Do as I say…..
“And when you stop and think about itYou won’t believe it’s trueThat all the love you’ve been givingHas all been meant for you” — Justin Hayward
For some reason, I have been thinking about scumbags lately and when I think of scumbags my mind somehow wanders to Kirk Cameron. For those unfamiliar with Cameron and his work, he gained some fame and notoriety as the child star of “Growing Pains” back in the 1980s. Like most child stars, he didn’t successfully make the transition to adult actor. Once he stopped being cute he left the public eye for the most part.
What also happened is that Cameron went through a pretty dramatic conversion to Christianity. This conversion to Christianity may or may not have resulted in an actress getting fired from the show. For those that don’t want to go down the rabbit hole, Julie McCullough played his girlfriend on the show, but it was discovered that she had posed for Playboy. The rumor was that Cameron had her fired, because that kind of image didn’t jive with his new found Christian beliefs. Of course, he denies this version of the story. Needless to say, her career went the way of the doodoo bird and he went on to make more sanctimonious films and creative works.
Well, all that is old is new once again. Cameron is embarking on a library tour to read his children’s books. A Hendersonville Library director made the call to cancel an event involving Cameron as a way to keep the library from becoming a venue that would take part in a culture war. The director in question stated that he wanted to keep all potentially controversial events away from the library. This would include drag queens reading to children as well. Fair is fair after all. Well, the Sumner County Library board voted 4-3 to terminate the director of the library after Cameron and his group complained.
In a growing trend, some threatened violence if they didn’t get their way. To be perfectly fair, his supporters were not the only ones to threaten violence. Some on the left responded with threats as well. We aim to be fair here as much as possible and being fair means calling out bad behavior all the way around. All that being said, this is a pattern with Cameron. I’m legitimately thrilled when anyone finds a religion that works for them. If his Christian beliefs keep him on the straight and narrow then that is fantastic. Those Christian beliefs are also supposed to be tolerant and forgiving of those that may not subscribe to the same mode of thinking.
That goes for a young actress that may have made a decision she regrets and it goes for a librarian that decides that he doesn’t want his library to be used in a game of political ping pong. Free speech is a right that protects people from government oppression or government censorship. I suppose a library is in some way an extension of that, but the first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law…” It certainly doesn’t guarantee you the right to a platform and it certainly doesn’t make you look more Christian if you use coercion and threats to get your way. I’m sure Cameron’s books have a nice message, but that message is at least somewhat sullied by his tactics to get the story heard in the first place.
Isn’t the threat and use of violence much, much more prevalent from right wing actors? It seems I saw data to that effect, i.e., use of violence is generally not a comparable “both sides” occurrence.
1I saw an interview with Alan Thicke a few years ago. The part I remember most clearly was him talking about dealing with Kirk C after he found God (was born again). He said that Kirk became a PIA about everything. All The. Time. Kirk complained incessantly about the dialogue (everyone’s dialogue) and the storylines. It was all too risque, too suggestive, too blasphemous, too un- and anti-Christian.
Thicke mentioned that since Kirk was such a big part of the show, the dialogue was constantly being re-writtten to appease Kirk, often multiple times. Thicke said that Kirk pushed hard and often for the show to take a a religious turn — the Severs needed to all find God. Kirk’s character would be the first and then the family would follow seeing how great the character’s life had become.
Obviously this didn’t happen. Thicke said that Kirk’s OTT new found born-again life drove everyone on and connected with the show crazy. Thicke recounted a conversation he had with Kirk in which he told Kirk if the show was too “blue” for him, perhaps he should leave the show. Kirk’s response was no, the show needed to change to accommodate his wants.
Nothing Thicke said surprised me in the least.
2G, additionally how many examples of “both sides” do it where each point is addressed equally as in a-to-a, b-to-b, etc?
3Nick, as far as I am aware, there are about 2 examples of Christ getting angry and attacking – a non-fruit bearing tree and upsetting money changer tables at the temple. Essentially He did good works helping people while messaging people that they have a choice to make before they die. No secular threats from Him.
it seems to me that the christinists are about power, wealth,
ego, etc, at the expense of others while living an antithetical
life where the goal is to be first before the needs of others.
This Cameron episode is a use of force in the present that I doubt Christ would have employed.
G and Van Heldorf,
Point very well taken. The mention of a counterthreat was not intended to equate the tactics used by both sides as somehow equivalent. However, I see how a casual mention can be construed as such. I suppose the galling thing to me is that a side associated with Christianity would use such tactics. They above all else should be above board in order not to undermine their cause.
Heather,
I had heard a lot of that, but I didn’t realize the degree to which it had gone on. I am a cradle Catholic and have seen a number of Johnny come lately types that have strived to tell us what the rest of us were doing wrong. They usually fizzle out and go by the wayside. Kudos to Cameron for being devout for all of these years and yet he forgets God’s greatest commandment to love thy neighbor as he loves himself. That’s unless he hates himself as much as he seems to hate others.
4Nick @4. I am long retired. Background in science and law but not claiming to be any expert. Here’s a test you might consider doing with a group of people. Have them write down individually, not sharing, their definition of liberal and conservative or with other now pejoratives. See how many are in agreement.
5IMO, many of these words are not properly defined in usage either purposely or out of ignorance. This is one main reason there is no communication.
Again, IMO, there is nothing new going on here since modern man in human nature except change of clothing. Why?
What does every group of humans seem to have in common whether isolated in the jungles or anywhere?
A god and afterlife consciousness of some kind.
I have an admiring curiosity, contemplation, about the cosmos and quantum world more than “boy, that’s a lot of stars or that’s kinda small ain’t it?”. Helps me with perspective.
It seems to me that Christ was pretty clear on what we should do without all the trappings later added on by men that muddle this message. Lots of bubbly trails aiding distortion of the basic message.
Assuming laws of nature are valid, 13.8b years from Big Bang, 4+b years of sun and earth, 2b galaxies and counting so far, 5000+ years of written language, 100k+ of modern man to 100+b humans to date living under 100 years for most, why this dichotomy? What are the odds of this just being a roll of the dice? Does anyone have a better take on all of this except for some superior intelligence?
As an Ol’phart I would like to know while I’m still here.
Once, so long ago that conservatives believed in a free society, at least some of the time, James Jackson Kilpatrick intervened in a book burning dispute by forming a Beadle Bumble Fund (he’s in Dickens) to give copies of the banned book to all the kids in the town afflicted.
The NAACP is now buying books by Kendi and others to distribute in Florida.
I have often thought that a permanent Beadle Bumble Fund, standing by to flood communities with banned books, would be a good thing, but I am too lazy to start it myself.
6Heather,
7Thanks for the background on Cameron.
Perhaps the show runners of Growing Pains could have offered Kirk to change the name of the program to Growing Pain In The Ass?