Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps is dead

13

Comments

  • jason_bouchard88
    jason_bouchard88 Posts: 220
    mickeyrat said:

    Here is Nate satement in its entirety I believe , referenced in the article above.

    http://instinctmagazine.com/post/fred-phelps-srs-estranged-son-releases-powerful-statement-following-death

    Fred Phelps, Sr.'s son, Nate Phelps, initially announced to the world this past weekend that his estranged father was near death. Now following the death of his father, Nate, who is also estranged from the Westboro Baptist Church and now serves on the board of Recovering From Religion, has released a statement.

    ​

    See what Nate Phelps has to say:

    Fred Phelps is now the past. The present and the future are for the living. Unfortunately, Fred’s ideas have not died with him, but live on, not just among the members of Westboro Baptist Church, but among the many communities and small minds that refuse to recognize the equality and humanity of our brothers and sisters on this small planet we share. I will mourn his passing, not for the man he was, but for the man he could have been. I deeply mourn the grief and pain felt by my family members denied their right to visit him in his final days. They deserved the right to finally have closure to decades of rejection, and that was stolen from them.

    Even more, I mourn the ongoing injustices against the LGBT community, the unfortunate target of his 23 year campaign of hate. His life impacted many outside the walls of the WBC compound, uniting us across all spectrums of orientation and belief as we realized our strength lies in our commonalities, and not our differences. How many times have communities risen up together in a united wall against the harassment of my family? Differences have been set aside for that cause, tremendous and loving joint efforts mobilized within hours… and because of that, I ask this of everyone — let his death mean something. Let every mention of his name and of his church be a constant reminder of the tremendous good we are all capable of doing in our communities.

    The lessons of my father were not unique to him, nor will this be the last we hear of his words, which are echoed from pulpits as close as other churches in Topeka, Kansas, where WBC headquarters remain, and as far away as Uganda. Let’s end the support of hateful and divisive teachings describing the LGBT community as “less than”, “sinful”, or “abnormal.” Embrace the LGBT community as our equals, our true brothers and sisters, by promoting equal rights for everyone, without exception. My father was a man of action, and I implore us all to embrace that small portion of his faulty legacy by doing the same.

    Amen to Nate. Very thoughtful statement.
  • wolfamongwolves
    wolfamongwolves Posts: 2,414
    This is just wonderful:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/god-hates-fags-westboro-baptist-churchs-first-protest-since-death-of-founder-fred-phelps-marked-by-perfect-counterdemonstration-9210773.html
    93: Slane
    96: Cork, Dublin
    00: Dublin
    06: London, Dublin
    07: London, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    09: Manchester, London
    10: Dublin, Belfast, London & Berlin
    11: San José
    12: Isle of Wight, Copenhagen, Ed in Manchester & London x2
  • Byrnzie
    Byrnzie Posts: 21,037
    edited March 2014
    wolfamongwolves said:

    This is just wonderful:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/god-hates-fags-westboro-baptist-churchs-first-protest-since-death-of-founder-fred-phelps-marked-by-perfect-counterdemonstration-9210773.html

    Nice touch

    image

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Byrnzie said:

    wolfamongwolves said:

    This is just wonderful:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/god-hates-fags-westboro-baptist-churchs-first-protest-since-death-of-founder-fred-phelps-marked-by-perfect-counterdemonstration-9210773.html

    Nice touch

    image

    Now this is what I like to call "taking the high road".

    Well done, folks!

  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    I agree with the sentiment of, 'Not becoming the Evil you detest'.
    Show these people how civil people with opposing socio-political views can behave.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 51,019
    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    ...
    Totally lost.
    ...
    Enough time has passed since the old buzzard croaked and took the express Down Elevator to have an obese Hitler sit on his face for eternity... let's get back to making the funny signs about them secretly wanting man-ass.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 51,019
    BinFrog said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    What makes you say that? I just assume that any smart or clever moves they ever made were simply recommended by their lawyer.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • mickeyrat
    mickeyrat Posts: 45,586
    the current head has been quoted as saying they dont "worship" the dead. Now I know according to the book he rose again but didnt Jesus die? SO it can be argued that any "christian" worships the dead.
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    PJ_Soul said:

