Radio Host Fired For Wondering If Pope Went To Heaven

[Ally_Kat]

Radio Host Fired For Wondering If Pope Went To Heaven


PITTSBURGH -- An evangelical Christian talk show host who questioned the beliefs of the Catholic church and entertained a caller's question about whether the late Pope John Paul II would go to heaven has been fired.

Marty Minto, 39, a senior pastor at a New Castle church, was fired Friday after three years as a host on WORD-FM in Pittsburgh. He said he was told that he was alienating listeners.

"As far as I'm concerned, I was doing what I've always done on the radio -- look at events around the world from a biblical perspective. I've always been willing to talk about controversial subjects," said Minto, who has had shows in Albany, N.Y., Denver and Phoenix.

Last week, Minto questioned some of the Catholic church's beliefs, such as purgatory, and fielded a question from a caller who asked whether the pope would go to heaven. Many evangelical Christians believe that someone must be a "born-again" believer to enter heaven.

Minto, who is also senior pastor of the 100-member Turning Point Community Church, said he told the caller that whether someone was born-again was personal and "between an individual and the Creator."

Chuck Gratner, general manager of WORD-FM, didn't dispute Minto's description and said he was let go because of differences in how he conducted his show.

"WORD-FM needs to function in this city in support of the entire church -- that means everybody -- and not focus on denominational issues," Gratner said.


Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Ally_Kat]

well, that's not right. I mean, yeah, as Christians we're all not suppose to judge or speculate where someone ended up cuz that's the Big Man's job. But, in this country we're suppose to be able to express our opinions.

[FORD]

It was pretty irresponsible of the guy to dis the pope and the Catholic church the week the Pope died.

I'm not sure it was enough to fire the guy for, but, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania), Catholics make up 1/3 of the population of PA, so the guy should have realized they made up a good chunk of his station's base.

Denominationalism is bullshit anyway. It comes down to whether or not you believe in Jesus Christ and live by His teachings. Anything other than that is the works of man, not of God.

[DrMaddVibe]

So bearing false witness is ok now?

[Matt White]

Originally posted by FORD
It comes down to whether or not you believe in Jesus Christ and live by His teachings. Anything other than that is the works of man, not of God.

SLAM DUNK.

[FORD]

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
So bearing false witness is ok now?

What do you mean, AssVibe?

Do you consider the Catholic Church a false witness?

And even if so, do you think that the week the Pope died might not be the best time to bring that up?

As I said, there are a lot of churches practicing the doctrines of man more than the teachings of Christ. But that doesn't mean I'm going to walk into Thomas Road Baptist Church in Virginia and talk shit about Jerry Falwell while the man's in the hospital with pneumonia.

If the radio guy wanted to raise Catholicism as an issue, maybe he should have held off and framed his questions around what the new pope would do, rather than piss off a bunch of people by implying JP might be relocating to a beachfront condo at the Lake of Fire.

[DrMaddVibe]

[i]
It comes down to whether or not you believe in Jesus Christ and live by His teachings. Anything other than that is the works of man, not of God. [/B]

No, dimwit...this comment not your last tirade.


Your whole existence here is prefaced on bearing false witness and lying by omission!

[FORD]

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
No, dimwit...this comment not your last tirade.


Your whole existence here is prefaced on bearing false witness and lying by omission!

Explain yourself, AssVibe. Because I have no idea what the Hell you're talking about.

[Pink Spider]

Due to the fact that the pope was both anti-war and anti-homosexual, I'm surprised that he's getting so much worship from both the pro-freedom (at least socially) left and pro-war right in death.

I suppose it's OK to be a hypocrite when each side is pretending to love the guy to not piss off a few Catholics.

[bueno bob]

He shouldn't have been fired. Actually, I kinda like how it played out, according to the article...God forbid anybody speak about anything that may not be a "Safe Topic" or "Within the Approved Grounds of Debate"; Evangelical radio operates much like the evangelical churches, apparently.

ASK NOT!!! DEBATE NOT!!! QUESTION NOT!!! BELIEVE OR SUFFER!!!!!

Now, very rarely do you get any exception to that. I went to a private school for a time, a Christian school, and any time I had ANY sort of questions or potential doubt about something that was taken for canon, I was SHUT UP as quickly as I could be (including out of school suspension for a week and a half for simply asking why one particular passage seemed to contradict another...don't remember the passages off hand, but they called me out of the room, into the office, and sent me packing for a week and a half because they thought that 'Something had "possessed" me to ask that question, and something was fighting a war inside of me and trying to corrupt other students...blah blah blah'. In truth, they just didn't have an answer and it scared the living shit out them, I think).

Would the Pope have gone to Heaven? Well, who knows? It seems like an entirely reasonable avenue of discussion, ESPECIALLY for an evangelical radio station - and the guy gets fired for alienating his listeners?

I don't get it, I guess.

[knuckleboner]

eh...here's to capitalism!

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by Pink Spider
Due to the fact that the pope was both anti-war and anti-homosexual, I'm surprised that he's getting so much worship from both the pro-freedom (at least socially) left and pro-war right in death.

I suppose it's OK to be a hypocrite when each side is pretending to love the guy to not piss off a few Catholics.


It's about Faith. You wouldn't understand.

[Pink Spider]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
It's about Faith. You wouldn't understand.

The "you wouldn't understand" excuse. I hadn't heard that in a while.

When cornered, it's always about Faith(TM), the easy way out.

[kentuckyklira]

Originally posted by FORD
It was pretty irresponsible of the guy to dis the pope and the Catholic church the week the Pope died.

I dissed the pope the day he died, and had fun doing it!:D :D

[BigBadBrian]

Originally posted by Pink Spider
The "you wouldn't understand" excuse. I hadn't heard that in a while.

When cornered, it's always about Faith(TM), the easy way out.


Told you so. ;)

[Pink Spider]

How irresponsible was the pope's "ban" on contraceptives, FORD?

[FORD]

Originally posted by Pink Spider
How irresponsible was the pope's "ban" on contraceptives, FORD?

Very much so. The Catholic Church position on birth control is completely ridiculous, especially if they claim to want to eliminate abortions.

[Ally_Kat]

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
So bearing false witness is ok now?

Yeah, how is Ford bearing false witness? Denominationalism is bullshit. It's all goes back to the same God and the same basic beliefs. Most of the denominations started because of interpretations of the Bible and faith put into political situations ( birth control, divorces, marriage and priests, gender and priests). So instead of trying to work within the religion, BAM!, new denomination.

Honestly, I dont think God of JC mind too much. Hell, in the red words you'll find "You think I came here to join? No, I came here to divide."

[FORD]

Originally posted by kentuckyklira
I dissed the pope the day he died, and had fun doing it!:D :D

But are you a DJ on a Christian radio station in Germany?

I'm guessing not ;)

[Katydid]

Originally posted by Ally_Kat
well, that's not right. I mean, yeah, as Christians we're all not suppose to judge or speculate where someone ended up cuz that's the Big Man's job. But, in this country we're suppose to be able to express our opinions.

Sounds like the public expressed their opinion and asked for him to be fired.

[FORD]

to weed eat or not to weed eat.... that is the question.....

The post itself is harmless....the thread is irrelevant at this point.....and the necro-poster in question, while a troll, is definitely not the worst of trolls we have had here lately....

**sigh** what a dillemma. I'll decide after dinner.......

[Soul Reaper]

Originally posted by Katydid
Sounds like the public expressed their opinion and asked for him to be fired.

no, it doesn't...sounds sensible to me....now go away before i reap you!

[Seshmeister]

http://www.treasonabledoubt.co.uk/images/b3ta/bankofjesus.gif