Fred McFeely Rogers, known to practically every American (and quite a few others as well) as Mr. Rodgers, was the host of the television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to 2001. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister as well as being an educator and songwriter.

Mr. Rogers was that most rare of individuals, a religious believer who didn’t talk about his beliefs publically but instead displayed them. He showed what it means to live a Christian life. Even non-believers find themselves agreeing that Fred Rogers was a nice person. He was a decent human being. When you’re that swell of a person it doesn’t really matter what the motivation is for it. If Jesus is the reason you’re that nice, then great. If Buddhism, the Amish or the Flying spaghetti Monster are the reason you are an all-around wise, patient, considerate, moderate, compassionate human being, carry on. If your way of shoving your religion in my face is to be the kind of person everyone wants as a friend, shove away.

I remember as a teen being impressed that he wasn’t stuffy, an attribute applicable to far too many Protestant ministers. He wasn’t a conservative, he didn’t feel a need to yell about sinners and hellfire. His show was one of the first I can recall that had Black children as guests without making an issue of race. Fred treated girls the same way he did the boys. He was gentle, kind, fascinated with his guests, he listened to others and spoke with care. He lived the values he believed.

My own opinion is that religious belief didn’t make Fred Rogers the type of man he was. I suspect he was a decent human being naturally and found that religious belief reinforced his attitude toward life and other people, especially children. I feel much the same. A religious life, the kind lived by Thomas Merton, Francis of Assisi and Mr. Rogers, would suit my personality and interests to a tee. Unfortunately I have to divorce the positives of religious practice from the fantasies of religious belief. I could not in good faith (pun unavoidable) accept religious belief.

BoingBoing‘s Cory Doctorow writes,

The latest Tank Riot podcast is an outstanding appreciation of
Mister Rogers, possibly the nicest, most genuine guy in American
history — a man so nice that when his car was stolen, the thieves
returned it once they figured out whose car it was; a man so nice that
he was able to stop a Burger King ad that used a soundalike by publicly
declaring that he was “disappointed” in them. Rogers saved public TV
and was critical in the fight to legalize VCRs, too. This is a really
great hour of audio — the Tank Riot guys really know a lot about the
subject are are filled with genuine affection for him (I defy you to
listen to his Congressional testimony without getting a tear in your
eye).

Tank Riot: Episode 67

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