# John Ritter's Religion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406 "2003-09-29T01:54:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/21 "2003-09-30T13:10:26Z")
Saw mention that he died in the same hospital he was born in: Providence St. Joseph Medical which was founded in 1943 by the Sisters of Providence (Catholics). Now, in the emergency circumstances of his death he was probably just rushed to the nearest hospital but his birth wasn’t quite as unexpected. If his parents specifically chose a Catholic hospital there’s probably a good chance they were Catholic. Again, this doesn’t mean he was observant. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/22 "2003-09-30T13:11:06Z")
Although I find speculation about someone’s qualifications for Heaven tacky, since when have I let that stop me? But considering what Heidi Fleiss had to say about the man (didn’t Ritter get his own chapter of her book?) I will assume that, by the standards of MannyyL’s friend, no, we shan’t be meeting John Ritter behind the Pearly Gates. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/23 "2003-09-30T13:14:41Z")
It’s obvious that Ritter didn’t wear his religious beliefs on his sleeve, or press reports of his funeral would have said things like, “Ritter, a devout Christian/Moslem/Jew…” My advice is to google information about his father, Tex Ritter, the singing cowboy. If we can find conclusively that Tex Ritter was a devout Christian, or was buried in a Christian ceremony, then we can say that John was at least _raised_ Christian or cultural Christian. You might also want to try [http://www.findagrave.com](http://www.findagrave.com) in a few weeks and see if his grave has a cross, or a picture of Jesus, or a New Testament verse, on it to indicate his religion. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/24 "2003-09-30T15:14:52Z")
When I was a kid, I was very religious, raised in the Southern Baptist church. As a teenager, I was “saved” and baptized. A few years later, I wised up and am now a devout atheist. I’m curious whether MannyL’s friend would think that I will go to heaven. If so, I’ve got my bases covered! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/25 "2003-09-30T15:27:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bienville \* > \*\* If his parents specifically chose a Catholic hospital there’s probably a good chance they were Catholic. Again, this doesn’t mean he was observant. \*\* That’s ridiculous. I was born at St. John’s in Santa Monica as was my sister and step-sisters. We are all Jewish and had a Jewish OB. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/26 "2003-09-30T17:52:53Z")
Tell your friend that there IS NO HEAVEN, so it really doesn’t matter what religion John Ritter is. He ain’t goin’. My, my…this is one of the strangest topics I’ve seen thus far… ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/27 "2003-09-30T18:52:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scm1001 \* > \*\*didn’t John Ritter play a Minister of religion on the Waltons? I think it was his first regular TV show. > > mind you anyone who inflicted the Waltons on us is not likely to be in Heaven (only joking John) \*\* He also played the tennis-playing minister that married Ted Baxter to Georgette on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. Therefore, he may not be a Christian, but he often played one on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/28 "2003-09-30T20:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \* > \*\*Belrix writes: > > \> This acceptance is the definition of being “Christian” so > \> knowing if he was a Christian is sufficient to know that he is or > \> isn’t heaven-bound. > > If that’s the definition of being a Christian then it’s impossible (for any other human) to say whether anyone was a Christian at the time of their death.\*\* I’d agree with your statement. Going through the motions of Christian worship does not make you a Christian, IMO. A common phrase within the Christian community is that “Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore then going to a garage makes you a car”. So, can you _know_ if any individual is a _true_ Christian, give the “acceptance” definition I offered? No. You can only make a judgement based on what the person says and how he/she lives. The bible instructs Christians that our belief should be evident in our behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/29 "2003-09-30T20:45:07Z")
John Ritter played Satan in the movie _Wholly Moses_ (1980), so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/30 "2003-09-30T20:47:35Z")
Right, people choose hospitals based on reputation and distance from home. I assure you that many of those born at Sinai hospital were not jewish, and many from St. Josephs were not catholic. And in fact those from the Greater Baltimore medical center did not tend to be atheist. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/31 "2003-09-30T22:17:16Z")
godzillatemple- As far as my friend is concerned if John Ritter was Jewish then yes he would not be in heaven because he did not believe in Christ, juts like she believes I will not be in Heaven because I am Jewish and do not believe in Christ. I consider myself a non-practicing Jew although others would call me Agnostic I believe. Curt - I will ask her where she thinks you will end up. Kalhoun - I was thinking of saying that to her but I beleive there is something after this life and while I don’t know what it’s called why not call it Heaven? HeyHomie- Thanks for that link I find it quite intresting. ---
**Author:** ![ramester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de053/32.png) [@ramester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramester)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/32 "2012-10-29T20:52:29Z")
I wish it was true that good people would go to Heaven, but according to the Bible that simply is not true (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). If it was true God would never have allowed Jesus to go through the horrors of torture and crucifixion that He did to purchase our salvation. Plus, no matter how good we think we are, we could never measure up to God’s standard of goodness; which is perfection…and none of us are perfect (Romans 3:10-12). What we need to do to get to Heaven is to “receive Him and believe in His Name” (John 1:12) and when God sees the righteousness of Christ in us, He declares us to be righteous as He Himself is righteous, and then we can get into Heaven. But we first need to receive Christ into our heart (Revelation 3:20) and let Him change our lives. There are no good people in Heaven, only those who received God’s gift of salvation through Christ Jesus who died a horrifying death and bodily rose from the dead so we could be justified or declared righteous in God’s eyes. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/33 "2012-10-29T20:57:03Z")
I’m posting this from Heaven, and I can assure you that you are are mis-informed. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/34 "2012-10-29T20:57:52Z")
How about zombies? Do zombies go to heaven? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/35 "2012-10-29T21:02:21Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > How about zombies? Do zombies go to heaven? Are you talking about Christian zombies or zombies that observe some other type of religion? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/36 "2012-10-29T21:03:19Z")
John Ritter’s been dead 9 years!? Yes, God’s a total process-head. In fact, people in heaven are kinda jerks, because they’re all anal about how they got there. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/37 "2012-10-29T21:03:38Z")
John was a Beatlemaniac according to his gravestone. I’m not sure if God is a fan of the Beatles so who knows if he’s in heaven. > **[John Ritter (1948-2003) - Find a Grave Memorial](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7863414/john-ritter)** > > Actor, Comedian. A legendary figure in television, motion pictures and theatre, he is best remembered for his role in the television comedy series Three's Company (1977-1984) and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-2003). He received... ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406/38 "2012-10-29T21:13:57Z")
**ramester** , this forum is intended to provide factual information. Your response does not do so. Since this thread is old, I’m going to close it. If you wish to discuss your religious beliefs, you may do so in our Great Debates forum. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-ritters-religion/204406.md?page=1)