Daily 49er - Cameron chats about God, forgiveness

By Desi Molinar
On-line Forty-Niner

He wore a dark gray sweater and his eyes looked grayish-green up close ... in case the girls were wondering.
 
More than a decade ago he was the star of a television hit series and partied with the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio. Girls waited hours in deafening Beatlemania-like crowds for his autograph. On Thursday he was on campus to see and shake hands with the students of Cal State Long Beach.
 
But he wasn't here to sign autographs. He was here to talk about God.
 
"Growing Pains" actor Kirk Cameron was the celebrity guest moderator for a debate between author Ray Comfort and CSULB's Director of Forensic Studies Matt Taylor. Sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, the forum was designed to answer: "Does God exist, and if so, who cares?"
 
"I came to hear the arguments, I love this subject," said Stephanie Maynare, 18.
 
Comfort, who can usually be seen on campus atop a wooden box crying out against evolution while students jeer and yell at him, discussed the Bible, the conscience, and creation as evidence that God exists.
 
"Behold," he said as he held up a banana, "the atheist's nightmare."
 
The audience laughed as he began an elaborate discussion on how the banana was perfectly created for human consumption.
 
"Look at the case it's already packaged in. Notice how its shape is already angled to our mouths," Comfort said. "The genius of God's mind is reflected in creation."
 
Taylor argued that the existence of God holds no relevance in daily life.
 
"Creation proves nothing more than we are here," Taylor said.
 
Because we are reasoning human beings we don't need God to know that murder and rape are wrong, we can figure those things out on our own, he said.
 
Taylor also argued for using the conscience as evidence. He challenged the audience to examine the consequences of belief in the existence of God. Besides giving us rules, he said, why believe in God?
 
"I don't need to bow down to God, or ask him for forgiveness," Taylor said.
 
Cameron's eyes watered when it was his turn to speak about forgiveness and God.
 
"This is not a publicity gig," Cameron told the audience, "I sincerely care about you and I want you to be in heaven."
 
A Christian for 14 years now, Cameron shares his testimony with live audiences and filmgoers alike. He is currently starring in the "Left Behind" movies, which are films based on the best-selling series of the same name.
 
"I've actually only read the first one so far," he said with an embarrassed smile, "isn't that funny?"
 
A married man with five children (he married the actress who played Mike Sever's girlfriend on the show), the actor has appeared on Kirk, several Growing Pains reunions and Touched by an Angel. This was his second time speaking with Ray Comfort.