A friend found this article today in the News-Record and forwarded it on. Here’s a clip about Austin (who is on this week’s podcast as well as the PDYM Student Conference in July):

He says his decisions on the show were dictated by his Christian faith. There were the prayers during times of trial, such as when his tribe couldn’t start a fire to boil water to drink.

Or the time he tried to make his own hidden idol to trick tribemates into believing he had the show’s, but decided in the end not to use it.

“The system of ‘Survivor’ is contrary to how I want to live my life,” said Carty from a seat at Barnes & Noble, one of his favorite hangouts.

Carty’s display of faith on the show has garnered interest among Christian fans. His MySpace account has received hundreds of e-mails from those who say his dedication to the Lord was encouraging on such an aggressive, ego-ridden show.

But he admits the show’s following isn’t as big as it use to be and certainly can’t compete with other reality television shows, such as Fox’s “American Idol.”

Still, he says he plans to use his brief notoriety to further his own career goals.

“It opens up a lot of doors,” Carty said. “I just have to be careful as to who I follow and who I trust.”

His display of integrity on the show has helped him get into public speaking.

His agents are booking him to appear at events such as the Purpose Driven Youth Conference this July in California, along with engagements at other churches and youth conferences.

JG