So. Reading was on my mind. I wanted something light, almost
mindless or thoughtless. But I really didn't want fiction. With limited moments
in life, right now, fiction almost seems like a waste of time...or maybe a
foolish, decadent delicacy in which I should not indulge.
Whatever. Enjoying, biographies like I do, I finally decided
on one I have had on my bookshelf for quite a while. And this person had been
back in the news lately with a new movie arriving in 2018, as well as the US Postal Service coming out with a commemorative
postage stamp of him - Mister Rogers. HA! Yes! That Mr. Rogers! Now don't laugh! I really do hold him in high
regard. I saw him in an interview, several years back, and a story he told at
that time stuck with me.
He was walking alone down the street of a city, when he saw
a group of young men approaching him. He thought them to look gang-like and
probably a dangerous one at that. He felt they were up to no good and he felt a
bit threatened. He wondered if he should cross to the other side of the street.
He was thoughtfully deciding what to do when one of them excitedly called out,
"Hey look! It's Mister Rogers!"
With that, a conversation began. Mister Rogers greeted them
nervously, but they were thrilled about having come across this man from their
past. Each of these young hoodlums told Mister Rogers what he and his program
had meant to them growing up.
I just thought that was so cool. This was a real-life story
about probable thugs that as a child remembered something good in life coming
to them through Mister Rogers' program. Maybe he had actually been their
babysitter. Mister Rogers always knew there were kids like that out there. He
always kept them in mind and prayed daily for them.
Anyway, in the interview, Mr. Rogers expressed how he was
ashamed of his early judgment of these young men. I mean, that was always
something throughout his program that he tried to teach kids not to do - be judgmental. He wanted to
be an example to all the kids in his television neighborhood. And that is
pretty much what I thought the book I chose to read on this rainy afternoon would
be about - "light and almost mindless". That should work for me with Mister Rogers as
the subject.
But instead, I encountered something troubling and I decided
to write about that aspect of the book. Now Fred Rogers was a Christian and was mostly public about that fact. However, he
wasn't really allowed to express his faith in words on his PBS show, so instead,
he wanted to demonstrate it with actions.
The book tells how he prayed before every show, that it
would be God's Words the children would hear and that there would be a God-given
message the kids could glean from each thirty minute program. I like that he was
thoughtful and intentional about that.
For the most part, I enjoyed the book. But I couldn't help
but notice some disconcerting aspects, either that the author has implied due
to her own beliefs, or by expressing beliefs that Mister Rogers actually held.
To tell you the truth, I am uncertain as to which it is. Either way, it doesn't
matter. The book is filled with things that seem to be inaccurately permeating
the Christian faith these days. I have written about it before. There are a
group of Christians that are loud and clanging cymbals claiming Christians
should stay out of politics, yet they are incredibly political. And they always manage to bring politics into the
realm of things they write about and want their reading audience to know -
rather to fall prey. And yes, I do mean
"fall prey".
I noticed something early on in the book, but I let it go - not
really thinking too much about it. I wanted to be in mindless mode after all. I
really am not sure what the first statement was that bothered me, but I
shouldn't be surprised. Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and
that is where much of the intentional targeting from the left with these
distortions seems to have begun.
But then, in some context came a recommendation of Henri
Nouwen - a quote or two, and the acknowledgment of how important this man was
to Mister Rogers. Oh my gosh! Please! When one reads anything, if this man is
quoted, PLEASE always take it as a "red flag". The group of
Christians with whom I am concerned, LOVE to quote this man. If you are
unfamiliar with him, you can read about him here. (Please note: the article at this link is a mild review as opposed to some things I have read.
I believe there is an importance in using hard copy references - the internet is ever
changing with articles never to be found again. - Look for this topic in another
blog post soon!*)
I am amazed that there are those that have so readily and so
easily embraced Henri Nouwen and let his "theology" infiltrate their
Christian faith.
Other issues the author eludes to or deliberately expounds
upon are: the importance of silence; Benedictine monks; social justice - all
topics used by what was started as the emergent church. She continues with
speaking of "sublimation" as a good thing and a possible answer to
violence! (page 95) She quotes the children's author Madeleine L'Engle who believes in "universal
salvation"- which basically is a
belief that all are saved - and other issues that are clearly not Biblical.
The Emergent Church has redefined itself again and again,
always getting further and further from Scripture. Whatever it may come to be
called or who might endorse it, it is an extremely dangerous "theology"
even if painted with the innocence of Mister Rogers.
On and on it went, all rather subtle. But probably the worst
thing that bothered me about this author's writing was her statement trying to
explain why we should keep our anger in control:
"If the world
could know that we don't have to put people in concentration camps and
annihilate people just because we're angry with them. And the anger probably
goes back for centuries. If we could just know that."
