a sincere question...did your Churches stop communicating with that church? Officially disavow them? Which branch is that Church...and how did other Churches in that branch respond to all of this?
I know you folks don't support them...I know you speak against them...
This is purely a curiousity thing...how did the Churches offically react? Was there anything they could even do besides condemn it?
2007-02-23 07:07:36 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
With all due respect...and I did not want to make this question political.....how is this guy a liberal exactly? It's the conservtives, and conservative Churches, that are intolerant towards Gays.
2007-02-23 07:28:32 · update #1
This church is an independent Baptist church called the Westboro Baptist Church (for the area of Topeka they live in). I know of no church in this area that supports them in any way. Most of us have taken part in counter demonstrations. And the Patriot Guard...many of whom belong to the Christian Motorcycle Association...have played a huge and beautiful role by attending the funerals of soldiers as a standing guard between the mourners and these creeps.
This man...Fred Phelps...was a crooked lawyer in this area when I was younger...an ambulance chaser. I do not know when or why he decided to take up this one issue and make a church of it (the church is no more than the extended members of his large family). The ONLY thing he believes in is Gay Bashing and its horrible.
They (the church) thrive on publicity...so I guess we are lucky in Kansas now that most of the press and other media refuse to cover his antics...but he still garners national press attention. He even has his little great grandchildren carrying signs. Its enough to make you cry.
Oh...and he has now appointed himself a prophet.
I can only speak for my own church...and yes...our conferences in Kansas have officially disavowed and censured him.
The thing is...he has money...and he has lawyers at the click of a finger. He basically does as he pleases and does not care about anyone else but himself.
PEG
2007-02-23 07:22:40 · answer #1 · answered by Dust in the Wind 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi,
Actually, the group is Westboro Baptist, led by Fred Phelps, and in Topeka, KS. The anti-defamation league monitors them and the Southern Poverty Law Center calls them a hate group. I think the scary thing is that much of what they say IS actually in the Bible, and they are no different than most fundamentalists except in that they talk louder and their protests don't cotton on to the human conscience as well as televangelists might.
Many of the churches condemn Phelps and Westboro Baptist yet still find it appropriate to spread a message of damnation to the LGBT community. This is what I find most dangerous about it all. It seems to me that the Church members are actually less hypocritical than many members of the religious right because they are realistic about how intolerant and full of hate they are.
2007-02-23 07:10:48 · answer #2 · answered by Me, Thrice-Baked 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whoever it was that said that everything the Westboro Baptist Church was saying was in the Bible is sadly mistaken. This is so totally against what Christians follow.
The church is an independent Baptist church with only 75 members, all led by a fanatic. Unfortunately, because of the law, they have the right to call themselves Baptist, although they hardly follow the Baptist standards of behavior.
And unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it. The Southern Baptist Convention (the one I belong to) was officially disgusted with their twisting of Scripture, but beyond that, what can they do? His church is not a part of the SBC.
2007-02-23 07:18:44 · answer #3 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the "church" doing this despicable thing is called the Westboro Baptist Church, but I don't believe they are officially affiliated with any Baptist group. The church is composed of Fred Phelps and mostly his extended family. So I doubt if there is any church hierarchy who could punish him for his actions. That being said, I would hope that all believers unite to protect the families of those who have fallen from having to see or hear these insanely hateful people.
2007-02-23 07:13:32 · answer #4 · answered by KCBA 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I believe you're talking about the Westboro Baptist Church. Maybe the Baptist denomination has issued a statement about them, but I honestly don't know. I don't know if my denomination has taken an official position, or issued a decree, or anything like that. It's never been talked about 'officially' at my church, but I don't know a single Christian who agrees with them. Those people are WRONG: the "Godhatesfags' people who protest military funerals, bomb abortion clinics, and consider HIV/AIDS as God's punishment of homosexuals ===> THEY ARE WRONG!!!
2007-02-23 07:15:12 · answer #5 · answered by Char 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a Catholic, and also worship with my wife at an Anglican church. I have heard sermons on this topic also when I have worshipped with my friends at other churches. The position of all of them is that what they are doing is wrong. TWISTED, PERVERTED. That is the position of all rational and God fearing Christians and Churches that I know.
Very few things make me angry. this IS one of them. Now I don't think GOD HATES FAGS, and really don't care about that.
The fact is that they have chosen to victimize the ones that they have targeted (the military families) instead of helping them like our Lord commanded us.
2007-02-23 07:13:16 · answer #6 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The funeral protesters you speak of do not represent Christianity in any way.
It is the Westboro Baptist Church- A VERY SMALL congregation whose leader is Fred Phelps, a left-wing liberal @$$h0!e
President Bush signed a bill (written by congress) that prevents these slimebags from protesting near national cemetaries, before during and after the funerals are taking place.
2007-02-23 07:21:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Phelps is a renegade Independent Baptist. No one has anything to do with him except the members of the church he pastors. His church is autonomous. They do not take orders or even suggestions from Baptist associations. All any Christian can do is to say -"he ain't one of us".
2007-02-23 07:17:28 · answer #8 · answered by DATA DROID 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because our Church body never supported them to begin with.
2007-02-23 07:13:07 · answer #9 · answered by <><><> 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They're a baptist church officially, if I were a baptist I'd definitely want my leaders to officially kick them out. I've never heard this has been done though.
2007-02-23 07:13:41 · answer #10 · answered by Rossonero NorCal SFECU 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