These nut jobs wanted to protest at the funeral of those Amish girls killed near here - but someone gave them some TV time if they would agree to stay away. The amount of hate coming out of them is incredible http://www.ydr.com/newsfull/ci_5074712 Protest plans puzzle six county churches By MICHELE CANTY Daily Record/Sunday News Article Launched: 01/24/2007 07:13:12 AM EST Jan 24, 2007 — Westboro Baptist Church will follow its protest at the play with ones at six York County churches Feb. 11. The Kansas-based church accuses local parishes of preaching "lies" about God's love to their flocks, promoting moral decay and supporting homosexuality, said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member and daughter of the pastor. They picked the largest churches in York County for their protests, she said. "They are teaching rebellion against God," Phelps-Roper said. "That's why America is doomed." Local church leaders were surprised by the protests. "Who knows why they are protesting us?" the Rev. David Lovelace of the Episcopal Church of John the Baptist in York said Tuesday. "I don't even know who they are." Lovelace's church in York has roughly 700 members for its Sunday services. Lovelace said he was told Tuesday the Westboro Baptist Church would make an appearance at St. John's at 140 N. Beaver St. "Someone asked me today, 'What are you going to do?' I said, 'Maybe we should invite them in for coffee? I don't know.'" Lovelace said church officials are aware of the protest, but they don't plan to do anything different Feb. 11. Westboro Baptist Church plans separate protests from 8:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Grace Fellowship Church, Lovelace's church, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church and Living Word Community Church. The Rev. Larry Katz of Grace Fellowship Church in New Freedom said it's sad and a bit unusual for one church to protest another. "Since the dawn of time, people have done things in the name of Christ that in no way represent the ways of Christ or the word," said Katz, who presides over 1,100 worshippers at Sunday services. He called Westboro's version of the gospel "extreme" and said members of the Kansas-based church don't know his nondenominational church or its members. Phelps-Roper said local churches shoulder a bulk of the blame for allowing "The Laramie Project," to be presented. "It's all their fault. They are in so much trouble with God. There is a special place in hell for those lying false prophets and preachers," she said.
My wife acted for the laramie project at San Jac theater not too long ago. Good play of a terrible story. In case you want some details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Laramie_Project On a lighter note - the idea of a church protesting a church is fraking hilarious.
They protested a soldier's funeral in Port Arthur a few months ago. I lined the road for the processional with the Freedom Riders, and at the funeral, Freedom Riders vastly out-numbered the idiots who are hijacking my faith.
Protesting against doctrine of another Church is fine. Planning on doing it at a funeral for dead children is not. Horrendously poor judgment on Westboro's part. Time and place for everything. EDIT: just saw weslinder's post, are these the same idiots protesting at soldier's funerals?
I got my issues with the direction of the Episcopilian Church lately also, but having another "church" on the opposite end of the spectrum in Westboro protesting just makes things worse. I read an aticle on them once, I doubt that they're even actual Baptists. Just people who push their twisted agenda in the name of religion.
Does anyone know how big Westboro Baptist is? Everytime I've heard about them or seen spokespeople they have all been members of Fred Phelps family. If they are just members of the Phelps family can they really be called a church?
Wikipedia knows all. [rquoter] Sky News claims that WBC consists of "about 150 members".[9] A compilation of the names of Phelps' grandchildren and great-grand-children, combined with his nine "loyal" children and their spouses, though, numbers 90, automatically eschewing the 80% estimate. Individuals who followed Phelps Sr. after he was voted out of his old congregation, Eastside Baptist Church (a traditional Baptist church), consisted of the Hockenbargers (whose offspring later married into the Phelps clan), George Stutzman, Chris Davis (who also married into the Phelps clan) and Theresa Davis (whose relationship, if any, to Chris Davis is unknown). Around 2000, another family (Steve and Luci Drain, along with daughters Lauren, Taylor and Faith and son Boaz) joined the group after Steve Drain, while taping a documentary on religious groups, interviewed several Westboro members and came to accept their theology. The Drains are not related to either the Phelpses or the Hockenbargers, nor to anyone else from the original group. [/rquoter] So essentially it is mostly his family, with some outsiders who married into the family after joining and a very few who are not related either by marriage or birth.
that is what I was going to say. It is a badge of honor and means you guys are on the right track. Keep up the work.
Yes thats about right. I actually saw the daughter on Foxnews before acting all crazy and beiong grilled by the host (forgot which show it was)
