The foolishness of the Westboro Baptist Church

[Ruin]

I'm sure everyone can agree that this Church represents some of the worst American Christian cults have to offer. They spread hatred, intolerance and are the least patriotic of all Americans. They spread their own interpretation of the word of the lord in the form of his hated for Gays and their practices, however, they haven't seemed to get it quite sorted.

• They believe God hates homosexuals (or fags as they like to call them) but they seem hell-bent on removing male gays, all their banners say so. I'm sure the Lesbians are having a great time.
• They believe hurricane Katrina was a punishment for America for harbouring Gays... they seem to have forgotten that in the old days God simply had is followers slaughter them all. He even bypassed the middle men and simply rained down burning sulfur or turned them to salt if they did something wrong. If Homosexuality was such a sin, why do we still remember the ancient Greeks?
• They claim that God is killing the soldiers in Iraq... why?
• 3,975 dead. 29,080 wounded? What the hell does he have against the Muslims then? With 30,000 Iraqis dead, so why aren't you then picketing their funerals?
• From their own blog: "Tech. Sgt. Dustin Thorson murered his two children and himself...God sent the shooter!" God hates fags... God hates Americans... God hates children?

I can only say the WBC have done themselves proud with sheer idiocy and lunacy. They make the rest of religion look like they're not trying hard enough.

[Gwendylyn]

They've gone on the record saying that their tactics are chose to gain as much publicity as possible.

This is shown when they declared they would picket Heath Ledger's funeral for playing in Brokeback Mountain, of all things, or as you pointed out, blaming gays in the military for every single little negative news piece.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

This is non-news. If there are any advocates of WBC here I challenge them to a sword fight.

[Bokks]

Phelp's Cult (as I prefer to call them) is by far the scariest little parasite that hasn't actuallly killed anyone (yet) in America.
Frankly the Westboro "Baptist" Church really should be illegalized, but then again that opens the door to other religions to be so banned, which is worse than them preaching their filth. I don't mean this in offense to the OP but if we just ignore them they'll just sputter out of existance, or grow violent in which case we could legally facilitate that sputter.

I'd have to support Syron's "devil advocasy" play, and I agree with many points. To say though, that their actions are validated by the bible is a fallacy, however. One can always find a hint of sanity in the most insane beliefs, they would not survive otherwise, but to say that Christianity is the reason is absurd, akin to Islam being the reason behind terrorism.
Finding any religion that makes sense and has a spotless past of zero-violence is impossible, especially when you include the parameters of monotheistic religions. But no religion would ever validate the actions of the WBC, not fully.

This is non-news. If there are any advocates of WBC here I challenge them to a sword fight.

That's not a particularly constructive statement... but it has its perks.
I would actually prefer an advocate to speak freely, though: it always interests me to learn about such... causes of such... beliefs.

[Syron]

[*] They believe God hates homosexuals (or fags as they like to call them) but they seem hell-bent on removing male gays, all their banners say so. I'm sure the Lesbians are having a great time.

They're not keen on lesbians either. Male homosexuality always has attracted more disdain the female homosexuality.

[*] They believe hurricane Katrina was a punishment for America for harbouring Gays... they seem to have forgotten that in the old days God simply had is followers slaughter them all. He even bypassed the middle men and simply rained down burning sulfur or turned them to salt if they did something wrong. If Homosexuality was such a sin, why do we still remember the ancient Greeks?

Satan? Besides, the Greeks weren't fond of penetrative sex either which you could argue is what Leviticus is talking about.

[*] They claim that God is killing the soldiers in Iraq... why?

Punishment for a nation they see as protecting gays (despite being one of the least gay friendly in the western world!!!).

[*] 3,975 dead. 29,080 wounded? What the hell does he have against the Muslims then? With 30,000 Iraqis dead, so why aren't you then picketing their funerals?

Well they follow a false prophet, they're going to hell anyway whether they like gays or not.

[*] From their own blog: "Tech. Sgt. Dustin Thorson murered his two children and himself...God sent the shooter!" God hates fags... God hates Americans... God hates children?

In the bible god was very fond of collective punishment.





I love the WBC, they are probably the most powerful force for gay right's in America.

[Ruin]

They're not keen on lesbians either. Male homosexuality always has attracted more disdain the female homosexuality.

The reason for this being?

Satan? Besides, the Greeks weren't fond of penetrative sex either which you could argue is what Leviticus is talking about.

Please, Satan has never posed much of a problem to God in the Bible. He certainly didn't wait for approval before he razed Sodom.

Punishment for a nation they see as protecting gays (despite being one of the least gay friendly in the western world!!!).

He can do a lot better then that. It obviously isn't working so far, he hardly needs militant cultists to picket funerals to prove a point.

Well they follow a false prophet, they're going to hell anyway whether they like gays or not.

So is everyone else according to them, or all Christians according to Jews etc. etc. It's not really an argument.

In the bible god was very fond of collective punishment.

Killing lone soldiers is hardly a good example of this.

