As if the families don’t have enough grief and the outside world to deal with. This guy and his followers makes Limbaugh, O’ Reilly and the guy who eats lightbulbs seem normal.
Bible-Spouting Group Plans to Picket Amish Funerals
A Kansas-based group that says “God hates fags” plans to picket the funerals of the Amish girls killed by a disturbed man in Lancaster County, Pa.
The Westboro Baptist Church — described as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League — has made a name for itself by picketing the funerals of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. The troops are dying as punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality, the group says.
The Westboro group says the Amish school girls were “killed by a madman in punishment for Gov. Ed Rendell’s blasphemous sins against Westboro Baptist Church.
A number of states have passed laws to keep groups like Westboro away from grieving families at funerals, but last month, a federal judge ruled that a Kentucky law barring protests within 300 feet of military funerals and memorial services is too broad and may not be enforced.
I live a few miles from the scene… think of caring a sign with big letters.
Jesus LOVES
Gay People
Fred Phelps
And
The Amish
Anyone Else In?
#54, The “uh-huh”, as Joshua points out, is me not quite agreeing with that philosophical mumbo-jumbo.
And I guess you couldn’t see my wink acknowledging your sarcasm. What you didn’t? But I thought it was so plain to see. Unlike any of the posts by others that you have twisted and attached meanings to that obviously weren’t there.
The simple solution is don’t be subtle with your messages. If you state it, then it is.
And I still think the guy and his brethren are sorry phucks who stretch the First Amendment. Picketing Phelp’s church and even his house would be entirely in order.
#61 – “Maybe this is a good time to consider how violent and aggressive our society really is and that it’s time to start considering moving on and evolving beyond it.”
#54 – “I think it likewise not beyond our capabilities as responsible humans to have a similarly respected person to officially tell Phelps to get lost.”
So when someone like Phelps violates common decency, someone should be able to tell him to knock it off and crawl back under his rock? An enforcer of community standards to help us move past the violent reflex, so to speak? I like the idea, but the only such official arbiters of decency I recall would be the Hayes Committee with its “two feet on the floor” and other such absurd rules for movies.
It’s all part of the liberty vs order conflict. If we can’t have a “fightin’ words” concept that would at least evolve with a given local community, we’re stuck with those who would be judges of everybody’s behavior. And that notion makes me nervous.
Most churches would never feature the words “God” and “Hates” in the same paragraph, let alone on the same protest sign in the hands of a child.
There is a serious need here to get Children’s Protective Services involved, along with state prosecutors, state police, and since Fred gay bashing brigade of hate has spit upon innocent people in other states, the FBI.
The charge is child abuse and the investigation should be limited in scope to every last adult member of the church, their extended families, their employers and co-workers, neighbors, and anyone that ever so much as delivered a pizza to one of the flock.
Right wing extremists always fall back on the “think of the children” canard when they try to outlaw strip clubs, libraries, public schools, or whatever is jammed up their clenched asses on any given day.
Well, I’m taking them up on it. I’m thinking of the children. I’m thinking they are abused and in danger and need to be taken away from the danger while a few hundred religious terrorists and anyone who has tolerated them these past many years squirms under the lights.
And while anyone who knows what I think about religion will realize that I really want to open up a huge can of whoop-ass on some percieved political enemies, I am deadly serious when I say that what is happening to the children in Phelp’s Westboro Bigoted Hayseed Church is exactly what I would call abuse and should be criminally investigated.
I’m not sure how many of us are familiar with the God that he claims to serve, but those who are should recognize that the solution to his behavior is to show him reproof with the kind of Love he appearently lacks. That is, to treat him the way he ought to treat others. What could possibly motivate him to listen to anyone who angrily opposes him, just as we do not listen to him, for the way he angers us? We cannot correct him if we become like him. See: “Golden Rule”
#62. [i]”I live a few miles from the scene… think of caring a sign with big letters.
Jesus LOVES
Gay People
Fred Phelps
And
The Amish
Anyone Else In? [/i]
Paul, no signs. no words. All we can do is bow our heads when the procession passes you on the roadside. Only time will heal those parent’s wounds.
#64 I’m not exactly sure where you were going with that comment as I said nothing about enforcing anything. I strongly believe that everyone has the right to say what they want including those who would tell someone like Phelps to knock it off. As a matter of fact I really respect how the Patriot Guard Riders deal with him.
My post was more of an observation concerning what our society has unfortunately come to, and how unfortunate it is that the violence of our society spilled over into such a peaceful community. I’m only suggesting that this situation, specifically the shooting itself, might be something we all need to look very closely at. Also, I was commenting that the way the Amish community has responded to this whole thing certainly humbled me. I don’t think I could have been so forgiving. I used to live in an area with a lot of Amish and have always respected them, now even more so.
I would never suggest enforcing views or opinions of any kind on anyone, if that’s what you were suggesting I meant. (I’m not sure because you directed your post to me and #54, so I’m not sure how much of it was directed at me specifically. Also, I may not have been completely clear as to the point I was trying to make.) Anyway, I was only suggesting that maybe we (as in our society as a whole) should consider looking very closely at ourselves. We are a very violent society. I see this stuff on the news all the time, shootings, assault, robbery, etc. I would have never guessed in a million years that it would ever spill over into the Amish community. This whole situation has certainly struck a nerve with me in a big way. All I’m saying, as idealistic as it may sound, that maybe our society really needs to look at why these things happen and what we can really do to change it. I don’t mean enforcing strict, oppressive rules, but rather individuals learning to be responsible for their own issues and actions.
