LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

WBC will Preach at Jerry Falwell's Funeral!! (Link to Phelps' "God Hates America")

WBC will preach at the memorial service of the corpulent false prophet Jerry Falwell, who spent his entire life prophesying lies and false doctrines like "God loves everyone". ( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gtonizuka)

( I'm not calling anyone out, but I won't stand by and advocate harassment, either )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gairid)

This was on the estimable twistedchick's LJ.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm

An expose' on Phelps by two of his sons. May contain triggers for some of you, and really, not a read for anyone weak of stomach, although that might be said of anything that this man has been involved in.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY seshen)

Fred Phelps is the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka. The congregation is made up mostly of his family. Phelps has 13 children, 54 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. He describes himself as an "old-time" gospel preacher who says, "You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God." Phelps and his family have made a name for themselves by showing up at high-profile events preaching their hate-filled brand of Christianity. They blame homosexuals for the destruction of America.

This past weekend's target was Army Sgt. Jessie Davila.

NOTE: This is a new one, since the last protest at Army PFC Christopher Marion's funeral.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY lihan161051)

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/7649781/detail.html?subid=22100444&qs=1;bp=t

KOKOMO, Ind. -- Police will have a new legal weapon as they prepare for the Monday funeral of a Kokomo soldier killed in Iraq.

State lawmakers on Thursday enacted a law curtailing protests at funerals ahead of an expected protest at the funeral of Army Sgt. Rickey Jones, 21. Jones died in a roadside bomb attack last week in Iraq.

Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the legislation late Thursday and it went into effect immediately. Disorderly conduct within 500 feet of a funeral, burial, funeral procession or viewing is now a felony offense.

The law was enacted because of a Kansas-based group's protests at the funerals of Indiana soldiers.

The protesters, from Westboro Baptist Church, claim soldiers are dying in Iraq because the United States supports homosexuals. The group plans to protest at Jones' funeral.

Vandals have targeted Jones' family's home and his family has been barraged with hateful phone messages within the past week.

I'm not sure whether I like the idea that WBC has now forced a state legislature to curtail free speech, even if it does enforce a certain degree of decorum at funerals. Some things just shouldn't require laws to legislate the painfully obvious. But .. if this provides a legal means of keeping these WBC idiots out of people's faces at a military funeral, it may be worth it.

I still wonder what Phelps and his band of idiots think they can possibly accomplish by this tactic, though .. seems to me they're doing more harm than good to their own cause. But then again, that applies to most of what they do, I guess.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY reannon)

This, folks, is exactly why we shouldn't pass these arguably-unconstitutional laws against the funeral protesters.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=93052

Because now the bad guys are getting three times as much press. I wouldn't be surprised, given the usual tone of Missouri state lawmakers, if that was the idea all along.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY cheap_laugh)

Chicago Tribune | Dead soldier's family harassed

Dead soldier's family harassed

The Associated Press
Published March 1, 2006, 11:52 AM CST
KOKOMO, Ind. --

Local police are watching the home of an
Indiana solider killed in Iraq after the home was vandalized and
his family received disturbing phone calls.

Sgt. Rickey Jones died in a roadside bomb blast last week
north of Baghdad. He was 21.

On Saturday, someone threw eggs at his family's home. The family
also got phone calls from someone who said they were glad that
Jones was dead.

Jones' relatives and police are also bracing for the possibility
that a Kansas-based group that has created furor at other soldiers'
funerals will stage a protest Monday at his funeral.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY inkedgeekfreak)

Reading CNN and stumbled on an article about the Patriot Guard. It's a group of bikers that arrive at soldiers funerals to counter the protesting of Phelps and his gang. Basically the bikers hold flags to block the grieving fmailies view of Westboro's members and chant USA to drown out the incessant droning of the baptists. Read the article

Personally think this is an ingenious way to counter their absurd notion that soldiers die because the USA houses queers. But then again, I think most of what comes our of their mouth is absurd.