[Syron]

I'm playing devils advocate. Just pointing out that if you take the bible literally what they say/do does make sense.

[Ruin]

I'm playing devils advocate. Just pointing out that if you take the bible literally what they say/do does make sense.

And I disagree, their actions are not preached in the bible. Nor are their claims that God hates America at all justified.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

And I disagree, their actions are not preached in the bible. Nor are their claims that God hates America at all justified.

Ruin, you can surely be empathetic and understand on some level where they get their teachings from. And it all comes from reading the fundamental translated version of the Bible.

[Bokks]

Ruin, you can surely be empathetic and understand on some level where they get their teachings from. And it all comes from reading the fundamental translated version of the Bible.

Possibly small snippets of the bible here and there, parts where God "lost His cool", so-to-speak. the bible as a whole, however, can no more justify the despiccable actions of Phelps and the rest of the WBC than it can the Inquisition.
No, I agree with Ruin in this, completely. I can empathize with them, understand what shaky ground they get their little moral fiber from, but to say that after reading a book one is justified to go out and proclaim the garbage they do is rediculous. The full significance of the book and its impact of being more than "just a book" notwithstanding, It does not justify their actions, and if it does anywhere then it being in print still would not justify their implimentation.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Possibly small snippets of the bible here and there, parts where God "lost His cool", so-to-speak.

I call it the Old Testament.

No, I agree with Ruin in this, completely. I can empathize with them, understand what shaky ground they get their little moral fiber from, but to say that after reading a book one is justified to go out and proclaim the garbage they do is rediculous. The full significance of the book and its impact of being more than "just a book" notwithstanding, It does not justify their actions, and if it does anywhere then it being in print still would not justify their implimentation.

Of course we understand how it is unjustifiable, not as religious people but just as people. But I am merely saying that it is obvious that taken out of context, many parts of the Bible are interpretable in a pejorative way, just like any religious text the world over - and the WBCers are their respective extremists.

To them, God is Hate, not Love.

Yet you wish God to kill them all. I wonder which God yours is.

[boofhead]

Yet you wish God to kill them all.

Huh? Who? I never said that. Stop making things up.

[Bokks]

I call it the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is over 5,000 years old, yet this bizarre twist of theirs is barely 60 years old. Added to the fact that there is nothing in the Torah that ever says that homosexuals should roast in hell for all eternity... actually if I'm not mistaken the Old Testament does not even speak of hell at all. I doubt it would, knowing that heaven and hell are christian establishments to give a face to the place they hope to go to.
The Old Testament also says, deep in its hallowed tomes, that the world is supported by elephants under a bowl of sky, in which rests the planets and stars, and occassionaly opens to let forth the water that surrounds it still. While occassional snippets of the Old Testament may invoke a certain fear of God or comeupance for sinners, it also says that sinners of any kind should not be reviled by their fellow man but welcomed as any person, that their final judgement is with Gid Himself, not by the people of earth. Therefore, whatever part of the Torah I don't know actually validates homophobia, others state that such individuals should not be persecuted.

Of course we understand how it is unjustifiable, not as religious people but just as people. But I am merely saying that it is obvious that taken out of context, many parts of the Bible are interpretable in a pejorative way, just like any religious text the world over - and the WBCers are their respective extremists.

Oh yes, I know. It's pretty clear that you would be far from the frontlines assisting them in their insidious, odious mannerisms. I just dissagree that the bible really justifies anything they say it does.
Besides, this is debate...

Yet you wish God to kill them all. I wonder which God yours is.

:hmmm:That's actually a good point, but I'd say he meant more for their own judgement be done back upon them. Which actually is sanctified by the bible: "Judge not lest ye be judged" or something that sounds like that. (My Shakespearean tongue is rather rusty after all these centuries...)

[boofhead]

The Divine Justice they scream and yell about will one day descend from the heavens and bite them on their butts. Probably in the form of a grief-stricken mob of funeral attendees with pitchforks, kicks and punches, if not bullets.

When that karmic day occurs, we can all shout "God hates WBC".

These strange people are very un-Christian. They spout one verse but ignore the overall message. To them, God is Hate, not Love.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

The Divine Justice they scream and yell about will one day descend from the heavens and bite them on their butts. Probably in the form of a grief-stricken mob of funeral attendees with pitchforks, kicks and punches, if not bullets.

I especially like:

When that karmic day occurs, we can all shout "God hates WBC".

followed by:

To them, God is Hate

[boofhead]

I especially like:

followed by:

I give up. I'm not even going to bother responding.

[Gary88]

tbh discussing the logic behind WBC is a bit like going "So Nazis hated Jews, what was all that about?"

[MrMofo]

is that the family from the documentary *the most hated family in america?*

if so, yeah, those people have issues. EDIT: yes, yes they are.

EDIT: snappy website: http://www.godhatesfags.com/ Feel the spirit.

In other news, the WBC news: *Fags are violent*:http://www.signmovies.net/wbcvideone...videonews.html