Mr. Rogers, The Nice Christian

Tom Hanks, Fred Rogers

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks, depicts the life of Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister who was famous for the children’s television program Mr. Rogers. He was “Mr. Nice” personified. He was always positive. He never condemned or offended anyone. He never called anyone a sinner, never commanded anyone to repent or perish, never warned of destruction. He had his own code of personal morality, but he didn’t judge anyone else’s. His most famous line was “Won’t you be my neighbor?” In fact, he didn’t even mention God on his program. Even The Daily Beast, an ultra-liberal, leftist, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual rights, pro-socialist news site, praises Mr. Rogers for his “niceness” in the report “Finally, Something Nice: Tom Hanks Playing Mr. Rogers May Save Us All” (Nov. 18, 2019). But the reason why Mr. Rogers’ Christianity appealed even to some atheists is that it was false. The true Jesus is far more loving than Mr. Rogers’ Jesus and also far more holy and just and righteous. The true Jesus is love incarnate, but He is not Mr. Nice by man’s standards. The true Jesus doesn’t smile at sin or overlook sin. He suffered and died for sin to make the atonement required by God’s holy law for sinners to be saved. He doesn’t offer “universal” salvation or preach the Fatherhood of God. He says, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” and He repeated it for emphasis (John 3:3, 7). The true Jesus isn’t all-positive, all-accepting. He said, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,” and He repeated it for emphasis (Luke 13:3, 5). The true Jesus doesn’t preach heaven for all. He said, “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched” and He repeated it five times for emphasis (Mark 9:43, 44, 45, 46, 48). The true Jesus called men evil (Luke 11:13). The true Jesus called some men fools and blind, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, serpents, generation of vipers (Matthew 23:13-33). This generation is in love with a false christ. It is the Hillsong christ, the Joel Osteen smiley-face christ. But it is an idol that is not real and cannot save and will be an eternal disappointment.

(Friday Church News Notes, November 29, 2019, www.wayoflife.org [email protected], 866-295-4143)

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