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Hat tip: Robin
Here is a man who goes by the name of Reverand Fred Phelps in Kansas. His followers are protesting funerals of US military and legislators are seeking to BAN his activities (I don’t know how constitutional the ban can be).
Try to get this: he is protesting on the basis that US boys are dying because of homosexuality and the Sodom and Gomorra atmosphere of the US.
It is the flyer that went out by "Reverand" Phelps calling people to show up to protest at a military funeral. The whole irony is that this group was never mentioned until they actually showed up and people got so pissed they started passing laws against it. Remember, we're not supposed to see these funerals out of respect for the families of the fallen soldiers. Now the ACLU is taking up the "reverand's" defense in claiming his freedom of speech is being denied. - Robin
More here:
http://www.godhatesamerica.com/
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/060605b.shtml
http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/commentary.asp?record_id=408
Very ironic indeed!!
At least SOMEONE is protesting US military (although I think funerals are a pretty sorry choice of venue for protest).
{ 13 } Comments
Oh, man. This guy is a freak. On my website, he is on our "links" page under "whack jobs." According to them, God hates "fags," we should thank God for 9/11, and God hates Sweden. I'm not quite sure why he hates Sweden; maybe he likes warm climates. Either way, the only things being done against him is requiring a certain space distance between these Bible-twisters and the funeral. They actually shout down the ministers and people giving eulogies. A couple of notes:
1) They do not oppose the military's activities in Iraq. Rather, they would like to see more US soldiers killed, because that way "God" gets more vengeance on our "fag" nation.
2) They do not represent mainstream Christian views, including the views of conservative evangelicals. Christians who are opposed to homosexuality do not believe that God hates "fags," but that he hates disobedience to him, whether it be in the form of homosexuality, adultery, theft, greed or ridiculing dead people at their funerals. He wants repentance (turning away from evil). The verse quoted is extremely misused.
3) The nonsense about the US bombing their church is hilarious. I guarantee you, it was either an act by Phelps himself, angry activists or a bad gas pipe. For that matter, it may have been God!
Oh well. There will always be Phelpses and Usamas out there. Now Phelps is a great example of Christian extremism, and Christians feel the same way about him that I believe most Muslims feel about Usama.
Just to be fair and give the dear "reverand" due credit, military funerals were not his first target. He first came on the scene in 1998 when he took a group of protestors to Matthew Shepards funeral. He was a young gay man who was tortured, tied to a fence and left for dead in (I believe) North Dakota. Here is a short article on that funeral protest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targets_of_Westboro_Baptist_Church
He has shown up at other "gay funerals" as well. But it was not until he started showing up at military funerals that legislators jumped on the bandwagon to make laws against his actions. We now have another group, the Patriot Guard Riders http://www.patriotguard.org/ who were formed for the soul purpose of protecting military funerals from Fred Phelps. They ride in on their motorcycles at the invitation of the military families. Is there a similar "gay" motorcycle group?
Aren't we just one big barrel of fun here in America?!!!!
Philip and all others,
Ok Philip you think I'm bonkers for my parodies of song lyrics, please listen to this sung by the Wesboro choir:
http://www.godhatesamerica.com/sound/americatheburning.mp3
I am absolutely cracking up with laughter.
Shouldn't you put "fags" in quotation marks? Otherwise, it may seem you are accepting this hate speech.
Wow! I never bothered to check out their sounds page. The irony is, I think Usama bin Laden would love this! This group is very talented at being crass and more than a little twisted, the first case being the one you (Robin) mentioned. Bleah.
Personally, I am partial to this site: God Hates Figs.
By the way, even though they are wrong in every way, I love your parodies!
On their website, I particularly like the photos of young children holding up signs. Why do religious extremists always insist on dragging kids into their dementia?
Oh, and I think Matthew Shepherd's case was in Wyoming, because somewhere along the lines in the 2000 elections, Dick Cheney was painted as being part of that mindset, being from Wyoming himself.
I have a gay couple in my area that I service their boiler.
They are incredible people.
Sorry, but I don't see anything wrong with this.
They are gay and they love each other. End of story!
You don't like gays. Screw off.
I like everyone. Your personality is what counts. Your bedroom is yours!
Bush, You are being the biggest asshole in the world.
People like the reverend Phillips are just as wacko and ignorant as the likes of Osama Bin Ladin.
I cannot believe people follow such crackpots.
It makes me wonder are we ever going to have peace.
As for gays, really who cares what you do in your bedroom, I don't, as long as you don't try to impose your beliefs on me I could not care less what you do or who you do in the privacy of your own home.
And if it is wrong and God does not like it well he/she can deal with them later.
I am so tired of having people like this reverend telling me what God want's, since God is so poerfull and mighty we he can tell me himself, either now of after I'm dead.
thank you
Thank you Mougly.
In terms of constitutionality, as long as he's protesting in a public space, he can pretty much say whatever insane, stupid, evil, bigoted thing he wants. When I was young there was a major court case about a group of neo-nazis who wanted to march in Skokie, Illinois, which has a large population of Jewish Holocaust survivors. The ACLU supported their efforts. Their choice of speech was odious and intolerant, but it was constitutionally protected.
Having said all that, there are certain limits. For example, you can't directly threaten someone. Saying "I'm going to kill you" isn't protected. I just wonder if his "reverend" went up to a gay person and said "God is going to kill you" if that would be constitutional, since he apparently sees himself as an instrument of God. I would guess it would be allowed, but it's on the borderline.
There's also the issue of public vs. private space. If the funeral took place on private proverty, I don't believe his speech would be protected. Just showing up would be considered trespassing. But if he's protesting at a public military cemetary, for example, it's harder to stop, unless he interferes with the funeral itself. I'll have to find my old textbook on the First Amendment from college and see what the court precedents say. -andy
Andy,
You are correct. If the speech is a clear inciting of violence, it may be responded to officially, but until then it is allowed constitutionally. As the funeral goes on, though, they can be made to at least be silent, since shouting would be a disruption. But the offensiveness of the speech doesn't affect it's legality.
It is sad when radicals are allowed to speak.
But when the average person speaks about their concerns, they are being stiffled. Bush is keeping them quiet.
What is happening in the Middle East is not being told in our news.
Atleast Haithem is telling the other side of the story.
No, Kimmy, it is NOT sad when radicals are allowed to speak. It's sad that they hold their moronic beliefs in the first place. But being allowed to speak … that is quite wonderful.
they're just another religious hate group, using soldiers who have been killed protecting our country against another religious hate group. they pervert religion just like the muslims do. how twisted you'd have to be to torment families grieving over the loss of their son, father, husband etc. we've seen plenty so called evangelists caught in the act, i'm sure a little investigation of these devils would reveal some interesting perversions. what they get off on is a good indication of how much hate is brewing in their nazi "church".
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