I just read an article about Mr. Rogers, the creator of the long-running PBS children's program. The article contained little-known facts about the man and his life, the most interesting of which--to me, at least--was that Mr. Rogers never mentioned God on his program.
He was an ordained minister who believed strongly in his message of love and acceptance of your fellow man, yet he transmitted that message without benefit of religious authority or reference. He was a true believer, living his faith in every character, song, and message he created for his audience. He could make children (and even adults) feel safe with just the sound of his voice, and he provided the caring and simple friendship that many were missing. Rather than tell children some entity loved them, he made them feel loved.
How is it that so many religious leaders, purportedly schooled in theology and trained as ministers, have bastardized the premise of their god's message to follow his lead and love one another? When did Christianity lose the sophistication that the ideology of Jesus is less important than its practical application?
On last night's program, Rachel Maddow showed a clip of a Baptist minister suggesting that anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus should get out of America because it is a Christian nation. The suggestion was part of an introduction of Rick Santorum who was to speak at the church. Rachel's guest, the Reverend C. Welton Gaddy (also a Baptist minister), said the minister in the clip was conducting the real 'war on religion' referred to often by Republicans. He said, "What's happened is that people who've lived so long with an assumed establishment of [Christian] religion... are now having to play by the same rules that [non-Christians do] and [Christians are] saying that's persecution." He said politicians who say Christians are under attack are just trying to scare people to get them on their side and such politicians would create a very different America that actually would suppress religious freedom for non-Christians.
There were very few Christians in existence in Jesus's time (duh), yet Jesus didn't jabber on about becoming Christian. Instead, he showed what being Christian meant through his acts of compassion and kindness. He gained followers by embodying and practicing the concept of love thy neighbor, so many followers that politicians got worried about his influence and crucified him. Now that's persecution.
I don't think the loudest pulpit pounders--or those in their congregation who are smart enough to know better but aren't crying "foul" on them--have anything to worry about when it comes to real religious persecution.
But their influence needs to be countered. Compassionately of course.
He was an ordained minister who believed strongly in his message of love and acceptance of your fellow man, yet he transmitted that message without benefit of religious authority or reference. He was a true believer, living his faith in every character, song, and message he created for his audience. He could make children (and even adults) feel safe with just the sound of his voice, and he provided the caring and simple friendship that many were missing. Rather than tell children some entity loved them, he made them feel loved.
How is it that so many religious leaders, purportedly schooled in theology and trained as ministers, have bastardized the premise of their god's message to follow his lead and love one another? When did Christianity lose the sophistication that the ideology of Jesus is less important than its practical application?
On last night's program, Rachel Maddow showed a clip of a Baptist minister suggesting that anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus should get out of America because it is a Christian nation. The suggestion was part of an introduction of Rick Santorum who was to speak at the church. Rachel's guest, the Reverend C. Welton Gaddy (also a Baptist minister), said the minister in the clip was conducting the real 'war on religion' referred to often by Republicans. He said, "What's happened is that people who've lived so long with an assumed establishment of [Christian] religion... are now having to play by the same rules that [non-Christians do] and [Christians are] saying that's persecution." He said politicians who say Christians are under attack are just trying to scare people to get them on their side and such politicians would create a very different America that actually would suppress religious freedom for non-Christians.
There were very few Christians in existence in Jesus's time (duh), yet Jesus didn't jabber on about becoming Christian. Instead, he showed what being Christian meant through his acts of compassion and kindness. He gained followers by embodying and practicing the concept of love thy neighbor, so many followers that politicians got worried about his influence and crucified him. Now that's persecution.
I don't think the loudest pulpit pounders--or those in their congregation who are smart enough to know better but aren't crying "foul" on them--have anything to worry about when it comes to real religious persecution.
But their influence needs to be countered. Compassionately of course.
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