Fred Phelps is the man that has brought to America such things at www.godhatesfags.com & www.godhatesamerica.com & www.priestsrapeboys.com. he is a man that pastors a church in kansas. a church that is known for hate instead of love. they are the church that is seen picketing funerals of soldiers…all the while holding pickets that say God Hates Americas & God hates Fags.
it breaks my heart to see such a wonderful & beautiful thing such as the Gospel of Jesus & his story of love & redemption get pissed on & defamed by people such as Fred Phelps and the people that go to his Westboro Baptist Church. these are the very people that will be picketing the funeral of Tim Russert (newsanchor for MSNBC) tomorrow.
there will come a day where people like Fred Phelps will have a rude awakening. it saddens me to know that these people think they are truly helping the advancement of God’s Kingdom. when in all actuality they are doing more damage than good.
i apologize to anyone who reads this blog & is not a Christian. this man & his church & their beliefs are the farthest thing from the true loving & redemptive story of Jesus Christ as you can get. please don’t discredit Christianity because of these people & their picket lines.
this is another example of how Christianity is know for the wrong things. your thoughts?
You said it with much kinder words than I would have chosen. It’s a shame people like this parade in front of cameras to get air time and drag the gospel of Jesus through the mud.
I can’t begin to describe the how sad, and at the same time, angry this video makes me. There’s no way the love of Jesus Christ is shown through this video or this churches websites. I don’t see how this guy or his church think they are furthering the Kingdom of God by spewing out blatant hatred such as this. fred phelps is a hatemonger and I feel sorry for him.
At first I thought you were one of those people that are like “oh look at these Christian” like he represents all Christians across america. I really like Tim Russert. I don’t hate gay people. I am a Christian. Do I think homosexuality is wrong? Yes, but its not my job to judge the hearts and actions of others. It’s only job to judge me. The Bible clearly states that we are not to take revenge for “vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord”. It isn’t our job to judge people. God also clearly states everywhere in scripture that we are to love the unloveable. Believe me, there are many Christians that are quite unlovable too. Myself included in that phrase. Sometimes its easier for me to love non-Christians because I expect less from them. Anyway, this guy is a disgrace.
Some people from Westboro were picketing soldiers funerals here in MN. The lawmakers in our state put a stop to that. They were not allowed to do that. I think if they did, they either fined them or sent them to jail. It’s almost ironic that this Phelps is saying Russert is burning in hell. How does he know that? I have a good feeling he’ll know exactly who is in hell when he dies because he’ll be there himself.
I have been a silent observer in blog world for quite sometime and i felt that this would be an effective time to throw my hat in the ring. Though it deeply saddens me, my response is not so much inspired by the post as it is the title to your link at the bottom, “this is another example of how christianity is known for the wrong things.” I want to encourage anyone christian or non who is struggling with anything that Christianity is negatively known for to read the book, “Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel. One of the men that he interviews very clearly and eloquently explains how these arguments against Christianity in no way disprove the faith. They are in fact only examples of the depth of our fall from grace by showing what happens when the wills of men become involved even with something that is suppossed to be all about God.
Its really sad because he is hurting the bride of Christ. The church as a whole. I heard a great analogy from a pastor and I would be scared to face God after hurting/slandering the bride. I can imagine how my husband would feel if people were slandering/hurting me repeatedly, let alone God and His bride. I would think that 1 Corinthians 5:3-13 would apply in this situation.
vs. 12-13 “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside, “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Here is a thought: Are they inside the church?
This makes me want to cry. I sure hope that Fred Phelps sees the damage his words and actions are doing to the spreading of the Kingdom. I also hope that those who follow his teachings can wise up and see the error in all that he does.
my thoughts are that i am unbelievably ashamed that this church is in kansas and only 45 minutes from where i live. it is so hard to see them all over the place picketing and spreading hate in the name of Jesus and our God. they are always at funerals around the area or just on street corners. nothing about what they do is love or from Christ and it is a difficult presence to live down as a Christian in this area.
F—A—-reak!
as followers of christ we ARE called to love the unloveable… both believers and unbelievers alike.
it is so much easier for me to love the unbeliever who is living a worldly lifestyle, or even to love the struggling believer, than for me to love someone like fred phelps. everything fred preaches/stands for contradicts the biblical basis of christ’s teaching and life… and it breaks my heart.
as believers, we are called to love fred. BUT loving him doesn’t mean that we turn a deaf ear to his teaching or that we shield our eyes from his actions… love can be a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is also just. often times those who are deeply loved are greatly disciplined, for greater good. i can only pray that this would happen soon in fred’s life for his own sake and the sake of each person he encounters.
i wrote a little about this… with a little more love and a little less judgment. http://www.pinkhairedgirl.net/?p=953
I’ve not heard such a twisting of the words of God in long time and for that I am grateful. The desire of some Christians to take it upon themselves to enact and declare the vengeance of God troubles me. What angers me the most is that this man would claim to be my brother. I don’t feel as though he gets what my father is about. His time spent around my God must be full of self-righteous ignorance. The fact that he would twist the words of my Father to fuel his apparently misdirected cause, brings me great pain. I know now that I must continue to grow in the love that I am extended from heaven in order to even reach those around me beyond the fallout caused by such a calloused heart.
this brings out the “fuck” word in me. makes me say it. sorry. this is one of those times that the Boondock saints wouldnt be such a bad idea…
I don’t consider them a “church” and he has never represented my faith in Christ. The letter is nothing more than hate mail from someone who seems to know nothing about the love of Christ.
