Isn't it a disgrace to defame a military funeral?

Question

I read about the recent story in the news... the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, and its leaders are ordered to pay $10.9 million because of funeral protest in Baltimore, Maryland of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder for saying, "God is punishing the United States because of its tolerance of homosexuals" among other things!
To tell the truth, my stomach is turned to think that there are human beings that could do or contemplate such things! [I thought "Love Your Neighbor" was important! Doesn't that include making every effort out of love to help others?] Maybe the truth is... God is punishing the United States because of its tolerance of people such as these! Such people say they are doing it in the name of God!!! That truly disgusts me (I also feel it degrades their portrayal of God to many people), it amazes me there are people that can be so insensitive - and we are supposed to be civilized?!?!

Answer 1

Worse than a simple disgrace. It is the worst kind of sin before God and His Church -- a pre-meditated, deliberate, hurtful and self-serving one.

I ask all true Christians to pray for those awfully misguided people.

Answer 2

The church went loopy. Their campaign against homosexuality was supposed to have God behind it, but when nothing changed they expanded their list of "enemies". They concluded that homosexuality did not disappear with God's might because the powerful United States was somehow behind homosexuality, probably because it has all that uncompromised freedom and stuff making it difficult to burn homosexuals at the stake like in some godly country like Saudi Arabia or something. So the United States was at fault and full of demons too, let's protest the United States! And let's protest the military since it's the servants of the United States! Hey, yeah! Let's go protest military funerals and tell them they've been serving the Devil all their lives if they die in conflicts!

Real smart, Westboro Baptist Church, and now you face the real-world consequences of violating the rights of others.

Answer 3

It is a disgrace to defame ANYONE's funeral. A military funeral makes it no more special then anyone else. the Westboro Baptists have been doing this for years. To funerals of AIDS patients, homosexuals, politicians, religious Clergy, vicitms of September 11, the VT massacre, the Amish School Shooting, the DC sniper, Columbine massacre. Matthew Sheppherds funeral and murder trail were the first they picketted at. It was a disgrace then and is a disgrace now.

are you just now noticing or is it the first group you've cared about?

Answer 4

It's impossible to defame or disgrace the dead. They're dead.

But it's the height -- or rather, the depth -- of insensitivity to add to the grief of the bereaved.

The Phelps clan may believe and proclaim whatever insanity they choose, even in places where they know they're not welcome. They just can't expect always to get away with it.

I don't like the laws that some states passed to keep the Westboronuts away from military funerals, as I think that anything which infringes on free speech sets a dangerous precedent. And I'm not sure this lawsuit was decided correctly. But I'm not a lawyer and I wasn't on the jury, so I'll concede that possibly the message sent by the award is the correct one: "Believe what you like but don't expect anyone to agree or even to pretend to agree with you."

Answer 5

I only went to a protection stress funeral in October. that's a minimum of, sobering. The gentleman served 2-3 excursions in Nam and had earned the pink heart alongside with many different protection stress awards in the time of his 30 300 and sixty 5 days occupation. I stay interior of an hour of a protection stress base so I attend those funerals extra usually than the civilian inhabitants. All of our acquaintances are retired protection stress. while they latest the kin with the flag, the spent bullets are enclosed with the flag.

Answer 6

I think any sane person would agree that engaging in these types of antics to purposely disrupt a funeral is disgusting.

However, its kind of ironic that the part of the US government that is most hostile to gays, (the military), is now suffering harassment from people that claim they are doing it to oppose homosexuality. After all the years of the military harassing gays, now the military is suffering a similar type of harassment. It kind of makes me wonder if God is punishing the military for treating homosexuals so badly.

Answer 7

I think it's a disgrace to defame a funeral period. The fact that it's a military funeral doesn't make it any more or less tragic than that 45 year old that was run over by a drunk driver.

I'm extremely happy that these bastards finally got their collective asses handed to them. Whether or not they actually pay up is another story altogether.

Answer 8

I agree with the others who said it is a disgrace to disrupt ANY funeral.

I noticd that when these inbred losers were limiting their picketing to gay people's funerals, the conservative talking heads had nothing to say about it.

When they started their despicable antics at the military funerals, then the conservative talking heads sat up and took notice.

I think disturbing the peace laws should be enforced here, using the definition of any activitiy intended to disrupt a lawful activity.

They can take their free speech elsewhere. There are plenty of forums for them to spew their venom.

Answer 9

Yes, it is a disgrace to defame ANY funeral.

First, it is the responsibility of mainstream christians to rebuke their brothers and sisters in christ of such poor behavior, before it is the responsibility of others.

They are defaming the christian religion by their bad behavior. What are the christians doing about it? Or are they supporting such behavior by tacit approval evidenced by their non-action?

Answer 10

Those freaks came here where I live to disrupt a funeral. They do it in hopes to instigate a riot or pelting by outraged locals. They are a group of legal ambulance chasers and they feed on lawsuits. I hope they get the legal systems equivalent of a jailhouse gang-bang.