25 replies to this topic

[Waser Lave]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...canada-26669967

 

 

The former leader of a US church that was widely known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests has died, his family has said.

 

The Reverend Fred Phelps Sr, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, died on Wednesday evening at 84.

 

The church, made up mostly of his family, rose to international notoriety with its practice of picketing funerals of fallen US troops.

It claimed their deaths were punishment for America's tolerance of gays.

 

'Diabolical'

 

Their signs read "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11" and the like, and bore messages offensive to gay and lesbian people.

 

Mr Phelps, a disbarred Kansas lawyer, was an ordained Baptist minister but his church was not attached to any mainstream denomination.

He and his small congregation - dubbed "the most hated family in America" by the BBC's Louis Theroux - aimed their vitriol at many groups, including immigrants and Jews. But their signature slogan was "God hates fags".

"You're not going to get nowhere with that slop that 'God loves you,'" Mr Phelps once told the Religion News Service. "That's a diabolical lie from hell without biblical warrant."

In 2009, Mr Phelps and his daughter were barred from entering the United Kingdom due to their anti-gay preaching.

The church's actions inspired a federal law and numerous state laws limiting picketing at funerals.

In 2011 the church won a major legal victory when the US Supreme Court ruled it could not be sued for monetary damages for inflicting pain on grieving families.

 

He died, discuss.

[Sweeney]

Anyone want to picket his funeral?

[Waser Lave]

Anyone want to picket his funeral?

 

I imagine there'll be hundreds/thousands of people already thinking of that. Though that family probably want that to happen so they get the attention they crave.

[Trichomes]

Weren't there rumors that Phelps was excommunicated from his own church?

[Applepi]

Instead of picketing, Everyone should make a donation to a cause his church was against IN HIS NAME. 

[luvsmyncis]

Assholes die every day. I only wish hell were real.

[Honchkrow]

I actually hope nobody goes to his funeral, whats more sad than having no one to see you for your funeral? Shows that no one cared enough to see him for the last time even for the reason to figuratively spit on his grave.

[arcanum]

Anyone want to picket his funeral?

I heard rumors about that, or not picketing so much as just a bunch of gays going out there and celebrating (PDA included, I'm sure xD)

 

I would never want to wish death on anyone..... but if I ever did, it would've been on him and his entire "church". -_-

Unfortunately there are a lot of idiots in the world.   at least he is gone though.

[Doomsday]

George Takei said it best...

 

I take no solace or joy in this man's passing. We will not dance upon his grave, nor stand vigil at his funeral holding "God Hates Freds" signs, tempting as it may be.

He was a tormented soul, who tormented so many. Hate never wins out in the end. It instead goes always to its lonely, dusty end.

 

 

Irrespective of the actions of both himself and his church, giving them "a taste of their own medicine" makes us no better then they were.

 

Apparantly the church itself doesn't actually hold memorials or do funerals like other churches normally do, his body will probably be laid to rest on the sly.

 

 

The family has, however, asked that people respect Fred Phelps passing

Edited by Doomsday, 20 March 2014 - 08:41 PM.

[Sweeney]

Irrespective of the actions of both himself and his church, giving them "a taste of their own medicine" makes us no better then they were.

Bollocks. The picketing of a single funeral would be utterly incomparable to the systematic ritual of hatred and abuse the WBC vomited across the planet.

[arcanum]

George Takei is amazing.

 

Minus the innocent children who've been brainwashed all their lives. 

Yeah, this is very true. those poor kids.

[Cub]

I could never truly say that I have ever been happy for somebodies death until now.

I dont know if thats terrible or not.. but.

[luvsmyncis]

I could never truly say that I have ever been happy for somebodies death until now.
I dont know if thats terrible or not.. but.

Eh. People die every day and no single person can constantly be sad about all of them. What's the harm in having a little chuckle over one single death? But just remember, just because you think someone is an idiot, there is always someone out there shedding tears over that idiot's death. Here's an example. I'm just grateful the dog survived.

[Shinx]

Assholes die every day. I only wish hell were real.

Who's to say we aren't living in hell right now?

 

I always hated that guy.... ^____^

[luvsmyncis]

Who's to say we aren't living in hell right now?

Hell is a place of everlasting suffering. Right now, our suffering ends... eventually. So this is not hell.

[redlion]

Hell is a place of everlasting suffering. Right now, our suffering ends... eventually. So this is not hell.

Phelps was right on one point though: the old testament God was a pretty harsh dude. Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt, massacring the philistines and other tribes of the levant; until that Yeshua bloke mellowed God's image, God seemed pretty close to being the devil. You never know. The devil could be tormenting us with the illusion of an end in death. After we 'die' it could go on endlessly. YOU DON'T KNOW.

[666]

I hope the fucker gets reincarnated as a slug so I can pour some salt on him.

But really though picketing his funeral is only going to create a vicious cycle, which clearly the WBC has no intention of breaking.  

[Applepi]

I hope the fucker gets reincarnated as a slug so I can pour some salt on him.

But really though picketing his funeral is only going to create a vicious cycle, which clearly the WBC has no intention of breaking.  

Agreed! And remember they've got much more experiencing picketing funerals compared to the general public, they'll just beat everyone with experience. Can you imagine, WBC will just picket the picketers  

 

Honestly, the best thing would be avoid bringing any more attention to the group. They live off of publicity. 

[666]

Agreed! And remember they've got much more experiencing picketing funerals compared to the general public, they'll just beat everyone with experience. Can you imagine, WBC will just picket the picketers

 

Honestly, the best thing would be avoid bringing any more attention to the group. They live off of publicity. 

I agree.

Without publicity and media attention they wouldn't be anybody, but people don't realize that nor do the media outlets want to stop filming things they know will get them increased viewship.  It's all a huge vicious cycle and someone's gotta do the right thing, even though nobody wants to

[Peaches]

I have enjoyed some of Louis Theroux's docos, but I haven't seen this particular one - though I've heard of "the most hated family in America".

 

My partner is an ex-soldier and after reading this thread, he went looking online for a ticket to the US...and now he's cleaning his weapon. I'd say the family has another hater.

[MC10]

I hope the fucker gets reincarnated as a slug so I can pour some salt on him.

But really though picketing his funeral is only going to create a vicious cycle, which clearly the WBC has no intention of breaking.  

All I thought when I read that was, if he's a rich slorg he'll give you 50 NP everyday...

[MC10]

Turns out he was kinda rich, so he'll give 100 NP sometimes

Just got the 100 for the first time today! I had no idea haha.

[RobotRock24]

Glad he's dead. 

[Xuu]

Oh gee what a shaaame... about the rest of them still lving that is. It would be better if they couldn't have a service at all.