Love the title to this post. Best I’ve seen in some time. Accurate as well.
I actually think this d-nozzle has put himself out there so much that people don’t really relate him to the standard church anymore. He’s more of an institution unto himself.
But he does still claim to be a christian, and for that we need someone to “lay some hands” on the brother…
[...] my faith and belief in Christ) any more publicity (links) than they have been given on other blogs, but this organization (Westboro Baptist “Church”) claims all the same Baptist [...]
He IS a DOUCHE BAG!!!!!!!!!
How it saddens and angers me so much!
Oh how I agree with you!
It pisses me off that that he would desicrate my sweet Jesus, His Gospel and His unyielding grace that apparently this man has never experienced.
It is God’s job to judge, the Holy Spirit’s job to convict and it is my job to love. Period.
But I am having a litte trouble loving Mr. Phelps right now.
I hope Tim Russet’s family never sees this. How heart-breaking!
Please do not mistake my Jesus with the so-called Jesus Fred Phelps serves.
i had to stop looking at his websites because it was making me so angry..
I agree with you.
But by reposting it, you’re actually playing his game. He spews hate. The farther that goes, and the more exposure it gets (even to contest it) the more he gets what he wants. If everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) were to ignore him and act like he didn’t exist, his hate would have very little effect.
I can’t help but think what would happen if someone were to picket his church. Except instead of using signs of hate, use signs of love. Don’t get me wrong I’m not advocating that we all go picket his church, I don’t think this tactic works except in union strikes. But it would be interesting to see how he would react to a group of people (maybe a mix of Christians and non-believers alike) showing love to him and his church.
I am confused. What happened to hate the sin, love the sinner? I agree and think we all can as true Christians that this man is sadly mistaken and is teaching others to be also, but then again so is Oprah and she isn’t going anywhere. But calling him a douchebag? As I tell my five year old, “Do you think it makes Jesus happy to hear you name calling?” Sounds a little juvenile I know, but not sure that helps to advance God’s kingdom either.
Uhh yeah dudes. I am actually from Kansas and have dealt with these people on numerous occasions for about 15 years. It has always been interesting to me however, that Fred Phelps the man himself, is rarely if ever at any protests.
I have seen the children of his church yelling off the back of pick up trucks in Wal-Mart parking lots standing with their bibles in hand calling everyone a homosexual. I have seen them protest Lawrence High School’s production of “the Laramie Project” and pretty much any play they put on. I saw them in Leavenworth protesting soldier’s funerals. I have seen them on the streets of Topeka and Lawrence with their hate filled signs. You know what though? They have over saturated the Kansas area to the point where we don’t even notice them anymore. They yell and scream and we just walk by. I think that proves the best point of all.
So to call Fred Phelps a douchebag yes I can see that, but lets not forget all the little douchebag children and parents he’s taking under his wing as well. Yes, I just called children douchebags.
becky & tamara – i think these are great thoughts. i wish we could get to a point where no one acknowledges them. i think they would still keep going though. maybe they would stop.
tamara – i feel horrible for the kids under this guys leadership. they are being sold so short on life. i don’t even think they know what they are doing. the signs they make them hold…unbelievable.
[...] is this guy? Or a better question would be, “who does this guy think he is?”. He does NOT represent Christ in ANY way, nor does his church. It’s people like this who [...]
Its no wonder church attendance in the United States is down. People like this give Christianity a bad name.
Intolerance like this makes the United States look as bad as any violent radical middle eastern religion. Just as any Nazi regime.
I only hear once emotion in this man’s voice: Anger.
“Fire and Brimstone” sermons where thrown out with the bathwater in the 1950’s when minorities had to ride the back of buses, a woman couldn’t get out of the kitchen, and cigarettes were marketed to children.
Of course, he’s a *crackpot and so is the Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the *nut-job white priest from the Trinity Church.
Simply horrid. For fence-sitters about Christianity, this trash hurts Baptists, Christians, and Jesus’ reputation. Praise God for his mercy and room for redeption. Hopefully Phelps will experience it or else there will be a millstone with his name on it.
How does he know whois in hell?Maybe he’s there
This fred is way out to lunchn and so are the porr fools following him. First of all God does not hate but freddy sure everything and everyone but himself. If there there is a hell it is all ready for him. Send him to an island alone and see how God helps him. Sorry but he is a sick son of a bitch much sicker than most mebay a spaceship will come pick the fucker up and soon we hope.