Also, I did not know that the Westboro's congregation is mostly extended family with little other support or ties to any bigger religious affiliation.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY diala)

Does anyone have anymore information on this?

http://www.horsesass.org/index.php?p=1370

Rev. Phelps struck a similar chord in talking about Seattle’s Super Bowl loss, saying that God chose to torment fans with momentum-turning penalties and dropped passes in retaliation for the city’s unholy abomination: “God hates Seattle! It was Seattle’s fags who hardened God’s heart, and it was God’s wrath that turned Jerramy Stevens’ hands to stone.”

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY njtech)

Westboro Baptist church pickets military funerals because they claim God is angry at us because this country supports gay rights.

Now I find this completely offensive. Absolutely tasteless, not to mention wrong. As a result of such actions states are trying to limit where and when people may protest at funerals, to preserve the right of families to grieve in peace.

I have such mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I feel like this is nothing but dominionists trying to attack people when they are at their lowest emotional point, jsut like they do when they protest at abortion clinics. However.. free speech is free speech. As president Shepeard said in The american president "America isn't easy." Worse, these protestors will prossibly cause legislation that further curtails the rights of other to protest as well.

I absolutely hate to support them, but...

I dunno, what do you think?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY cheap_laugh)

and I have listened.... Oy.....

to keep your ears to the madness, iTunes music store has the hatecast available.

as his theme song goes:
(with apologies)

God hates America
Land I abhor!
Stand beside her
and defile her

Through the night
jeer the plight
of military dead

From the Gay bars.
to the coal mines
to the parents
filled with Grief

We Hate America
You are all damned to Hell


In listening to him, he really is a nutjob. He'd be amusing if he weren't so powerful within his Church. I predict, a Waco-Jonestown Flavr-Aid fire drinking end...

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY sunfell)

From Stratego:

The UK is willing to use the laws of libel and slander to protect its citizens from violence-provoking hate speech. Given that, the UK media has been going after a number of fundamentalist evangelists who have had no shame about publicly announcing that London *deserved* to be bombed in the 7/7 attacks.</a>

Sky News has done a report about Fred Phelps:

Inside The Church of Hate
Updated: 20:01, Tuesday October 25, 2005

The Sky Report has secretly filmed one of America's most controversial Christian ministers praising the London bombings.

Fred Phelps says that terrorist outrages and natural disasters such as Hurricane Rita are examples of God's wrath against countries such as America and Britain for tolerating homosexuals and homosexuality.

Fred Phelps, who set up the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, told our undercover reporter about the attacks, which killed 52 people:

"Oh I am so thankful that happened. My only regret is that they didn't kill about million of them. England deserves that kind of punishment, as does this country (America)".

They even secretly filmed inside his church. Links to the video are here (Windows Media Player Required.)

The video is interesting- at the very end, you see first hand the twisted 'logic' that the family uses to spread their hatred- a misinterpretation of Scripture: that Jesus said people would hate him, and that God blesses people who are hated.

There's also a fierce reaction in the UK to this hate speech, especially from the US.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY cheap_laugh)

Video Channel scroll down the page...
This is from http://www.sky.com:
The Sky Report at 7pm
Inside The Church of Hate
Updated: 20:01, Tuesday October 25, 2005
The Sky Report has secretly filmed one of America's most controversial Christian ministers praising the London bombings.

Fred Phelps says that terrorist outrages and natural disasters such as Hurricane Rita are examples of God's wrath against countries such as America and Britain for tolerating homosexuals and homosexuality.

Fred Phelps, who set up the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, told our undercover reporter about the attacks, which killed 52 people:

"Oh I am so thankful that happened. My only regret is that they didn't kill about million of them. England deserves that kind of punishment, as does this country (America)"

Listen carefully. He is PRAISING the Terrorists. We are at War. Why is he preaching his Fifth Column diatribe(s) Phelps is a Traitor to America.... oh, wait... he's a White Christian... never mind....

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kiji_kat)

This just...wow. There are no words. None.

