You probably know her best as D.J. from "Full House," the cool, eldest daughter of the Tanner clan. But since her days as a child star, she has become a married woman--her husband is former pro hockey star Valeri Bure--and mother of three. She is also a passionate Christian, influenced by her brother Kirk's enthusiasm for the faith.Currently starring in the Christian DVD "The Wager," she plays an actress who tries to seduce the main character--a popular actor, played by Randy Travis--as he struggles with his faith. Cameron Bure recently spoke with Beliefnet about her Christian beliefs and how she prays for her former costars from "Full House." Watch segments from the interview or read the full interview below.
 |
The Hollywood Life |
 |
 |
A Strong Christian Faith |
 |
How are get-togethers with your friends or family members who are not Christian? Is there tension or hostility?
It doesn't [happen] in our family. There's a lot of people who aren't Christians, and we have a lot of friends who aren't Christians—who are Buddhists, who are Jewish, who are Hindu, and we still have great get-togethers. We love to share our faith in Christ, but it's not about being judgmental in that sense. It's about sharing and wanting them to see their need for Christ. We're certainly strong in sharing that. But, it isn't uncomfortable because it isn't a battle. We love Jesus and want to share Him.
In one scene in your new movie, the main character, an actor, is told by his director, "No one can relate to your archaic Christian ideology." Have you ever encountered someone who reacted that way to you in response to your beliefs?
No one's been as rude to me as that director was in the "The Wager," but certainly people have thought I've been a little crazy for having some of the beliefs that I do or just standing firm to the beliefs that I hold and not willing to do certain things.
I know that Christ doesn't say it's gonna be an easy life, but he's there to get us through it. I believe with all my heart the Bible to be true. So, no matter what comes before me in those trials or those arguments or those people who have those things to say, that's okay.
How hard is it to be a Christian in Hollywood?
It's very difficult to be a Christian in Hollywood, although it's easy to just say no. That's my choice and I can always say no. I have an easy out or an easy answer if I want it to be easy.
There's not a lot of family content, moral content, or faith-based films out there that are great-quality films. That's why I'm so supportive of a film like "The Wager."
Are you now choosing your film roles based upon whether they are family-friendly, wholesome, and Christian?
Absolutely. I will only do family-friendly films or television. They don't have to necessarily be Christian films, but I want to be in things that I'm comfortable having my children and husband watch. They come first in my life, not the film industry.
There are great scripts out there and we have found them, and those are the scripts and movies and television roles that I want to be a part of, and just keep urging producers and directors out there to keep making them because I know the public really wants them too.
It seems like nowadays, when celebrities get in trouble—they get arrested or a sex tape comes out, etc.--one of the first things they make sure happens is that they are seen at church or seen reading a spiritual book in public. Do you notice that, too?
Absolutely, because there's something that comes with a faith that [causes] people [to] say, "Oh, well, they must be searching for a deeper meaning," or "they're coming to terms with what they did." There's a wholesomeness to religion in general.
I mean we're always careful and cautious of what we see. Just because we see a picture or see someone do something once doesn't always mean it to be true. I think that we look at the progression of someone's life and just see their actions and the consistency of those actions to know whether that's real or not.
Right. And often with these celebrities, you see them at church once…
And never again. They're in the bar the next night. So, I think you can decide who's really walking the walk and who's just talking or using it as a publicity stunt.
How do you feel when you see some of these young, predominantly female celebrities getting arrested and getting in trouble? Why do you think you never fell into that trap?
It's just sad, and it's a shame to see it. But it's kind of the part of the seduction of Hollywood in general. You have everything at your fingertips, and if you don't have a really grounded support system around you—people who are looking [out] for your best interests and are willing to tell you "No, don't do that, it's not okay, that's a bad choice," then you're pretty much bound to fall into that trap and the seduction of it.
I think I came out of it okay because my parents were always there. They were always around us, and our family came first—it wasn't about Hollywood or the business. They were very protective in not allowing us to go out and go to parties and do those kinds of things. It was, "This is you work and your job, and have fun while you're doing it, but other than that, we're not gonna participate in all those extracurricular activities." A lot of parents today allow their kids to do that, and I think that sets the tone for what direction they could take. It's tempting out there.
Do you still keep in touch with your costars from "Full House"?
I keep in touch with a lot of them. I talk to Bob Saget a lot and Dave Coulier a lot. Everyone else, we all keep in touch and try and see each other a couple of times a year and get together for dinner.
Do you pray for them? Some of them have had public issues and troubles.
Yeah, absolutely, I do pray for them. And I've been able to share the Gospel with some of them.
What is your favorite prayer?
I just pray from my heart of wherever the Lord's leading me, so it's never a specific prayer. It's not something I repeat over and over. God's my best friend. It's a daily relationship with Him, so it's talking to Him every day and just feeling where He leads me and reading in His Word. It's brand new thoughts and prayers every day.
What do you pray for most often?
Just to be in His will, to be doing what He wants me to do, and just to be the best representation of Him that I can be.
Why do you think God puts us through tough situations and allows bad things to happen in the world?
The Bible tells us that sin entered the world and God allowed sin to enter the world. So if He stopped all sin in the world and stopped everything from going on, we'd all pretty much be robots. He could control us and do that. [But] He didn't make us robots. He gave us a free will to make our own decisions, but He allowed natural disasters and bad things to happen because it's really a test of our faith through those trials. How are we going to respond? What are we going to do about it?
That's where it comes down to the line of, "Who's following me? Do you love me, and are you going to follow me despite the things that happen to you, or not?" I think that's why He allows them.
Do you believe that just being a good person can get you into heaven?
No, I do not believe that just being a good person will get you into heaven. That's really my whole testimony, because that's what I thought. I thought that being a good person, I would get there. The Bible clearly says that it's only though one mediator, and that's Jesus Christ. He is "The Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one gets to the Father except through Me."
There is that only one way, and it [is] through Jesus, and [through him] we then want to do good works and good things. It's just a result of our love for him. But, doing good deeds alone won't get us into heaven, because that's what the Bible says.
