfucpGCm5hY
Hot Dogs too were created by God as they are just teh right size and shape for the human mouth and they coem magically wrapped (by God) and placed on store shelves.
Ahahhhahha! Even if this is fake, it's hilarious.
Bananas are just the right size for the anus, does it mean they are supposed to go there too?
Not fake... they are serious with this nonsense.
boy god really messed up with the coconut...
Voice of Reason:
It seems that you have something against Baloney. My baloney has a first name, it's O S C A R. But seriously, I'm not attacking your right to believe as you do, but you attack people for their belief. This is a forum to comment on the article and for some of us, how it impacts us. Why do you need to attack?
Because I deplore your ignorance and I have grown intolerant to your intolerance. I am defending reality from the throngs of a mental disorder called religion, faith and belief.
Hmm. So you are being intolerant of me and calling me intolerant when you don't even know me. You do this based on your opinion. So in the name of intolerance you are attacking versus in the name of tolerance. I guess I will have to be tolerant to your attacks. My point is that everybody has a right to their opinion and their belief. That is tolerance!
Gosh! With all this Christian posturing you would have no idea he is actually gay!
Why put out rubbish? If you disagree with him, okay but come on... I'm sure that his wife who he married in 1991 might disagree. Argue your point!
I know right ! I love how he spews hatred then turns around and says we should respect him all the while he spits on everyone else... Typical hypocrite christian !
Dennis, plenty of gay people get married to straight partners, especially if they are religious and looking to "cure the gay" inside themselves. There are gays who stay married for 20+ years and finally can't keep lying to themselves any longer, after they've had kids, grandkids even. I don't know if Kirk is gay, but he certainly seems to *act* like he's trying *not* to be gay sometimes, if that makes sense. It is also true that those most desperate to believe in a "gay cure" are most likely gay themselves, which is why they fixate on the topic, and we do have his recent comment about gay people.
Ummm Dennis, LOTS of gay people are married. You and your christian arguing = always fail.