Kirk Cameron Gay Comments Draw Praise From Christians, Rebuke From Hollywood Stars
Following Kirk Cameron's comments about homosexuality on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," many have been voicing their support of his willingness to stand on his faith and have praised him for not watering down his faith in public. However, his comments on the hot button topic have also drawn the ire of some Hollywood stars, who have spoken out against the born-again Christian for his religious beliefs.
Cameron pulled no punches with British interviewer Piers Morgan, and told the TV host that homosexuality is "unnatural," "detrimental," and "ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization" during the interview.
Various Facebook users flocked to Cameron's page to express their support following the interview, as Cameron was caught off guard by the questions, but still answered honestly.
"Kirk, thank you for your example and the stand you take for our God. I know He will reward you greatly for your faithfulness, and dedication to Him and the truth of His Word," wrote Melissa Harrington Manary.
Thousands of others endorsed Cameron's actions, saying he was "standing up for what is right," and that they "wished more of our stars were more like you."
Piers Morgan, later on, called Cameron's stance "brave," to TMZ, understanding the potential attacks Cameron would face for his faith.
However, some Hollywood stars, renowned for their liberal stance on the issue, were discontented with Cameron voicing his Christian beliefs, and attacked him over Twitter and other forms of media.
SEE VIDEO OF KIRK CAMERON ON HOMOSEXUALITY ON PIERS MORGAN SHOW
Roseanne Barr, whose sitcom "Roseanne" ran during part of the "Growing Pains" era, viciously attacked Cameron, radically saying he promoted murdering homosexuals.
"kirk or kurt or whatever Cameron is an accomplice to murder with his hate speech. so is rick warren. Their peers r killing gays in uganda," the actress tweeted Sunday.
Hollywood stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Craig Ferguson, Debra Messing and Kristin Chenoweth all voiced their disdain for Cameron's faith views on homosexuality. Alan Thicke, Cameron's on-screen dad in "Growing Pains," went further by dismissing Christian faith, saying the Bible is no longer relevant.
"I'm getting [Cameron] some new books. The Old Testament simply can't be expected to explain everything," tweeted Thicke.
Others have questioned the reason for the scorn piled on Cameron by a handful of Hollywood stars. Many bloggers have insisted that Cameron simply agrees with the Bible, which is nothing new or radical to receive such abuse. Christians generally believe that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, and that marriage is defined to be between one man and one woman.
"Marriage was defined by God a long time ago," Cameron said during the interview. "[It's] almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve - one man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage."
Despite the criticism by Hollywood, Cameron has amassed an outpouring of support from many who believe in traditional marriage. Even some critics of his comments have spoken out against the fierce attacks against him, citing his constitutional right to free speech.
"Cameron is thankful for the thousands of emails and comments that he's received from those who value the freedom to express one's beliefs," said the actor's rep in a statement via email.
"Kirk's religion clearly states that being gay is wrong, period. … He's not going to betray his faith just so everyone in Hollywood can approve of him," wrote one user, AmandaW, on Yahoo's OMG! blog.
"It's his right to believe what the Bible says about homosexuality … Simply disagreeing with something does not equal hatred," agreed user Starr.
Perhaps the most outspoken supporter of Cameron and Christian beliefs was Stephen Baldwin, who responded to the Piers Morgan interview soon after.
"GREAT JOB Kirk!!" Baldwin wrote. "Let's pray one day Piers Morgan finds true Salvation, God Bless!"
SEE VIDEO OF KIRK CAMERON ON HOMOSEXUALITY ON PIERS MORGAN SHOW