By Jim Brown
April 18, 2005

(AgapePress) - An evangelical Christian talk-show host is speaking out after being fired from the largest Christian broadcasting network in the country for questioning whether certain Roman Catholic beliefs were biblical.

Pastor and Pittsburgh radio talk-show host Mark Minto was fired recently from WORD-FM, a station owned by California-based Salem Communications. Minto says he was terminated after telling listeners that Catholic beliefs such as purgatory and devotion to Mary had no basis in scripture. He explains that listeners had called in to ask whether he believed Pope John Paul II went to heaven after his death.

"I responded by opening the Bible and making it very plain and clear of Jesus' words, that unless a man be born again he will never enter nor see the kingdom of heaven -- and that salvation is something that is personal [and] intimate between an individual and their Creator, who's God," Minto says.

"But you know," he adds, "Jesus said 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through me.' So I made it clear to them that unless the pope was born again and truly had the spirit of the living God dwelling within him, he would not enter into heaven."

The former talk-show host claims he was fired for "standing upon the Word of God and speaking truth." But WORD-FM general manager Chuck Gratner says Minto was shown the door because he was "alienating the audience." Minto believes Gratner wants to promote unity at the expense of biblical truth.

"It seems like Mr. Gratner wants the station to be more 'ecumenical,' reaching out to everybody and yet not dealing with specific doctrinal issues," he observes, "which is kind of interesting because I've dealt with specific doctrinal issues for the last three years that I've been on the program."

According to Minto, while on the air he has addressed controversy within current events and within several mainline denominations -- Southern Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, and others. That is why he says it was "quite a shock" when he was told the reason for his release.

Minto says if he were offered his old job back, he would not return to work under the present WORD-FM management. Salem Radio Network president Greg Anderson did not return a call seeking comment.

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