Did you get that???? Talk about minimizing one of the
world's worst atrocities EVER!! This woman is discreetly claiming the Holocaust
(which she was surely referencing) was only about anger that had carried on for
centuries.. She is wrapping the Holocaust (or anything close to it, if you
would rather) in camouflage with this simplistic, but outrageous statement. She
is implying that the Holocaust was nothing more than a group of people angry with
another group of people, but they probably had good reason because the disagreement had
continued for centuries. THAT (in her
mind) is why victims were put in concentration camps. That is the subtle text
here. In other words, she has deflected the wrong onto those who were tortured
from those doing the torturing. She is stating the Jews had done something
wrong, so another group was angry. In their anger, the second group responded incorrectly and could have done better.
But she is subtly implying there was a reason for it! And THIS is the explanation/example she chose to give to a child for
his anger and inappropriate behavior. Come on! That she included this in her
story of Mister Rogers is filled with political bias and delusional intent. The
left are extremely close to becoming Holocaust deniers, in my humble opinion.
So much for my light and easy reading. That is probably the
most egregious thing I have read in a long, long time. Yes!! Her political
beliefs are showing and they most often align with the left. Those doggone Jews
were not where they were supposed to be and they were doing things they
shouldn't be doing and with that, they made a few Nazis angry. Please note
sarcasm AND righteous indignation!! Am I reading too much into her statements?
Then why make such a statement at all? Those aligned with this so called
faith-based group (of whom I continually try to warn), will stop at nothing in
promoting their true leftist agenda, it seems. I am sickened by the illustration
so carelessly - if not intentionally - chosen.
Finally of course, continuing in leftist talking points, the
author eventually gets to Mr. Rogers' disdain for guns. And how he came out
with a public statement against them after an incident with his grandchild that
so greatly affected the popular and well-known grandfather. The child was watching a cartoon in which
the hero was defending himself with a firearm. Rolling eyes, here. Good grief. Maybe Mister Rogers really was that sensitive. Or maybe
in reality, PBS simply gave him a nice "bonus" if he would make such a statement.
I'm sorry. I don't mean to denigrate Mister Rogers' name. I do respect the man, but I certainly was seeing another side to him through the pages of this book.
Actually, I believe the political operative here is the author of this book and
not so much Mr. Rogers.
There it is. There is my light and mindless rainy day reading.
But the truth is we can never let our guard down and not be fully conscious in everything
we read. Certainly not in this day and age. There is an attack on our faith amidst us.
There is an attack on our nation. And it is all done through the politics of
the left. The Christian faith is the last stronghold in the way of an aggressive,
though patient agenda. Those involved cannot win until they distort true faith.
I will continue to sound the alarm. I am committed to that. I have set that aside - like rainy day reading. I have set my mind
to watch for it and hopefully make others aware of it as well.
"America is like a healthy body and its resistance
is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can
undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." Josef Stalin.
This quote has long been
attributed to Stalin. Of course now there are those who claim Stalin never said
it. They are simply rewriting history, in my opinion. But it doesn't really
matter. Don't take your mind off of the truth of this powerful, dangerous
plan regardless of who said it. Because the truth in that goal is
what is actually taking place. And someone knows it. We can NEVER be mindless
about our faith.
This new Christianity comes in
many packages.** It has been worked and re-worked so many times that I almost feel
foolish writing about it. And yet it continues and it grows, ever changing in name and source, but
always staying the same in deception. That is not to say there are not good messages throughout this book. A lie must always be cloaked in a bit of truth to be believable. References which are accurate must be included to effectively deceive. Please let the points below be your "red flags":
- Social justice/social gospel at the risk
of watering down the true Gospel
- All roads lead to Heaven
- There is no hell
- No absolutes
- Breath prayers
- Contemplative prayer
- Silence
- Mysticism
- Pointing to Catholicism/doctrine,
theology, past leaders
- A denial of Israel and acceptance and support of Palestinians instead.
- Universalism
- Left leaning politics
- The marginalized
- Silencing
- Conversation
- Practices, (instead of belief)
- Disciplines
- Spiritual formation
- Ancient path
- Enlightenment
- Missional and missional living (the context of the phrase, not the idea of Matthew 28: 18-20 )
*This statement edited on 4-17-2018 for additional clarity.
**This book was written in 2005 a few years after the onset of the Emergent/Emerging church movement. The ideals and practices remain the same, ever-growing in number.
http://www.missionamerica.com/article/emergent-church-heresy-growing/