I'm posting a link of all known Avengelical/dominionist groups who are specifically:

a) either blaming/targeting NOLA victims or
b) more specifically have made statements to the effect that Hurricane Katrina is "God's wrath" or otherwise some form of divine retribution or "cleansing" of the NOLA area.

I am wishing to document this because, among other things, much press is given to Islam's version of Avengelicals and Iraqi insurgents claiming Katrina is God's Wrath, but very little on our *own* Avengelicals in the US claiming the same thing. I think it'd be enlightening if people could see waht they are stating publically or what has come out (in regards to what is being said in their own flocks).

Needless to say, what is being said to their own flocks and what isn't making the press is probably worse.

Anyways, the list:

( Scumbags all, playing the ultimate game of 'blame the victim' )
( Indirect condemnation by dominionists )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY ordos45)

"Thank God for Katrina"

http://www.godhatesfags.com/featured/20050831_thank-god-for-katrina.html

Now not that I feel Fred is only offensive here, using his regular scripture twisting and hate mongering...but he's also definitely crossing the line into Blasphemy when he declares that God is a terrorist. I kid you not...he does...and he says it proudly, implying God's waging revenge because someone pipe-bombed Phelps church.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY seshen)

Anti-Gay Church Protests at Tennessee Funerals for Soldiers Killed in Iraq

Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.

The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless America."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY hummingwolf)

"We'll hunt down your king," he said ominously to Expressen. "It doesn't make any difference where he tries to hide."

Phelps' hatred of the royal family and all things Swedish is linked directly to his equally virulent hatred of homosexuals. He praises homophobic crimes, including murder. When controversial Swedish minister, Åke Green, was convicted of inciting hatred of homosexuals following an anti-gay sermon, Phelps saw red and turned his attention to Sweden.

"You're doomed to spend eternity in hell," he continued. "All you Swedes and your Swedish king and his family."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY scarcrest)

So, members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., showed up to picket at a soldier's funeral in our coverage area on Thursday. I'm sure most people here know who Fred Phelps and his "church" (actually, more a cult of personality -- since the entire membership is his family and friends) are, and if not, a quick Google search will tell you more than you want to know.

Now, there was no question of the soldier being gay; he wasn't. The WBC has, in recent years, started picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq (maybe in Afghanistan as well).

Why? Their rationale is that God is punishing America 1.) for not stoning gays to death and 2.) because their church was firebombed in 1996. The roadside bombs are God's will, they say. In fact, one of the signs the picketers carried said "Thank God for IED's" (improvised explosive devices).

In planning our paper for Friday, we debated not mentioning the protesters at all; then we debated a few paragraphs in the story; and we ultimately did a short side story about the town's reaction. TV didn't mention them at all.

I think ultimately we made the right call; I was initially in favor of running a photo of the picketers, letting people see it and decide if their own views put them too close to these freaks, but we didn't. And, really, homosexuality wasn't the issue of the day; the issue of the day was that a soldier was being buried, friends and family were mourning, and these assholes came to picket for no reason other than sheer spite. It wasn't an anti-war rally; I'm sure the Westboro folks rejoice at the thought of dead Muslims.

We ran three stories on Friday: about the vigil the night before, about the funeral itself and about the hate group's demonstration.

Here's what our executive editor wrote today about covering the story, the decision not to print the photos, and most importantly, what the local reaction says about the community.

Ultimately, I think we handled it right. What do you all think?

(P.S.: Future posters might want to put underscores in multi-word tags, instead of spaces. If you do that, the tags then work properly.)

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY neadods)

Planned Parenthood has run a successful Pledge-a-Minute campaign, asking their supporters to pledge a certain amount of money for every minute someone pickets one of their offices. That is now being turned on Fred Phelps, who is picketing funerals of soldiers he thinks are gay. His latest victim is Sgt. Christopher Taylor; the money will go to his widow.

( The contact info. )

Considering what a bully Phelps is, it would really spoke his wheels to know that he was earning money for the people he's trying to hurt.