Dog the Bounty Hunter became a star chasing down criminals on his hit reality show.
But there was a side of him that fans didn’t get to see.
And Dog the Bounty Hunter made one confession about faith that no one saw coming.
Dog the Bounty Hunter talks about finding his faith
Duane “Dog” Chapman starred in the A&E reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter, which featured his work as a bounty hunter chasing down criminals who skipped bail.
A former member of an outlaw motorcycle gang growing up, he was known for his hard-charging persona on the show.
His wife and partner on his reality show, Beth Chapman, died after a battle with cancer in 2019.
Chapman credited his faith for being able to get through that loss.
In an interview with the Christian Post, he said that his life as a bounty hunter has shown him the true evil in the world.
“I have arrested and seen men that would do terrible things to little children as young as 6 months old,” Chapman recalled. “That is demonic possession. That is evil at its max. It’s not, ‘He was drunk,’ ‘He was a bad guy.’ No, that stuff grows and grows; they keep doing worse and worse.”
He explained that the flip side of the coin meant that there had to be a power with that much capacity for good.
“I try to explain what that supernatural power is, how to tap into it and live a happier life knowing that you’re going to Heaven,” Chapman explained.
“I say, ‘What if I’m wrong? And what if there is no God, and your soul just dies? You live and learn and die and forget it all? What if that happens?’ Then, oh, well. But what if there is a God? And what if the Bible is the Word of God? What if that’s real? And you may not believe in Hell, but you’ll be there five minutes, and you will. The Bible says it’s written in everyone’s heart that there’s a God,” Chapman continued.
Chapman said his faith led him to try and to bring the people he apprehended to Christ.
“I’ve arrested over 10,000 fugitives in my career, but I’m more famous for the backseat ride and the conversations that happen there,” Chapman explained.
Dog the Bounty Hunter talks about overcoming the loss of his wife
Chapman recently released his book, Nine Lives and Counting: A Bounty Hunter’s Journey to Faith, Hope, and Redemption.
He said that God called on him to give because of the number of times he’s been forgiven.
“I believe in God and the hereafter,” Chapman said. “You’re not going to Heaven because you do good works. […] The Bible says that he who has been forgiven the most has to give the most. I’ve been forgiven a lot. So I have to give more than you. […] I’m required under God’s law to give everything I can give more than most people.”
The book focuses on his belief that no obstacle is too great to overcome with the help of God.
“I think that if people realize how good they’ve got it, you can always overcome the bad things,” Chapman said. “You can always do that, of course, with prayer, asking God, counseling . . . I think there’s a way out of everything through the supernatural.”
Duane Chapman is trying to change the lives of as many people as he can with his faith.