Kirk Cameron's library movement counters the culture war
Actor and Christian book author Kirk Cameron seen posing with his new children's book, "Pride Comes Before the Fall." | Courtesy of Brave Actor Kirk Cameron hopes to see Christian parents train their children to act as "soldiers of light," warning they can't stand idly by as the culture attempts to subvert faith-based values.
"We just need to hit the reset button," he told The Christian Post in a recent interview, "and it starts with turning our own hearts back to God as parents, living these things out by teaching our children the right stuff, and then modeling it for them."
Cameron, who starred in the 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains" and has become one of the most outspoken Christians in Hollywood, heads the See You at the Library movement, a grassroots effort to restore traditional values in public libraries, including faith, family and a love for America.
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The movement started after over 50 libraries told Cameron in December 2022 that he could not host a reading of his book, As You Grow, which teaches children about the Fruit of the Spirit.
Cameron has published several children's books through Brave Books: As You Grow, Pride Comes Before the Fall and The Fox, The Fair and the Invention Scare.
"So what we're trying to do with See You at the Library is just right the ship," Cameron said. "We don't have to go over the falls as a country to our destruction. We don't have to lose our children to a dark culture."
The Christian actor and author pushed back after several libraries refused to host or attempted to cancel one of his reading events amid opposition from liberals, and many libraries ultimately conceded, allowing Cameron to hold a story hour.
Reflecting on the experience, Cameron believes God was reminding him that "doing the right thing is always worth it." Despite the opposition he faced from several libraries throughout the country, the actor said that people still showed up for the reading events in numbers that often exceeded the library's attendance capacity.
"Do the right thing over the long haul, and you win," the Christian actor stated. "And in order to do that, understand that there will be opposition. Of course there is. There's a war over the culture. There's a war over the hearts and minds of your children. There's a whole world to be won out there."
"And this is battle training for soldiers of light. And if we want our children to move into a land of promise and opportunity and blessing, we have got to model for them what it means to be joyful warriors who start on our knees. We lead by example," Cameron stressed.
This year, the See You at the Library movement plans to host a reading event in Washington, D.C., at the Library of Congress. The details for the event are still being sorted out. The actor stated that the movement aims to have 500 story hours in all 50 states, with 50,000 people participating.
Last year, the See You at the Library movement had 360 story hours with tens of thousands of participants, according to Cameron.
One reason the See You at the Library movement appeals to parents, Cameron believes, is that it represents an opportunity to reclaim the culture as a whole, rather than keeping their faith compartmentalized. A simple yet meaningful way for parents to reclaim the culture is to read to their children, he said.
"And we have to remember that the other side is advancing their values every single day," Cameron warned. "They're doing it through social media, they're doing it through your schools."
"They're doing it through the movies, TV shows and cartoons that the kids watch, and they're doing it through your teachers at your public school," he added. "If we don't show up, if we don't replace the bad with the good and stand up for our values now, we will not have the freedom to live them later."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman