God Hates Fags Republicans hit Joplin Missouri

[usregimechange]

'Filled with so much hate'
Anti-gay contingent draws street-side barbs
By Derek Spellman
Globe Staff Writer
11/29/04



Churchgoers, motorists and others sparred verbally with members of a group that gathered Sunday morning outside several local churches to decry homosexuality.

Six representatives from Westboro Baptist Church, of Topeka, Kan., marched across sidewalks and held signs saying "God Hates Fags" and "Your Pastor Is Lying." The church group, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., claims to have conducted 20,000 anti-gay demonstrations across the nation in the past 14 years.

The local protests were organized in response to a dispute in Webb City involving a high-school student and his gay-pride T-shirts.

More from the dark ages:

http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=143375

[ooglymoogly]

1. the repuglican party is becoming the party of hate

delete becoming

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

22. I was just about to say

"becoming?"

LOL. How about "been and is."

[Mutley]

42. and how is it that....

repugs like hannity and limbaugh say that the DEMOCRATS are the party of hate??? I just don't get that one.

[demnan]

2. Well

At least these people have identified themselves as bigots. So you can walk with your child down the street and when they ask, "What is that woman shouting about?" You can tell them that they are bad people who hate other people because of whom they love.

You can cross the street and shun them, you can defy them. You can't defy someone who isn't up front about what they feel.

[Flammable Materials]

3. Phelps should have been Bush's "Willie Horton".

The Democrats should have used Fred Phelps in anti-Bush ads, to show what the Republicans anti-gay agenda is like without the pleasant face and newspeak.

EDIT: Actually, it could still be used. The first half of the ad could focus on Fred Phelps and the WBC, and the second half of the ad could focus on Jerry Falwell's comment that gays and lesbians "made God mad" and caused 9/11. The end tagline could point out that, in reality, there is no difference between "extremist" Fred Phelps, and "mainstream" Jerry Falwell and Bush's anti-gay agenda.

[usregimechange]

5. Hey, bring that idea to the frame the debate subforum! nt

[ET Awful]

6. Phelps isn't a Bush supporter.

He had pamphlets out last year or the year before about how Bush was going to hell for giving openly gay people jobs in his administration.

[usregimechange]

8. That doesn't matter, the label will stick.

Against our values to do that? After this year, I could care less.

[ET Awful]

9. No, it would backfire. The minute anyone tried to linke Phelps to Bush

The anti-Bush fliers from Phelps would be all over the place and show a lack of credibility in whoever made the accusation.

[sonicx]

48. You don't have to directly link them...

"These are the type of people that George Bush wants votes from. These are the feeling George Bush wants to get from his supporters."

[proud2BlibKansan]

71. Phelps picketed Reagan's funeral

So the Republicans would distance themselves from him in a heartbeat.

[yardwork]

39. Dukakis didn't deliberately unleash Willie Horton on the populace

The Republicans have lied for years. I agree that the Democrats need to start fighting back.

Phelps may not be a bush supporter, but bushco uses Phelps and his message to get out the vote for Republicans. It's time to make the Republican Pary own up to their partners in hate.

Make the Republicans in Congress take a stand. On the record. Do they support the kind of hate speech that Phelps delivers? Or not?

[Dulcinea]

30. I think Phelps is a closet case.

Anyone that obsessed with the private lives of others has to be.

[WoodrowFan]

57. it's his own little family cult

there's a GREAT (long) report here.... Don't read it while eating though...

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm

Mark interrupts: "...He helped himself to any behavior he ever wanted to have and then left it for others to clean up. He's operating at the level of a two year-old. My little girl just goes up and shoves someone sometimes, but she's two. He does not hesitate to do what my little Becky does, but he does it in adult ways. "He's completely out-focused and totally high right now. He's got the best fix: drugs, beatings, all the raging and abusing he's done, all the political stirring-up he's caused, nothing compares to what he's doing now." Nate adds: "And each time it seems he has to ratchet it a little higher. Eventually it could end in tragedy for a lot of people." He shakes his head. "My father likes to hurt people. And he needs to hate them. Why, I don't know. But you can be sure of one thing: he'll always do it with the Bible. "They'll give us the fags," says Margie, referring to Topeka's generally hostile response to the pastor's message, "it's the 'God hates' part they can't stand. The notion that God hates humans is rejected so deeply by most people-that's what everyone is so angry about." If the strange case of Fred Phelps were, in fact, a doctrinal and not a mental health phenomenon, it would revolve on two issues: whether God hates some souls regardless of their character or actions and whether he hates homosexuals most of all. Absolute predestination-the theory that some people are bound for heaven before they are born, while others have a one-way ticket to hell-best focuses the beliefs of Westboro Baptist and its basilisk leader.

"It goes like this," says Fred, shifting into his preacher voice, talking slowly and emphasizing every syllable, "the everlasting love of God for some men and the everlasting hatred of God for other men is the grand doctrine that razes free will to the ground. "Hate in the deity is not a passion like it is with humans, you know. It is a purpose that is part of His nature and His essential attributes."

