{"id":36193,"date":"2019-10-20T02:08:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T02:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/20\/explainer-during-war-faith-mattered-in-mr-rogers-neighborhood\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:46:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:46:50","slug":"explainer-during-war-faith-mattered-in-mr-rogers-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/10\/20\/explainer-during-war-faith-mattered-in-mr-rogers-neighborhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Explainer: During war, faith mattered in Mr Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The beloved children\u2019s television icon Fred Rogers \u2013 who is played by actor Tom Hanks in the upcoming film \u201cA Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood<\/a>\u201d \u2013 entered the world of children\u2019s programming during an era of massive political and cultural upheaval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1960s, Americans were witnessing the horrors of war<\/a> from within their homes for the first time, on television screens. Civil rights activists<\/a> such as Martin Luther King Jr. were fighting for racial and economic justice, and these protests were often violently suppressed. The feminist movement<\/a> was also seeking equal rights and freedom for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a scholar of American religion, politics and popular culture<\/a> I\u2019ve examined<\/a> how the religious and spiritual backgrounds of cultural and political icons shaped their contributions to American television programming, especially in tumultuous times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers, who was an ordained minister, taught everyone, in particular children, to follow a greater calling \u2013 that of serving their fellow humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award to Fred Rogers July 9, 2002, during ceremonies in the East Room. (Photo by Paul Morse, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, National Archives)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Programming for social change<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the late 1960s, American prime time television<\/a> was going through a change. Producers were trying to use the medium to address social problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970s, Norman Lear, often referred to as the father of modern-day sitcoms, brought to television the comedy series \u201cAll in the Family<\/a>,\u201d which explored issues of racism, homosexuality, women\u2019s liberation and the Vietnam War, among other concerns of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protagonist Archie Bunker was modeled after Lear\u2019s own father: He was a working-class, seemingly uneducated and outspoken but \u201clovable\u201d bigot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writers used his character to address problems in American society and their insidious effects<\/a>. Another sitcom that foregrounded social issues was \u201cThe Mary Tyler Moore Show<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s writers brought awareness to women\u2019s rights through the program\u2019s plot lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each week, millions looked on as Mary attempted to negotiate the various challenges of her time, including admitting to using \u201cthe pill<\/a>\u201d in front of a live studio audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children as ministry<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers would bring a similar approach to children\u2019s programming through his iconic show, \u201cMister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like his contemporaries<\/a>, Rogers viewed television not as a passive instrument of entertainment but as an interactive medium that could shape individuals<\/a> in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many respects, I would argue that Rogers\u2019 iconic invitation, \u201cWon\u2019t you be my neighbor?\u201d reflected the religious sensibilities<\/a> of Jesus\u2019 Sermon on the Mount<\/a>, which encouraged individuals to turn the other cheek, to assist the less fortunate and to love their neighbors as they would love themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers attuned children and their developmental journeys to the most significant attributes of what it means to be a human: love, compassion and kindness for others. In many ways, this is also what he meant by being a good neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to be a vehicle for God, to spread his message of love and peace,\u201d Rogers said in an interview with the \u201cVegetarian Times<\/a>,\u201d a Southern California periodical first published in 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers was a vegetarian, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the children, as he said in another interview, they were his \u201ccongregation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, SEAL team members move toward an enemy bunker complex on Tan Dinh Island, during Operation Bold Dragon III, 26 March 1968. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood debuted a month after the Tet Offensive began. It continued every weekday through the rest of that year; through the My Lai Massacre and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What shaped Mr. Rogers?<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raised in the Presbyterian tradition of Protestant Christianity, Rogers valued hard work, commitment to one\u2019s family and service to one\u2019s fellow human beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers\u2019 biographer, Maxwell King,<\/a>attributes these qualities<\/a> to his mother, Nancy Rogers\u2019 deep influence. Nancy engaged Fred throughout his childhood in meaningful conversations and treated him as an adult, according to King\u2019s 2008 book, \u201cThe Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe loved to talk. And she loved to talk with Fred,\u201d writes King. But \u201cnever to Fred; always with Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For his graduate education, Rogers enrolled in Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, he continued to be interested in children\u2019s television programming. While splitting time with his coursework, Rogers started working as a program manager at the local Pittsburgh public broadcasting station WQED in 1953.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Rogers was excelling at his ministerial work. He even won a prize for his preaching ability and would often give a sermon or two at Pittsburgh\u2019s Sixth Presbyterian Church<\/a>, a congregation known for its sexual and racial inclusivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministering in prime time<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers\u2019 desire to take on challenging subjects would later reveal itself on Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood<\/a>, which debuted on Feb. 19, 1968.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In episode after episode, over the TV show\u2019s extensive run, Rogers attempted to explain challenging societal issues such as divorce<\/a> and instances of political or social violence for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One episode<\/a> of Mister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood in May of 1969 demonstrated to children how issues of race could be dealt with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demonstrating the power of empathy and human compassion, Rogers invited an African American police officer played by actor Fran\u00e7ois Clemmons<\/a> onto the set as \u201cOfficer Clemmons.\u201d At a time when black people could not swim alongside whites in many public places<\/a>, the American audiences witnessed Rogers and Officer Clemmons wash their feet in a small plastic swimming pool. It was also a reminder of the Christian tradition of foot washing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another such example, Rogers did a series of five episodes, first aired on Nov. 7, 1983, in which he addressed the difficult subject of conflict between two neighboring lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The series warned<\/a> its audiences of the dangers of war in general and the stockpiling of bombs in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rogers added his own theological touch to the episode\u2019s conclusion by flashing the text of the Old Testament verse Isiah 2:4 on the television screen, which said, \u201cAnd they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning forks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these moments, Rogers\u2019 work not only challenged many societal assumptions<\/a> but exemplified his understanding of religion as a tool for service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, Rogers\u2019 mission was as simple as it was timeless: Love thy neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\t