Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 04/19/24

How God caught Dog the Bounty Hunter. In his third book, Nine Live and Counting, ex-con/fugitive chaser/reality TV star Duane “Dog” Chapman retraces a life of that began with missteps but somehow led to faith, hope and redemption.

JWK: This is your third book. How is this one  different than your first two?

DC: The first book (You Can Run But You Can’t Hide) was a biography. The second was When Mercy is Shown, Mercy is Given. I went through my life – how I became Dog, how I went to prison in the seventies and, basically, my life story- in the first book. The second one was showing why I have forgiveness for people and why I would arrest someone, throw him on the ground and then put him in the back or a car and talk to him about the Lord.

Now, the third book (is about how) I believe that God knew who we were in the womb. So, we were predestined to be who we are to be – but we do have a choice. God (doesn’t) make you be a sinner and God (doesn’t) make you be a Christian. So, I’m trying to explain why I think it’s better for everyone to be a believer in the Lord, in Jesus. With that you’re gonna, obviously, spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

I also believe – because of the things I’ve been through in my many lives – I have seen the worst evil that probably people have ever seen as far as arresting people for really, really bad crimes. I have seen absolute demonic possession where guys can’t even yell their name. They just want to kill. They lock them in cages and they want to kill. They gotta watch how them feed them. They’ll eat their hand off. If there is a demonic evil power that exists that is that strong then on the natural flip side of the coin, you could say, there’s gotta be a supernatural goodness that is even more powerful than evil because good triumphs over evil. That’s in every religion, every song, everything. So, I explain my walk with the Lord and how I got to be who I am.
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Remembering when presidents were presidential. Deadline reports that the producers of the feature film Reagan starring Dennis Quaid as the late President Ronald Reagan have reached a distribution agreement with ShowBiz Direct to release the movie in theaters nationwide on August 30th. The much-anticipated movie co-stars Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan, Mena Suvari as Reagan’s first wife actress Jane Wyman, Lesley-Anne Down as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, David Henrie as the teenage Reagan and Jon Voight as KGB agent Viktor Petrovich whose POV reportedly will be the dramatic device through which the the story of the late president is told.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film was shot in Oklahoma and California and follows Reagan from his small-town roots, through the glitter of Hollywood and on to commanding the world stage. Reagan is directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer, Miracle Season).

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.