Kirk Cameron credits 'Growing Pains' for spiritual awakening

Former teen idol Kirk Cameron has revealed how a chance encounter on the set of 'Growing Pains' led to his conversion from atheism to devout Christianity at the age of 17.

Cameron explained that his transformation began when he met an attractive actress who had a minor role in the popular 1980s sitcom.

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“What interrupted my atheism was a beautiful girl. She was so attractive that I wanted to go out with her and she said, 'Well, meet me this weekend.' I said, 'Great.' She gave me the address and where I presented myself? To a church”, he recalled.

At first, Cameron was skeptical. “I'm like, 'Oh please, I can't believe it.' do i go to church I don't even believe in that. But I thought, “I'm an actor, so I could fool myself through a one-hour church service.”

While sitting in the pew, he heard a message from the minister that made him question his beliefs and ultimately led him down the path of faith.

“It made me start asking questions. And I finally came to the conclusion that there's a lot I don't know, a lot I don't understand. And there are brilliant people throughout history who are 100 percent believers,” Cameron said , a native of Los Angeles.

Cameron, now a father of six, rose to fame playing high school student Mike Seaver in “Growing Pains.” His character was known for being a slacker more interested in girls and having fun than schoolwork.

Cameron married Chelsea Noble, one of his co-stars in the series. The couple resides in the Los Angeles area with their six children: Jack, Isabella, Anna, Luke, Olivia and James, who are between the ages of 22 and 27.

Reflecting on her teen idol days, Cameron noted that her frequent appearances on teen magazine covers are “very embarrassing” for her children. Her son James, in particular, finds the old glamor shots, which Cameron's mother has kept in a time capsule, “humiliating”.

Cameron is currently working on his children's show, “Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk,” which will premiere on YouTube in November.