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DenaliDemocrat

(1,701 posts)
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 08:45 AM Oct 5

Mr Roger's vs Charlie Kirk's "Christianity"

Mr Rogers was a republican.
He was a white christian cis het man.
He prayed and read the Bible every day.

He created a children's TV show with taxpayer money in which he promoted his "christian views" to a secular audience through secular media.
He studied other religions and other cultures to improve on his reach and connection. He never preached or quoted scripture--yet, we all got the message he intended for us.
He appealed to President Nixon and Congress to continue to fund the creation of PBS with a persuasive speech that is one of the most studied for public speaking and PR. A gentle but powerful speaker.
While white people were pouring concrete into public pools rather than share with black neighrbors, Fred Rogers broadcast himself sharing a quiet conversation in a pool with African-American music and co-worker, Francios Clemmons. The softest act of defiance against White Supremacy.
He was the most demanded speaker on college campuses--he did not have to con his way onto campus to speak and nazis and counter-protesters did not follow his appearances---You know, despite the fact that he was a white christian man promoting christian values to the general public.

Every generation since the 1968 has been positively impacted by Mr Rogers.
Even children in the past 20 years are benefiting from his legacy at PBS --his methods and messages are STILL used in children's programming around the world.

No one had to mandate mourning his death because we all actually felt a genuine loss when he passed away. Even grown adults, who had not watched his show for 10 years by the time he passed, felt a piece of genuine goodness leave the planet.

We did not have to be Christian with Mr Rogers for him to do so much for us.
He never asked us to be Christian with him.
He only asked us to be his neighbor.

So...
If you find that the general public is rejecting your brand of Christianity, it might because you are a horrible fucking person with a 2000 yr old book of shitty excuses that no one is buying into.
It might be because you are a filthy grifter looking to capitalize off end-times hysteria and seniors with end-of-life anxieties.
It might be cause you are a disgusting bigot trying to reap superiority while evading moral accountability.
It probably has nothing to do at all with you actually "being a christian".

Cause we all fucking loved Mr Rogers.

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mwmisses4289

(2,399 posts)
1. Mr. Rogers, Jimmy Carter and others like them,
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 09:17 AM
Oct 5

walked the walk, didn't just talk the talk.
Seems we have very few true, good Christians in the world today.

lastlib

(26,846 posts)
10. Because "good" Christianity isn't preached in the fundy churches.
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 11:24 AM
Oct 5

The late great Bill Moyers explained it as "the religion OF Jesus versus the religion ABOUT Jesus." The difference, he explained, was following the actual teachings of Jesus, as opposed to using the religion as a weapon against those who don't see eye to eye with you about what the Bible says. It was a great piece, I'll try to find it and post it.

mwmisses4289

(2,399 posts)
17. Yeah, whatever the hell they're
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 01:27 PM
Oct 5

preaching in those churches, it sure as hell ain't christianity.

Wiz Imp

(7,675 posts)
19. Yep. John Fugelsang addressed this in his new book "Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 02:39 PM
Oct 5

the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds".

I encourage everyone to watch some of his interviews promoting the book. He really nails it. I've attached a few here:





travelingthrulife

(3,470 posts)
5. You should submit this as an editorial. These MAGA christians do not understand their own religion.
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 10:45 AM
Oct 5

I must admit as a child I hated his show but I liked the man.

AverageOldGuy

(3,048 posts)
15. Your friend wrote it . . . you posted it . . .
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 12:03 PM
Oct 5

I shamelessly copied it and posted it to my blog with the disclaimer that I didn't write it.

Mariana

(15,606 posts)
14. The MAGA Christians are the majority of Christians in the US.
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 11:54 AM
Oct 5

63% of Protestant voters and 59% of Catholic voters cast their ballots for Trump in 2024, according to the exit polls.

Christianity is as Christianity does.

surfered

(9,727 posts)
6. The trend I've noticed is towards faith. They're always proclaiming their faith.
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 10:57 AM
Oct 5

But it is a faith without works. They strongly believe in Jesus Christ, but ignore his teachings. They don’t love their neighbor . They don’t welcome the stranger. They wont feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty or heal the sick.

Wiz Imp

(7,675 posts)
18. It's important to make this clear about Mr. Rogers politics
Sun Oct 5, 2025, 02:18 PM
Oct 5
Fred Rogers was a registered Republican, though he deliberately kept his political views private and separate from his public persona. As a Presbyterian minister and host of a children's television program, he felt it was important to avoid politicizing his work and potentially alienating families with different beliefs.

Rogers's primary "politics" revolved around the welfare of children. He advocated for children's emotional and physical well-being, both on and off his show. For example, he spoke out against family separations caused by war, calling it a "gross form of abuse".

A notable example of his political involvement was his famous 1969 testimony before a U.S. Senate subcommittee. He made a quiet and emotional appeal for continued federal funding for public broadcasting, successfully restoring a budget cut.

Rogers supported racial integration through symbolic acts on his show, most famously by inviting the African-American actor François Clemmons to share a small wading pool with him in a 1969 episode.

Some commentators have suggested that the compassionate values and support for public television Rogers demonstrated would put him at odds with the modern Republican party. His wife, Joanne Rogers, even stated in 2018 that President Donald Trump's values were "almost completely opposite" of her late husband's.


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