Christian Film and Television Commission Chairman Dr. Ted Baehr recently revealed that late comedian Robin Williams accepted Jesus as his personal Savior during one of his rehab stays.
Williams committed suicide on Monday, and many friends and fans are still struggling to come to grips with the immense and sudden loss. Dr. Baehr expressed sadness for Williams' family, and shared a personal moment between himself and the actor in a blog post.
As editor-in-chief of conservative Christian publication "Movieguide," Baehr met Williams on several occasions at press events throughout the years. In addition to discussing the comedian's latest project, the two once spoke about Jesus Christ.
"Dr. Baehr shared Jesus Christ with Robin because they both grew up with a few similar parental beliefs," a Movieguide article revealed.
Williams grew up Episcopalian, although his mother was a Christian Scientist. He sometimes discussed his religious upbringing in comedy shows and interviews.
"Having been a choirboy, and I'm not Catholic, just going back to the old days when I was into going to church and remembering, as a Protestant, which is 'Catholic-light' once again, the idea of somebody that could really advise and has something to offer," Williams said of his role as a priest in the 2007 film "License to Wed".
"It was just remembering those guys that I grew up with in the Episcopal Church, which is there is no purgatory, just spiritual escrow. That was beginning of that. And then the idea that he's pretty much hands on as much as you can be without being a priest."
Dr. Baehr said that "Robin had, at one point, accepted Jesus Christ in one of the recovery programs, but he was always searching and never quite finding."
Williams – who had several stints in drug and alcohol rehab, as well as psychological programs – spoke of the effect of treatment on his spirituality in a 2007 interview.
"In rehab you go through a lot of [counselling]," he told Can Magazine. "You really do find out that that's one of the primary salvation [sic] when you go through rehab, that you come out of the other side knowing you're not alone and it give[s] you a very personal view of God.
"And many people would say, 'the higher power' or just the idea of a very deeply... once you come through that process you come out of it very much aware of 'There but for the grace of [God, go I]'."
Williams leaves to mourn three children, a wife, Susan, and a host of friends.