    BinFrog said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    What makes you say that? I just assume that any smart or clever moves they ever made were simply recommended by their lawyer.
    Almost all of the adults are college educated. They are very clever and know exactly what they are doing and what they want to accomplish. Go ahead and publicly slander them...the ones that are trained in law will sue you for everything you are worth.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    Do yourself a favor and watch this whole series: http://youtu.be/bOrz5k0jWdU
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    BinFrog said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    The close-minded lot we typically see holding their signs hardly portray a cutting edge think tank. Granted, there are some individuals within the conglomeration that might score well on a test designed to measure their intelligence... but when referencing this particular lot as a whole... it's not too far out of line to describe as 'simple'.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 51,019
    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    BinFrog said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    What makes you say that? I just assume that any smart or clever moves they ever made were simply recommended by their lawyer.
    Almost all of the adults are college educated. They are very clever and know exactly what they are doing and what they want to accomplish. Go ahead and publicly slander them...the ones that are trained in law will sue you for everything you are worth.
    Huh?
    That's not how it works.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    PJ_Soul said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    BinFrog said:

    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

    BinFrog said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Sounds like the message they were trying to send with that sign was kind of lost on the Westboro folks, lol.

    Nah, they knew exactly what the sign meant and what it was trying to accomplish.

    Don't give them too much credit. These people don't strike me as the swiftest lot by any stretch of the imagination.
    Quite to the contrary, they are far from stupid.
    What makes you say that? I just assume that any smart or clever moves they ever made were simply recommended by their lawyer.
    Almost all of the adults are college educated. They are very clever and know exactly what they are doing and what they want to accomplish. Go ahead and publicly slander them...the ones that are trained in law will sue you for everything you are worth.
    Huh?
    That's not how it works.
    It most certainly is part of it

    http://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134198937/a-peek-inside-the-westboro-baptist-church
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
  • Thirty Bills Unpaid
    Thirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    BinFrog said:

    Do yourself a favor and watch this whole series: http://youtu.be/bOrz5k0jWdU

    Watched it. Not impressed.

    "Fags eat feces. That's a fact!"
    "You've raised your brat for the Devil!"
    "Shut up!"

    These are hardly the words of a sophisticated and enriched people.

    In fairness to many of them... the indoctrination they receive as children would be very challenging to overcome.

    Regarding college educations:
    Some of the smartest people I know don't have paper certificates certifying them as intelligent. Some of the dumbest people I know flaunt paper certificates as proof of their intelligence. I am not saying college educations are worthless. I believe colleges are very worthwhile places; but if one can get a college education with multiple degrees and then act like these people... I'd be one to say they never learned much and place them in the 2nd category of the people I described.
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • backseatLover12
    backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    edited March 2014
    Do some of the dumbest people you speak of have law degrees?
    Eleven of Fred Phelps' 13 children have law degrees..."They have a very well-respected law firm in Topeka," Sherman says. "People in town said, 'Well, we don't like them, but if we want to win a case, we'll go to them.' "

    ...The protests are in themselves a source of some income, according to Potok. Over the years the Phelpses have filed lawsuits against communities that try to stop them from demonstrating.

    "And as a general matter they have won," he says. "They know their First Amendment rights very well, and they've been very good at defending them."

    When they win, they often receive tens of thousands of dollars in court fees. And their winning streak is likely to continue, now that the Supreme Court has decided that Westboro's right to free speech trumps the right of families to bury their loved ones undisturbed.
    I'm not sure why "assuming" anything about this family, in which many do, is any justification of anything.
    Post edited by backseatLover12 on
  • BinFrog
    BinFrog MA Posts: 7,314
    backseatLover12 said:

    Do some of the dumbest people you speak of have law degrees?

    Eleven of Fred Phelps' 13 children have law degrees..."They have a very well-respected law firm in Topeka," Sherman says. "People in town said, 'Well, we don't like them, but if we want to win a case, we'll go to them.' "

    ...The protests are in themselves a source of some income, according to Potok. Over the years the Phelpses have filed lawsuits against communities that try to stop them from demonstrating.

    "And as a general matter they have won," he says. "They know their First Amendment rights very well, and they've been very good at defending them."

    When they win, they often receive tens of thousands of dollars in court fees. And their winning streak is likely to continue, now that the Supreme Court has decided that Westboro's right to free speech trumps the right of families to bury their loved ones undisturbed.
    I'm not sure why "assuming" anything about this family makes it valid.



    Thanks. That's what I was trying to say.

    Just because you think they are pieces of shit and absolute scumbags, that doesn't mean they are stupid. The fact that they are cunning and manipulative makes it much worse.
    Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
    Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"

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