2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsGay-bashing church leader will end up in hell
Jerry Garretson
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Opinion
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I've known about the Westboro Baptist Church for a long, long time. In fact, there was a time when I didn't think they were that bad. Extreme, yes, but I thought their hearts were in the right place.
The church was founded and led by a disbarred lawyer named Fred Phelps and owns the domain GodHatesFags.com. If you haven't seen it before, look it up. You'll ask yourself if it's an elaborate prank, if they're being sarcastic. It isn't. They aren't.
So, before anything, I want to say that I'm not sure if heaven or hell exist. I mean, I would like to think that if there's a God, and he really did love everyone, he wouldn't create something so evil as hell… But if it exists, and if anyone goes there, it's going to be Fred Phelps. He's a horrible human being, an angry little man, a cult leader, and I can't hear him talk without imagining a soapbox at his feet.
His congregation goes on regular mission trips all around the country protesting gay events. It's not uncommon to see them at Pride Parades, waving signs that explain just how hateful their God is. Whatever, right? I'm all for protesters at a parade. Any parade. Parades are boring.
And the parade-goers usually end up running the protesters out, anyway. They feel like they've vanquished the intruders, the church members get to feel martyred on their way back to the airport, everyone wins. Welcome to America.
But Phelps wasn't satisfied. He felt a higher calling, and the church started protesting prominent gay funerals. Imagine your son has just died a long, very public death of AIDS, and as the priest begins the ceremony a faraway group chants "AIDS cures fags!" This is their calling. They feel charged by God to do this.
Because, you remember the part of the Beatitudes where Jesus was like, "Blessed is everyone but the gays, because I hate them." Or the beginning of John, "For God so loved the World - except gays - he gave his only begotten son that whosever believeth - except gays…" Or when Jesus was dying and he was all, "Father forgive them, they know not what they've done. (cough) Unless they were gays."
The church was founded and led by a disbarred lawyer named Fred Phelps and owns the domain GodHatesFags.com. If you haven't seen it before, look it up. You'll ask yourself if it's an elaborate prank, if they're being sarcastic. It isn't. They aren't.
So, before anything, I want to say that I'm not sure if heaven or hell exist. I mean, I would like to think that if there's a God, and he really did love everyone, he wouldn't create something so evil as hell… But if it exists, and if anyone goes there, it's going to be Fred Phelps. He's a horrible human being, an angry little man, a cult leader, and I can't hear him talk without imagining a soapbox at his feet.
His congregation goes on regular mission trips all around the country protesting gay events. It's not uncommon to see them at Pride Parades, waving signs that explain just how hateful their God is. Whatever, right? I'm all for protesters at a parade. Any parade. Parades are boring.
And the parade-goers usually end up running the protesters out, anyway. They feel like they've vanquished the intruders, the church members get to feel martyred on their way back to the airport, everyone wins. Welcome to America.
But Phelps wasn't satisfied. He felt a higher calling, and the church started protesting prominent gay funerals. Imagine your son has just died a long, very public death of AIDS, and as the priest begins the ceremony a faraway group chants "AIDS cures fags!" This is their calling. They feel charged by God to do this.
Because, you remember the part of the Beatitudes where Jesus was like, "Blessed is everyone but the gays, because I hate them." Or the beginning of John, "For God so loved the World - except gays - he gave his only begotten son that whosever believeth - except gays…" Or when Jesus was dying and he was all, "Father forgive them, they know not what they've done. (cough) Unless they were gays."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 20
Kevin Sweet
posted 11/01/07 @ 11:35 PM CST
Best Jerry Garretson column ever. I'm glad you chose to write your article on this topic. As a Christian, it angers me to my very core when I hear about the ignorant things that Fred Phelps and his followers do. (Continued…)
Allison Yamnitz
posted 11/02/07 @ 11:42 AM CST
The public relations and journalism classes I have taken at Missouri State taught me that ethical journalism is one that discloses facts within their context. (Continued…)
Shayne L. Martin
posted 11/02/07 @ 12:21 PM CST
Mr. Garretson's article satirically gets to the truth around extreme religion, that it often is the mirror image of what it is supposed to be. The uses of quotes in a context outside of their meaning is great in the fact that it is supposed to spread light on how the extremists use the same quotes in a misleading manner. (Continued…)
Foreign Born patriot
posted 11/02/07 @ 10:37 PM CST
Mr Garretson: I never thought that some day you might write something that I would actually agree with but for once I do. Mr Phelps and his church need to be sued more often for their stands on everything from the gay population to veterans. (Continued…)
JT Eberhard
posted 11/03/07 @ 10:01 AM CST
Some credit must be given to Mr. Phelps. While he is a lunatic, he is only a lunatic because he believes in the bible: every word of it, and he has the courage of his convictions. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 11/03/07 @ 12:25 PM CST
Too many times have I opened the Standard and saw some kind of article or letter to the editor aimed at belittling Christians. Always have I seen the judgment passed on Christians based off of one person (ie: Brother Jed and more recently, Fred Phelps), and never from the religious group at all. (Continued…)
K Sweet
Kevin Sweet
posted 11/03/07 @ 12:49 PM CST
JT: I think I've already had this discussion with you. I get exactly where you're coming from, but no, I do not think that God hates gays, and I do not think the bible teaches to hate gays. (Continued…)
JT Eberhard
posted 11/04/07 @ 9:09 AM CST
Silver-tongued, eh? Why Anonymous, you say the swaytest thangs. Frankly, I'm flattered to be compared to Jerry.
There are so many logical holes in Anonymous's post that I don't think I could cover them all and still keep anybody's attention. (Continued…)
Aubree Moore
posted 11/05/07 @ 2:38 PM CST
I had few problems with this article ((which is unusual...)), but may I ask one question? How on earth can you tout it as factual that David and Jonathon were homosexual partners? I'm not saying that the Bible does or does not allude to the fact ((he loved David as he loved himself, etc. (Continued…)
Kevin Sweet
posted 11/05/07 @ 3:20 PM CST
"No one on God's green earth is in the position to judge anyone else, but please, if you call yourself Christian, decide whether or not you believe the Bible. (Continued…)
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