Westboro Church Protest Mega-thread

[patrick666]

They kind of remind me of the crazy family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

I really really really REALLY wish they'd come up here and try to protest at a Canadian military funeral.  They would be ugly red smears on the pavement before the family would even know they were there.  (I am not advocating violence against an identifiable group,  but I am saying that the public here would take immediate and intest steps to protect the family and to punish them for the slight)  I am not saying I'd join in either;  I'm saying I wouldn't have to.  (and No,  they most likely couldn't get into the country)  I remember living in the states,  people seemed almost allergic to curtail personal expression for any reason.  Here we see it as a reasonable limitation in the extream cases ( such as decency, advocating violence etc) 

Now if you look at the signs,  one of them says "thank God for IDE" or something like that.  Isn't that comforting to the Iraqi insurgency to know they have their moral support.... so they're giving comfort to an enemy of the state... also they are helping the insurgency by helping to decrease the moral of forces... so they are giving aid AND comfort to an enemy of the state..... hum... Is there anything we can do about that...?  hummm?  ;-) 

Now on an unrelated topic,  doesn't the US army kick people out for being gay?  Why are they protesting one of the very very few institutions that still actively discriminates against homosexuals?  But then again,  not much they do or say makes much sense to me.

 

[Trinity]

I really really really REALLY wish they'd come up here and try to protest at a Canadian military funeral. 

From Wiki

Canada

On one occasion, Phelps and his congregation had their signs confiscated by customs, and responded by going to the federal capital and burning and spitting on the Canadian flag, and threatening to urinate and defecate on it. Since that time, Canada has passed hate crime legislation, alternatingly referred to by the informal "Fred Phelps Law" and "Jack Chick Law."[citation needed] Phelps has also claimed that his congregation, along with him, have been arrested in Canada for hate speech.[36] Should Phelps ever try to enter Canada again, he would be arrested and tried for violation of hate crime laws, a fact which prompted the founding of "Godhatescanada.com."[citation needed] He has also strongly opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada and Canada's Supreme Court.

He won't be coming back any time soon.....

  I guess this makes Trinity the child of darkness masqueurading amongst the troops spreading talk of false idols and Gods throughout the ranks of Canada's oppressive war machine.................  ;D

SHHHHH....  stop giving away the secrets.

 

[Mike Baker]

He won't be coming back any time soon.....

Good. He makes me sick. If he is an American, and clames that God hates America, does that mean God hates him?  ;D

 

[Zell_Dietrich]

Should Phelps ever try to enter Canada again, he would be arrested and tried for violation of hate crime laws
He won't be coming back any time soon.....

I know I know,  I knew he can't,  but members of his church that Immigration Canada doesn't know about...  I find it baffling that they are not physically harmed.  Now I am not advocating this,  but truth be known, if they came up here and protested at my funeral I know my family would see that this group would swiftly learn the depth of their mistake.  (which is Irish-talk for things that are illegal to even say in Canada) I can't understand why this group isn't considered dangerous.  But in America,  reason plays second fiddle to constitutional law....  ;-)

 

[Conquistador]

Fred Phelps and his followers plan to protest at the funerals of the Amish school shooting victims.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200610/NAT20061004a.html

 

[tlg]

What's up with all the crazies? This church group is starting to make me sick to my stomach. The government SHOULD take them out, it would be one less burden for America and its fallen soldiers and everything inbetween.

 

[wotan]

  Why would these folks want to visit such cruelty on these poor parents?  The Amish are such devout folk, they have already forgiven the man that killed their children, because they believe their Christian principles require that of them.

  Cruel, heartless and mean-spirited are the better qualities that this Church displays.  Leave the Amish alone to grieve.

 

[Trinity]

What's up with all the crazies? This church group is starting to make me sick to my stomach. The government SHOULD take them out, it would be one less burden for America and its fallen soldiers and everything inbetween.

Just one crazy...  Fred Phelps. 

All the info you need on him is on wikipedia.

 

[Trinity]

  The Amish are such devout folk, they have already forgiven the man that killed their children, because they believe their Christian principles require that of them.

Is this an assumption on your part or have you read this somewhere in the news. 

I have a real beef with people assuming that Christians will naturally forgive because it is a requirement.


The principle of forgiveness is not about the person who did the act, but it is about yourself.
By forgiving, it means you let go of the incident in yourself and stop worrying/going over it in your
head constantly.  It means you let go of the act, not necessarily that you relieve the other person of their responsibility.

If a Christian doesn't forgive someone, it doesn't make them a bad Christian.  It just means they will suffer
with the situation until they do forgive and move on.  I still have 2 or 3 people/situations of which I can not
(or will not) forgive despite my extensive involvement and knowledge of Christianity and its principles, especially
the theory of forgiveness.

I'm tired so I hope I typed that out in a fashion that makes sense.  Otherwise I'll have to retype it.

 

[niner domestic]

That made perfect sense. 

 

[Trinity]

That made perfect sense. 

Cool

Wotan... to make it clear before you respond.
I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking the principle which
you may have raised on purpose OR not and I just read it
that way.

