How liberal pundit Bob Beckel found faith—and became a pro-life Democrat

Last updated on: April 27, 2017 at 10:10 am by Deacon Greg Kandra

How liberal pundit Bob Beckel found faith—and became a pro-life Democrat 2017-04-27T10:10:17-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

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He’s been a familiar presence on cable television for years, but there’s more to Bob Beckel than his suspenders and his progressive politics.

From Aleteia, here’s a look back at a profile of him in 2014, when he was promoting his new memoir:

By the early 2000s, Beckel lived a life worthy of a profile in Washingtonian or George magazine. He was rich. He was on television; he was a regular political contributor to CNN. He had many friends, including Cal Thomas, a nationally syndicated Christian conservative. And he stopped drinking.

But Beckel was not at peace. He and his wife were divorcing, and the couple had two children together. According to a court affidavit that the smokinggun.com posted, Beckel solicited the services of 21-year-old prostitute Maryam Massihi. In the wake of the attempted extortion, CNN suspended Beckel, a co-host of the popular show “Crossfire.”

Around this time, Beckel turned to God. He had been an agnostic, but going through Alcoholics Anonymous made him realize he needed a higher power. Then Cal Thomas sent him a copy of “Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” a 1992 book Josh McDowell wrote to defend Christianity from attacks by atheists and agnostics.

Reading the book inspired Beckel. “My faith has not been a burning bush, but a gradual turn to the Lord,” Beckel said. “I have taken a leap of faith. I see the possibility of faith.” Beckel is quick to add that God’s grace had a bigger hand in his conversion. “He wanted me to be here. I think my responsibility is help alcoholics. I have no doubt that luck would not have saved me,” Beckel said.

Beckel was baptized as an Episcopalian but identifies as an Evangelical who attends a Presbyterian church. His conversion extends to his politics. Now he is pro-life on abortion. “This probably came to me 10 years ago. I read the Bible and it’s very difficult for me to see that God wants us to be pro-choice. I’ve been affiliated with pro-choice groups. (Now) I’m on pro-life boards,” Beckel said.

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