Fred’s message of Christian love
Monday, June 11, 2007
EDITOR’S NOTE: People with a low tolerance for vulgarity may find this editorial offensive. People upset by displays of naked hatred may find it disturbing.
THE GAZETTE has not had a lot to say about Fred Phelps and the folks at Westboro Baptist Church for a couple of years now. Not that Phelps and his people have become any less controversial. The Gazette and other Kansas newspapers just got tired of publicizing his poisonous antics.
That may have been a mistake. The relative silence may have led some people to think that Westboro had mended its ways.
That has not happened.
In fact, the war in Iraq, which has cost so many American lives, has given Phelps a new target for his venom — the soldiers who have been killed in the war.
Phelps has not abandoned his core message, “God Hates Fags.”
He has just added a footnote to the message — in heavy black type — “Thank God for IEDs.”
Why is Phelps thanking God for improvised explosive devices? Because, he says, those bombs, which kill U.S. soldiers, are doing God’s work.
To quote a fax sent out by the church last week, “God himself has now become America’s terrorist, killing and maiming American troops in strange lands for fag sins.”
According to the faxes from Westboro, God has chosen IEDs as his weapon to punish America because “America bombed our church with an IED made by fag students at Washburn Univ. in Topeka. In His retaliatory wrath, God is killing Americans with Muslim IEDs: ‘Saying, touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm.’”
On Aug. 20, 1995, an explosive device of some sort went off in the driveway of a house occupied by one of Phelps’ daughters. No one was injured and property damage was small. A year later, a man was sentenced to 16 days in jail for the blast.
“You bombed our church,” one fax asserts, “and instituted a 15-year reign of terror against us — for warning you of fag sins. America is now in God’s eternal cross-hairs.”
Another fax says, “God hates fags! and fag enablers — ergo, God hates America.”
While the newspapers were determinedly not watching, Phelps’ Westboro church, where he is pope, priest and theologian, has gone from outrage to outrage.
The Westboro people are doing most of their demonstrating these days at military funerals. Motorcyclists — members of the Patriot Guard — shield the mourners from the demonstrators. That is a kindness to the mourners.
But the rest of the nation does not need its eyes shielded. People need to look at Phelps’ signs, read his faxes and even go to his Web site at www.godhatesamerica.com.
Only by looking Phelps and his church in the eye is it possible to understand the evil stew of paranoia, ego and hatred that he attempts to pass off as prophecy.
Only by understanding such evil can America defend against it.
Comments
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Posted by daveedailey (anonymous) on June 11, 2007 at 3:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am sorry, but this man should have been locked up a long time ago. What difference does it make where or what the gay community does or is? I do not care. Why should he care?After all they are fighting for his beliefs and everone elses. If it weren't for the boys in uniform, gay or straight, maybe this man would not be out on the streets protesting his ridiculous ideas on everyone else. Phelps should be ashamed of himself. He uses God as front. If any one could be an antichrist, this man is it. I do believe he will not be missed by many when he passes on.
Posted by dayjob55 (anonymous) on June 11, 2007 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Fred Phelps makes me sick. To think that brave Amercian men and women are devoting their lives to defending his right to make such hate speech is beyond belief. My personal opinion - turn him loose on the streets of Iraq with no military protection and then let the families of those soldiers killed just happen to be around. Let's see how big his mouth is then. I'm amazed that someone hasn't taken him and his followers out one way or the other long before now. Yes, we all have the freedom of speech, but there comes a time in life where respect and decency should far outweigh the right to have freedom of speech. God bless the Patriot Guard and everyone else who tries to shut this fool up. To me, someone who uses the hate language that Phelps uses is in the same category as the person who continually yells fire when there is no fire - they should be prosecuted!
Posted by MelissaE (anonymous) on June 11, 2007 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Anyone who preaches hate under the premise of religion is so obviously not all that religious to begin with.
Fred Phelps & his lame church are a waste of space and time.
M
Posted by blulitespecial (anonymous) on June 11, 2007 at 5:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They put their kids out in front at demonstrations.In places like San Fran, they have to run when the rocks and bottles fly their way.That footage was televised.Funny (sad)how the "Topeka Taliban"puts their kids in harms way.......
Posted by bdprotheroe (anonymous) on June 11, 2007 at 6:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As one of the most culturally rich cities in America, San Francisco has an extremely low tolerance for those who do not accept or embrace the vast diversity of its residents. I firmly believe there exists in The City a neighborly harmony that cannot be matched.
I’m certain that if Fred and his pack of wolves were to return to The City by The Bay, they would be met with the same “welcoming committee” which greeted him last time.
Brian Protheroe
San Francisco, CA
Posted by abvp (anonymous) on June 12, 2007 at 1:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shame on those liberal bastards that bombed Westboro Baptist Church. They created the monster. You can't attempt to kill a sleeping infant and not expect there to be repercussions. 17 days in jail for an actual bombing! You persecuted Westboro Baptist Church and now you're paying the price!
Columbus, GA
Posted by MelissaE (anonymous) on June 12, 2007 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh great.
Another "church" member who is probably related to Phelps. (note the "p" in the screenname).
And only a "church" member would defend anything having to do with that herd of idiots.
M
Posted by netloafer (anonymous) on June 12, 2007 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The incident in question may even have been greatly embellished to provide a pretext to further the insane work of Phelps and his congregation. Read the following link from Ethics Daily and you'll get a better picture of what happened than anything you'll get from Phelps' site.
http://www.ethicsdaily.com/article_detai...
The ethic of Phelps and his followers is anything but Christian. This country has had a history of church's being fire bombed, but the response of those violated has always been Christian charity. They've rebuilt their churches, forgiven those who did these things to them, and moved on. That's the way Christianity works.
Fred Phelps may claim Christianity, but he's no more Christian than the fox in the hen house claiming to be a chicken is a chicken.
Posted by jose (anonymous) on August 5, 2007 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder how many of Phelps' grandchildren have been molested by grandpa in the compound.
Posted by emporialifer (anonymous) on August 6, 2007 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It makes me sick that people associate religion or church with Phelps. I don't know what kind of God would ever approve of such hate towards anyone.
Posted by KristieR (anonymous) on August 6, 2007 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No one bombed their church. It was in the driveway of his daughter's house. Was it an actual bomb or a firecracker? If it was an actual attempt to kill, the bomb would have been placed in a more effective area than a driveway. I don't condone what happened, but see it for what it was and not as God's wish for them to retaliate. I don't believe in God, but if there is one, he is supposed to be about love and acceptance.
That man is nuts, his followers are nuts, and anyone who thinks the rest of the world agrees with them are nuts too.
Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on January 13, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He's a nut, pure and simple. Not to mention a huge hypocrite.
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