"You can't be a Bible preacher without preaching the hatred of God, the wrath of God. It is a fabrication, this modern Christianity, that says good old God loves everybody."

[LeftyMom]

72. Suddenly it all makes sense.

"Following the revival experience, Phelps abandoned plans for West Point. He moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, where he attended Bob Jones College, a non-denominational Christian academy."

Well that explains a lot. His views are fairly typical for the BJU set, he's just louder than most.

[BOSSHOG]

4. God Hates People who work on the Sabbath too!

Why aren't Christians stoning to death people who work on Sunday's? I just don't understand it. Maybe if I don my sheet and attend their christian services I could find out.

Please can anyone answer this question from a liberal in a red state? Why is homosexuality more of an abomination than working on the sabbath? Is it because the lemming leaders do their best work from the pulpit ON THE SABBATH. Praise the Lord.

[JerseygirlCT]

7. This is their continuing traveling hate show

and they absolutely, positively THRIVE on the attention.

IGNORE THEM. They hope to incite people -- in fact, they hope to piss people off enough so that they act. Then the Phelps bunch attempts to sue them.

Their fringe of the fringe. They're ugly and they're also impotent.

Ignore them completely. It's the worst thing you can do to them.

Stand together on the other side of town... but bring them no attention.

(From someone whose church was targeted last year. About half a dozen jerks stood outside across from our church -- half of them children, probably all of them Phelps' family.)

[MuseRider]

15. From someone who knows them

personally and has for her entire life I would like to say that you are absolutely correct. There is no fighting them, ignore them. They make no impact here except with those that would agree with them anyway. We have tried everything but the only thing that has really kept it from getting worse is to ignore them. You think this is bad? Confront them and you will see real hell.

[robbedvoter]

10. Please tell me it's a Betty Bowers satire. Please?

[Rambis]

11. That fuck head

Has been to Iowa City Iowa a bunch of times with his hate group. The thing is it is mostly his family members. If you notice this picture there are 5 people. There are no more than 6 or 7 in the entire group. I have never seen a more pitiful sight as a little kid standing with one of these signs. I don't have the pic because I refuse to publicize it. God hates, what a concept.

[MuseRider]

16. There are way more than 5

or 6. That must be who he travels with. His family alone is more than that.

[Rambis]

20. they have been here 5-6 times

and it is always the same 5-6 people every time. I can't believe he has any more followers than that.

[MuseRider]

25. He does.

As I said, his family all participates even the grandchildren and he had a BUNCH of kids. As far as I know there are only two who escaped. Listen, I have known this family all my life, I see them protest daily in my city there are WAY more than 5 or 6. Really. Sad but true.

[Rambis]

29. I feel sorry for you and them

No one should have to put up with knowing people like that. Kids that are trapped in that kind of hate fest atmosphere, WTF

[Razorback_Democrat]

12. These Idiots Were in Northwest Arkansas a couple of weeks ago

protesting outside a school.

I don't know the details of why they were protesting (thanks to our lackluster incurious media) but I do know there were some squabbles between students and the protestors.

Frankly, I don't understand how they can be allowed to protest and spread their filth outside a school. If I were a parent there I'd be raising hell!

[mtnsnake]

13. One of these fundamentalist preachers broke my ouija board over

his knee. My wife and I were having a garage sale in northern NY and this run-down van pulls up with South Carolina plates on it. Out steps this disgusting looking dude who proceeds to buy my ouija board for $1 and then he breaks it over his knee in front of everyone. I asked him WTF? and he starts preaching that shit you always hear about those boards having the devil in them and all. Said he was a minister and goes from garage sale to garage sale buying them up and breaking them. I told him I had another one in the house he could buy and he said for me to go get it. I went in and marked the fucker $20 and when I took it out to him he passed on it of course because of the higher price. I then promptly told the douchebag to get the fuck off my property and gave him a northern liberal look-in-the-eye he'd never forget. These people are consumed with paranoia and hatred in so many ways it's hard to keep track of.

BTW, ouija boards have been doing very well on ebay lately!

[gatorboy]

14. Heh! Now THAT reminds me of a story....

When I was younger a friend came by and noticed my parent's KISS album collection. Well, when I wasn't looking, he took it upon himself to scratch up every one of those records.
Later on, when confronted, he admitted to scratching up the records but told me that they were the work of SATAN and that at a recent bonfire at his church, where they burned the most devious of records, the KISS one's floated out of the flames....

[AntiCoup2K4]

18. KISS = Knights In Satan's Service!!

Those goddamned idiots were convinced that just about every band's name was an acronym for something evil back in the Reagan 80's. Here's some other examples:

Ac/Dc = AntiChrist Demon Crusade (or Against Christ Devil's Children)
Rush = Ruling Under Satan's Hands.
Asia = All for Satan In America (never mind that it was 4 English dudes)

[T Town Jake]

31. Ha, ha...now that takes me back! I remember that...

...horseshit the Fundies where always trying to peddle back in the eighties. One of them told me once that Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven had a "secret message" praising Satan dubbed in backwards, or some such lunacy, and that if I listened to it in my sleep I'd wake up in HELL! I kid you not. They were just as nutty back then as they are now.

