In the last couple of days, I've read in the paper that a Baptist minister & others of his flock, are picketing the funerals of Iraq veterans to protest homosexuality. HELLO! What has one got to do with the other? Here in Arkansas, people pull over to the side of the road when they see a funeral procession coming. It doesn't matter who died. It's called respect, & although not everybody does it, they should. I ALWAYS DO! What about the rest of you? Good Luck & Blessings
2007-11-01 09:57:17 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Really, what was happening here was just America at its best...
And before you hit the thumbs down, please finish reading.. i dont mean this negatively.
These people were completely insane. they said that the reason our troops were dying was because of homosexuals. The said it was gods way of punishing his flock for being gay.
its completely nuts.
Im also going to add that i am disabled vet of both OIF and OEF.
i believe i put my life on the line so that psychotics have the right to belive things like this. In other countries, these people would have been stoned and tore to pieces. tho dont think for one second that i am against it for this particular group, lol.
A good friend of mine was killed in Afghanistan. after the formal military memorial, there was a funeral with full honors held in his home town. i traveled from here with his family back up to his hometown to attend.
on the to the service we passed by supporters of this group holding signs and screaming. the level of anger i felt at that moment was something i have never felt before. i was filled with rage for some time and eventually hated everything civilian.
after time i realized this wasnt healthy. i did some digging into my mind and realized that my friend is gone so that these people have the right to live. its what our country is about. having the right to make your opinions heard no matter how crazy or how wrong.
Now, these things just roll right off of me. if its an opinion i dont agree with, i just quit listening. i know my friend is looking down, smiling at them and knowing that he made a difference because these people are allowed to say these things.... but hes also thinking hes going to kick their A** when he sees them.
to sum it up.. yes its completely insane, but hey... if our government lets people like this live, then people like us are in the clear. lol
Edit:
in responce to the one below commenting on my freedom of speach statement.....
did you even read what i had to say? WTF? I DID have a loved one picketed... yes i said friend.. but friends in combat become brothers very quickly.
you think i was ok with what they were doing because of freedom of speech? NO it took a couple people to restrain myself and another friend.. you ignorant a**
2007-11-01 10:22:03 · answer #1 · answered by kickrocks54 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunatly I live in the town where this "church" is located. They picket all over the town, for various events. I am so happy that this "church" finally lost a court case. A lot of the Phelps' sons/daughters are lawyers so they normally are able to get out of trouble. They are sick twisted people, but are protected by the 1st ammendment. The best feeling ever was a couple months ago when my father (Vietnam Vet) and I (current Army wife to deployed soldier) were at Ft. Leavenworth. It was the day a soldier was to be buried there. The Phelps clan was across the street from the fort. Across the way from them was a good of supporters. They had signs "Honk if you support our troops", and many others. By the time the funeral procession headed across town to the VFW, Phelps was gone, no where to be seen. We just need more people to stand up against them. It is a sad world!
2007-11-01 13:49:59 · answer #2 · answered by ~Katie~ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am tired of reading about the Westboro Baptist Church, the Rev. Fred Phelps, and his brood of demon followers. This pathetic individual has forgotten the true meaning of the Bible and has twisted Christianity around until it has become a religion of hate. If anyone wishes to see how hatred can truly gnaw at a person until it poisons whatever decency they had then just go to their website Godhatesamerica.com. They are so full of hate that they delight in telling everyone that the Amish children who were killed in PA are now in Hell. They have a whole laundry list of people who are in Hell or will be going to Hell. I wonder why they haven't added themselves yet. While they do have the right of freedom of speech, I grow tired of the hate that they spew forth and I am glad that someone finally took them to court over their outrageous behavior of picketing at military funerals. There has to be a reason why the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the "church" as a hate group. Does anyone else find it strange that Rev. Fred Phelps used to be a Civil Rights Attorney?
2007-11-01 11:37:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's the Westboro Baptist Church of Wichita Kansas and their pastor is Fred Phelps. I believe their tax exempt status should be removed because their protests are not about their religious beliefs. They are political. America was attacked on September 1, 2001. Between January 20, 1993 and that date about 7,500 members of the armed forces died on active duty. Yet, there wasn't one reported picketing of any military funeral by Fred Phelps and his bunch. So, all of their protests have happened only at the funerals of those who have have died in the Global War On Terrorism. A glaring inconsistency which shows their entire religious belief to be a fraud!
2007-11-01 10:06:59 · answer #4 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I think picketing a funeral is truly a tragedy. I AM AGAINST THE IRAQ war and against most wars, but would never show up at a funeral and picket. It is in bad taste. And the phrases used on the picket signs went further over board. I wouldn't do this myself, but had the picketers just had sings that said: "US Out Of Iraq" that one thing but their signs were in very poor taste and humiliating to the relatives at the funeral. No tact, but they'll claim to be "good Christians".
2007-11-01 10:01:34 · answer #5 · answered by J C 1 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Did you read recently this church has been sued for millions and lost. Granted they will never be able to pay the bill, but hopefully they have learned something. This "church" is basically a one family church, most the members are related. They believe they are right because they think all war is wrong, and some how think all who die in war has something to do with people accepting the gay lifestyle, maybe one day they will figure out how wrong they are before it is too late for their redemption. Also many states have enacted laws to keep individuals like these several feet away from the funerals, and thank goodness for rolling thunder who blocks them from disrupting the services. (nothing like a lot of bikers to create a blockade)
2007-11-01 10:04:27 · answer #6 · answered by julvrug 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely!!!
In fact the Baptist Minister and his church were just ordered to pay $11M to the father of a Marine who was killed in Iraq!
Thankfully congress has passed a law that makes it illegal to protest at Military Cemetaries. While this doesn't apply to civil cemetaries, the law(plus the $11M court order) will make it extremely difficult to protest at a mil funeral. Anyone who does has either a chance of prison or financial insolvency!!
2007-11-01 10:35:33 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they have been doing this for at least a few years. They are sick. Their "point" is that if homosexuality didn't exist in this country, soldiers would not be dying. The stupid thing is that a much smaller percentage of soldiers are dying now than in previous conflicts. I say this as someone who is a Christian and does not support the lifestyle, but come on!! Who's going to take you seriously when you grasp at straws like that and divorce yourself from reality. My cousin is gay and I love him to death as a person. I have no tolerance for these "picketers".
2007-11-01 11:10:40 · answer #8 · answered by mel1026 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's sick and twisted when a person who is supposed to be a spiritual leader desecrates a persons memory by using it to further his own political ends. This minister is just a rabble rouser who should be publically condemned and vilified by all. He is probably a closet homosexual who cannot come to terms with his own sexuality, so he strikes out where he can do the most damage. If there is a god, I bet he isn't too pleased with these actions!
2007-11-01 10:14:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
It's more than twisted. I think you are referring to the Westboro Methodist church. Something like that. Finally they were sued by the father of one of the fallen Marines whose funeral they picketed, and were hit with a huge multi million dollar settlement.
Their insanity is based on their twisted idea that God is killing soldiers in Iraq because it's punishment for all the gay people in America. "God hates fags" are one of the signs they hold up at these funerals. I'm surprised one of these family members hasn't lost it and shot one of these people. It's really really sick. Check out their website for the whole twisted story.
2007-11-01 10:02:24 · answer #10 · answered by Eraserhead 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