Nightcrawler/Religious & Spiritual Discussion
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2004 3:34 pm
Extremists cannot abide by anyone who doesn't cowtow to their own personal views. They especially hate people who refuse to hate. Fred Rogers, God love the man, was a Minister, and he saw his program (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood) as an extension of that ministry. Notice that he never shoved Christianity down anyone's throats? In fact, I never knew he was a Minister until someone told me. He lived, and worked, by the ideal of "conversion by example", which works a helluvalot better than fire+brimstone "We teach ya to HAYTE fo' Jesus" stuff you get in Chick tracts.
And that is no doubt what pissed Phelps off so much.
1) Rogers was also a Minister.
2) Rogers was infinitely more successful at spreading his message, purely by his loving, soft touch.
3) Rogers' message, "love everyone, especially yourself", was the opposite of Phelp's.
4) Rogers was respected by virtually everyone, conservative to liberal. He was so listened to that people breathed a sigh of relief when he came ot of retirement in 2001 to help parents explain to their kids about the Twin Towers. Phelps... well... everyone would breathe a sigh of relief if he shut up.
5) Rogers refused to rise to anyone's bait. He never lost his temper. For Phelps, this means Rogers was always in control of the situation, where Phelps no doubt sees the sinful world as a place he simply must dominate, and can't.
6) This is incredibly petty, but, you know, it might have something to do with it? Rogers and Phelps share the first name.
So, you've got a rival minister, with a rival, antithetical message to yours, who's more successful, more respected, more loved and listened to, has more power, leaving you, the paranoid hateful delusionary in the dirt....
What's not to hate?
And that is no doubt what pissed Phelps off so much.
1) Rogers was also a Minister.
2) Rogers was infinitely more successful at spreading his message, purely by his loving, soft touch.
3) Rogers' message, "love everyone, especially yourself", was the opposite of Phelp's.
4) Rogers was respected by virtually everyone, conservative to liberal. He was so listened to that people breathed a sigh of relief when he came ot of retirement in 2001 to help parents explain to their kids about the Twin Towers. Phelps... well... everyone would breathe a sigh of relief if he shut up.
5) Rogers refused to rise to anyone's bait. He never lost his temper. For Phelps, this means Rogers was always in control of the situation, where Phelps no doubt sees the sinful world as a place he simply must dominate, and can't.
6) This is incredibly petty, but, you know, it might have something to do with it? Rogers and Phelps share the first name.
So, you've got a rival minister, with a rival, antithetical message to yours, who's more successful, more respected, more loved and listened to, has more power, leaving you, the paranoid hateful delusionary in the dirt....
What's not to hate?