I’d also like to make it very clear that I am in no way an advocate of censorship. “Decency” rules are a ridiculous idea. Who’s to say what is decent and what isn’t. (Although, I do think simple rating systems are fine, it lets someone know what they are getting in the case of movies and such.) Anyway, as much as I detest Phelps, he has the right to say what he wants. I think the Patriot Guard Riders have the right idea in the way they handle him. What I was commenting on was about violence and how we need to look at that, completely different animal. Just making it clear.
Phelps is RUNNING A SCAM. He is a lawyer (possibly disbarred) and his ‘church’ is mostly his family members. His goal is to get towns to not give him a license to hold a demonstration and then to sue them, or for someone he is protesting to start a fight and then to sue the police and/or town for not protecting them. He has already made like $500,000 doing so. He is not a religious nut, just a common con man.
63. The little guy got it. Who is that guy? I’ve never seen him around here before. …Okay, never mind.
In return for acknowledging the very slimmest of possibilities that I should be ever-so-slightly more obvious (for you anyway), allow me to irritate you further.
I’m going to defend Phelps. Well, not really. But I’m going to provide an explanation that I think is valid. Put yourself in the position where you 100% truly believe that the real God – Creator of the universe – has clearly commanded you (directly or indirectly) to do the things Phelps does. You could, of course, refuse Him. But would you?
I don’t think Muslim suicide terrorists have the gumption to blow themselves up simply because they want other people to live in a better world.
Of course there is always the possibility that they are all organically insane.
RBG
69. “Who’s to say what is decent and what isn’t.”
Uncle Dave.
RBG
#72: Not me. Say whatever you feel (depent only on the blog guidelines), just don’t advocate committing violence upon someone if for no other reason than I rather doubt John (or us editors) wants to have to give the FBI your name, email address, etc when a person is killed and you advocated his death, much less answering why we allowed that person to do so.
I would suggest being civil, but that’s just my born-in-the-50’s upbringing.
For the record, I think Phelps is crazy, his beliefs are crazy, yet he should be allowed to say what he wants. On the other hand, I feel it is incumbent on those who disagree to do so in his face as hard as they can. Give him back what he dishes out.
[editor: Do not post phone numbers or addresses of people on the blog. It opens us up to complicity in litigation if something happens because of it.]
73. Maybe Fusion is right and I need to do the 😉 thing more often. But that so messes up the edginess.
“…in his face as hard as they can. Give him back what he dishes out.”
But in a civil, born-in-the-50’s upbringing sort of way. 😉
See! See way I mean?
RBG
@ #72 🙂
#70 – Phelps is RUNNING A SCAM. He is a lawyer (possibly disbarred) and his ‘church’ is mostly his family members….
Comment by Bill — 10/5/2006 @ 12:48 pm
Wow… Evil and brilliant… Who knew there was a real life example of a Bond villian right here in the good ole USA…
Way else is there to drink?
RBG
Such A-holes
If I ever met Phelps face to face, I would kiss him to death.
Watch it Fusion. You know what kissing can lead to. Just ask 0113addiv.
Oh no, please for the love of all that is holy — which is, for the record, very little — do not ask 0113addiv what kissing leads to.
#80 Tounge on rye
Its ironic how the ones who proclaim to know what god hates are the ones that hate?
Who or what is God? And who or what knows what god hates?
or if there is a “God or we where just created by evoloution.
The sadist part to this story is seeing the innocent child holding up posters of hate. This is child abuse….
If this wacko knows God, I sure would love to speak with him because my check book is way out of wack. and God dammit I sure could use his help.
Who died and left this idiot ruler of the planet earth anyway.
oo13addiv You need to start a blog..yu funny as all h#ll
81. Re 73 & 80. An FBI investigation?
RBG
You shall know them by their fruits…many will say in that day…Lord Lord..and the Lord will say He does not know them…It is important to read the bible and know the word of God..if you are a christian..you will know His word and will have discernment…
I don’t think that’s what God meant by “fruits.”
RBG
(C’mon, do I have to include a smiley?)
36 Its absolutely staggering that nobody has killed this f**ker yet!
Him and his filthy family are an utter disgrace and an affront to humanity.
I saw his daughter interviewed on Fox. She has this theology that anyone who is killed is killed because of the judgement of God. When pressed on how these Amish girls could POSSIBLEY be guilty, she said, “Well their dead, aren’t they?”
And what about her? she was asked. Her answer was, “Well God hasn’t just me, has he?”
If seems to me that this is an absolutely invitation for some really angry person to off-her.
I found her lack of affect really really creepy. Is it possible that some sort of anti-social gene runs through that family?
A firing squad’s too good for the WBC. Hanging’s too good for the WBC. Burning’s too good for the WBC. The guillotine’s too good for the WBC. Even a combination sandpaper-nitric acid bath-pants full of scorpions torture is too good for the WBC.
Leave the Amish alone! And if you WBC pests wanna point the finger of blame at me, I’ll point one back at you. Which one? Take a wild guess. (HINT-It’s between the Ring and Index.)
These people are just a bunch of klu klux klan members, hiding behind the name of a church. Maybe they should use their time wisely and read the bible. One thing for sure, god will give them what is due the!