Are Westboro Baptists representating the more conservative Christians or are they pretty much mainstream?

Question

Uh, yeah, "representating" is a bit of a boo boo. Kind of a blend between representational and representing. I guess I have been hearing Pres. Bush speaking too mucherly.

Answer 1

Actually no. Fred Phelps is a freak, and most of his congregation are his own children and grandchildren.

Answer 2

I think that they do not even represent most conservative Christians. I don't think they represent much more than themselves. They came to protest the Sago Mine Disaster in WV, which happened very close to me, and they had this stuff on their website condemning the whole state of WV. Many West Virginians are quite conservative, and the miners themselves were mostly devout Christians (one was even a former pastor). They all prayed every day going into the mines. So, Westboro is hardly representative of the conservative churches of West Virginia.

I imagine there are very few Christians who would agree with their tactics.

Answer 3

While it is a small congregation, they are unfortunately very well educated and extremely knowledgeable about the law. She came and spoke in a human diversity class of mine, and yes, she's as crazy as she looks. However, I have to give them credit, they know the law so well (11 of the 13 original children (Shirley and her siblings) have law degrees , not including spouses or their kids) that they will continue to spread their word whether anyone likes it or not. Their main argument that got them started.... homosexuals having sex in a local park. Then came the signs that pissed people off, which got attention, and has spiraled into what it is now.

To answer the question, I definately think they're on the extremely conservative side and it's something we probably will see a lot more of in the future, but no I don't think you could lump them in with either of those groups.

Answer 4

That's Fred Phelps's little group. They're a family cult of whackjobs who will likely have a front row seat in Hell when their time comes.

Fred keeps control by not permitting Westboro members to marry persons outside the church, thus making sure that he stays in power of his little psycho cult.

They represent neither "conservative" nor "mainstream" Christians - they are the lunatic fringe.

Answer 5

Representating?

Answer 6

Theyre anything but mainstream. Most churches and Christians disagree with them.

Theyre part of an extreme minority of right-wing conservative Christians.

The Christian right is in the minority to begin with, so this, being even more extreme than them, is what we call an insignificant minority. Their church has less than 100 members, and around 80% of the members are from one family. Theyre more like a cult than a regular church, and they are most definitely not mainstream.

Answer 7

They don't represent anything but their own hate. That's it.

Fred Phelps is most likely a closet homosexual who hates himself, so turns the hate outwards. They're consumed with their obsession with homosexuality. Their entire belief system revolves around it. It's like they don't even realize or acknowledge that there is anything else IN the Bible other than the two or three little tiny quotes about the subject.

Answer 8

I just checked them out in google. No, they have absolutely nothing to do with conservative Christianity. As a previous answser says, they are freaks.

Answer 9

They are not mainstream, nor do they represent any conservative Christians I know.

It's my opinion that they represent insanity, but that's just me.

Answer 10

They are hate filled ignorant bigoted idiots. Many Christians are ignorant bigots but not to that extreme. Also many Christians are good, kind, loving, intelligent, and open minded people.