The surprising success -- and faith -- of 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?'

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

“He was a community builder. The neighborhood was symbolic of Fred Rogers’ desire for people to live together in peace, with respect and love and affirmation, and when things go wrong, forgiveness and reconciliation,” he said.
Rogers not only took his own faith seriously, but also he studied Judaism, Islam and other traditions. Wirth recalled spending a week in Toronto with Rogers visiting Catholic theologian Henri Nouwen.
“I think the bottom line for him was he believed all people are created in the image of God. He saw everyone in that light: created in the image of God,” Wirth said. “That crosses all the religious boundaries, all the race, all the ethnic boundaries — all of God’s children are created in God’s image.”
But Rogers never explicitly mentioned his faith on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

https://religionnews.com/transmission/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-filmmaker-friends-fans-on-films-success-and-rogers-faith/

[StatGirl]

1. This is a terrific documentary

I saw it this weekend. It was just spiritually refreshing.

I particularly liked how he quietly, without overtly preaching, worked foot-washing into some of the scenes.

And I was jarred by the nasty cynicism of some of his detractors. You would think that they didn't believe that God loves people.

I do wonder if any of his messages stuck with the young kids who watched his show.

[guillaumeb]

2. I think that some of his detractors only look for things to criticize.

Perhaps it makes them feel better about their own actions.

He lived his faith without explicitly "preaching" to the children.

[Bretton Garcia]

3. Christians typically only look for things to " praise" in their own religion.

The explicit command to "praise" God is adequate evidence of that.

This, even though even the Bible.itself warned a hundred times about many bad or " false" things in every aspect of religion, priests; even in the holiest Christian leaders like St. Peter (Mat. 16.23).

And even though the Bible warned about "white"-washing the sins of even the prophets of Israel.

And even though thinking of your own Christianity as wholly good,.seems vain. And the Church warned about vanity and pride. As the root of all sins.

Personally, even as a kid, I found Mr. Rogers to be very creepy. He seemed to be trying to act like a mother. Which seened incongruous and unnatural in a man.

[guillaumeb]

6. So are you locked into one view of what it means to be male/female?

Do you find gentleness and empathy to be unmanly? That certainly seems to be your implication.

Do you find strong women to be creepy as well?

What a bizarre response.

[Bretton Garcia]

7. Today we are more accepting of gender-bending

But there is still cause for alarm for boys,.if a male religious figure whose sexual orientation seems very flexible, approaches male children,.with a kind of oddly exaggerated and intense, even predatory affection.

It felt very,.very creepy and dangerous. As indeed all that proved to be, with the Church scandal.

His air was so unnaturally affectionate to children. In such an intense way. And his speech was so slow: almost as if drugged or hypnotized.

[guillaumeb]

8. You defend a very closed view of what constitutes acceptable gender behavior.

Some speak of rather open misogyny among the so-called "new atheists". Your response seems to fit in that model.

What you call gender bending, a very loaded and judgmental term in itself, others see as normal variation in behavior.

[Bretton Garcia]

9. What about the homosexual rape of children we saw in many religious figures?

Should we always be faithful and accepting and trusting and obedient?

[guillaumeb]

10. Now you are backing away from your attack on what you call gender bending,

and confusing pedophiles with homosexuals.

Again, very troubling.

[Bretton Garcia]

11. As a. boy, I was most concerned about males who seemed to have an oddly exaggerated affection ,..

.. for male children.

Affection from women troubled me less.

Data confirms abusers are far more often likely to be male, than female.

[trotsky]

4. ...

Rogers never explicitly mentioned his faith on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

I wish more believers would take a cue from that.

[Mariana]

5. I hope you aren't holding your breath. nt.