It's a pet peeve of mine and the more I can teach people other
ideas of forgiveness and Christianity the better.

 

[wotan]

Is this an assumption on your part or have you read this somewhere in the news. 

I have a real beef with people assuming that Christians will naturally forgive because it is a requirement.

Hey Trinity,

 I didn't read it, however, it was in an "interview" on CTV.  I put "interview" in quotes as the Amish folks won't allow themselves to be filmed such that their face shows, rather, they were "interviewed" with the back of their head showing as they spoke with the reporter.  Hope that describes the setup fairly accurately.  Anyway, the person being interviewed indicated that they had forgiven the gunman, albeit some members of the community were still struggling to truly forgive.

 I agree with you that forgiveness is about yourself and not other folks.  That said, the person being "interviewed" indicated that forgiveness, in this case, was required of them as Christians.  I don't believe he was speaking on behalf of all Christians, but rather about his Amish community, but that's just my take on it.

 Regarding matters of Christian belief, I'm certainly not an expert as I'm an Agnostic.  But, I try to respect other people's beliefs and there is a part of me that admires someone dedicating their life to the spiritual.  My understanding of the Amish is that they forego modern conveniences in an effort to retain a simpler lifestyle that allows them to stay more "in tune" with a spiritual existence.  I'm probably greatly oversimplying their religion and the philosophy behind it, however I believe that is roughly the gist of it.  

 And no, I didn't take your post as an attack, I saw it as a philosophical point that is important to you, but which is to some degree lost on me as I am not of the Faith.  That said, my comment was based on the televised "interview" and not an interpretation of a Biblical quote such as "Blessed be the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" or some such.  Cheers.

 

[Trinity]

Cool....

I hear where you are coming from.

That community is going to have some REAL difficulties in the next weeks/months from
this tragedy and trying put wrap their faith and understandings around it.  I doubt
forgiveness will come easy if at all for many of them.


The whole incident doesn't make sense.  The suspect felt he was going to molest again....
so... lets kill people instead before he goes out?

And then Fred Phelps... is going to applaud this action and claim it as a punishment from
God to the Amish?

It's enough to make me question my faith some days!!!

 

[wotan]

  Well, if they have truly forgiven, they are stronger people than I could ever be.  There are probably some in the Amish community that are simply mouthing the words regarding forgiveness and, like you say, will have a hard time coming to terms with all this.

  I can't understand why this fellow or anyone else would attack the Amish.  They are hardworking folk that basically want to be left to practice their religious beliefs in their own way.

  And as for the group of folks from the Westboro Baptist Church, well, even with my limited understanding of religions, I can't say that they are "Christian", although they attempt to mask themselves as such.  A horrid group of hateful, mean people that cause greater pain and suffering to those already bereaved.  Simply abhorrent.

 

[Yrys]

The whole incident doesn't make sense.  The suspect felt he was going to molest again....
so... lets kill people instead before he goes out?

From what his wife said he tell her when inside, and from
what police said he had with him and waht they thought he would do
(K-Y among others things), it more like:

He wanted to molested again, so he decided to knidnap, molested and kill...

 

[Slim]

Let us retain site of the facts here.

This has nothing to do with God.

This has to do with someone who was messed up, who messed others up and was preparing to do so again. He couldn't take it so he blames God, then shoots 5 or 6 girls (because its their fault too, right)

This individual is sick and, whether given medical assistance or not, should have been locked away from the rest of us so that he can't ever do that again. Unfortunately all the criminally insane people look (on the surface at least) just like everyone else...

And Neither God, nor the Great Pumkin, or any other deity had any responsibility in the matter. Nor did they climb into his head and make him do it.

Fred Phelps, in my humble and uninformed opinion, is just a leech that needs to be stepped on from a great height.

End of rant.

 

[Cadarn]

Fox News has reported that Westboro Baptist has cancelled the planned protests at the Amish funerals.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of church's pastor, told FOXNews.com the group canceled the protests in exchange for an hour of radio time Thursday on syndicated talk-show host Mike Gallagher's radio program.

Thankfully they wont be bothering the poor families of those girls, unfortunately they are just going to spew their hatred somewhere else.

 

[Shadowolf]

The freedom of speech was given so that people have the right to criticize the duly elected government without fear of repercussion.  It is unfortunate that pers such as Fred Phelps use this right in such a wrong way.  From what I have read, he is not anti-amish(indeed, I dont believe the amish believe in homosexuality) but thinks that everything wrong in the world is because governments are 'fag enablers'(his words, not mine).  I believe a (mis?)quote from a colorful Army.ca member is applicable in this case - 'The herd needs culling'

 

[Trinity]

Fox News has reported that Westboro Baptist has cancelled the planned protests at the Amish funerals.

Thankfully they wont be bothering the poor families of those girls, unfortunately they are just going to spew their hatred somewhere else.

Anyone catch the clip of them last time on the TV???

The reporter had to interupt the speaker from the church to shut her up.
Finally the reporter said things like "what does the quack have to say" and
other type insults.  It degenerated within minutes. 

I can't wait to watch this "hour" of TV.. my bets it won't go 20 minutes.