[AntiCoup2K4]

38. The Zeppelin backmasking wasn't totally fictional

I played the album backwards myself and this is what it sounded like to me:

Here's to my sweet Satan
No other made a path for us
It makes me sad
Whose power is Satan :evilgrin:

Now, granted I'm not saying it makes any goddamned sense at all, or that it was even intentional, but it IS there.

Oddly enough, it's also on the Dread Zeppelin cover version.And that's hilarious, listening to an Elvis impersonator talk about :evilgrin:

Haven't tried the Pat Boone cover yet - since I will not buy that album - but that would certainly settle the question once and for all, if the "backmasking" is on his Godly record.

Around the height of this hysteria, the Christian band Petra even included an obviously backmasked bit at the beginning of their song "Judas Kiss".

Their secret message?

Why are you looking for the Devil when you should be looking for the Lord?

Seems applicable to the religious reich types even today, doesn't it?

[T Town Jake]

73. I didn't know that there really was something to that...

..."backmasking" business, just thought it was an urban legend. Probably just Hard Rockers messing with Fundie minds :evilgrin:

You're right on about that message the band Petra had in that song; but I'm afraid the religious reich types are far more interested in hunting down "devils" than looking for the Lord whose teachings they claim to revere and follow.

[musette_sf]

47. It's all my fault!

Who knew when I dozed off early in the AM of 11/3, waiting for election returns, and listening to Zep? Who knew waking up in HELL would be all MY fault????

:wtf:

[T Town Jake]

74. LOL, now why'd you go and have to listen to...

...the Zep on election night? Now, we're all in HELL :spank: :crazy: :silly:

[seaj11]

34. Okaayy...

They destroy someone else's property, and then they claim the most evil records float out of bonfires. Hmm...

[Mad_Dem_X]

40. A friend of mine was totally brainwashed

several years ago, when she was a teen. She went to hear some guy speak at her church about how all rock music was satanic; next thing I knew, she was breaking all her records and ripping up all her posters. If you turned on MTV, she'd run from the room, shouting, "I can't watch this!" The rest of us took bets on how long she would be like that. A few months later, she was back to her normal self. It was some scary shit.

[arewenotdemo]

75. Scratched your parents' KISS albums?

LOL...no great loss there.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

23. Good for you.

Your story gave me a chuckle, because I could actually visualize you saying "Now DOUCHEBAG, get the FUCK off my property" and the look on his face.

I mean, really, it's a silly game.

That reminds me of Jerry Fallwell and his obsession with the "gay" Tellytubby, Tinky-Winky.

Don't these guys have any, you know, ministering to the poor and sick to do or anything?

[seaj11]

32. "No life" alert! nt

[MuseRider]

17. He was a Democrat for a long time

he is both. Here are some articles from my paper. I do not remember exactly what all is in there but it will give you some insight if you want it. http://www.cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

19. we were treated to them in pasadena a couple weeks ago

what bothers me is that they bring their kids along. if that ain't child abuse, i don't know what is.

[ComerPerro]

21. Those assholes are always coming to KU

a bunch of pathetic freaks.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

24. I always look at people like that

so filled with hate and venom and just shake my head. They're really pathetic, actually.

And in a way, they hurt their "cause." More even-minded people who have a bit of homophobia tend to be a bit freaked out by the likes of him.

It's like they say, hating someone else is like drinking poison and hoping it kills them.

Let him choke on his own hate.

[s-cubed]

26. But look at the other people

Phelps and his crew are terrible, but the good news is that people aren't buying it. When he shows up, the local churches and people band together to protest his message of hate. Remember that, the next time you think of red staters as all being haters. They are not.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. Why would I thnk red staters are all haters?

I live in Texas, for crying out loud!

[s-cubed]

43. Sorry - didn't mean to offend

My Daddy was from Denton, and I went to Rice, so I'm part Texan. I have just seen too many posts painting all red state folks as haters. Peace

[bobbieinok]

44. greetings from another Rice grad

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

45. No problem

I live in the DFW area! Peace to you, as well.

[xerox]

28. God must hate

my gay dog!

[franmarz]

33. About the pickets with signs saying God hates fags--

It never ceases to amaze me that so many people get their drawers in a wad over someones elses business. Amazing. !!!

[Chimpanzee]

35. Phelps is a complete whack job

In all fairness, he represents the fringe fundies that the republicans don't particularly agree with (unless it gets them votes).

Man, how I'd love to walk up to them and rip the signs out of their hands and tear them up right in front of them! Sickos. Their the ones that will be rotting in hell.

[Stand and Fight]

36. What in the Hell?

What the hell is happening to our country? Why is it that lately America seems to be oozing with hatred? This is very disheartening to me. As a black American I am beginning to wonder how long before they start to trample on my civil rights as well... Something is terribly wrong with this country. Seems like it's going to hell in a hand-basket. Actually, it has been that way for a while now. It is only a matter of time before this country self-destructs under the Bush.

[karlrschneider]

37. Good thing I didn't know they were there (not far from here), or I'd

probably be in jail...
:grr:

[tsuki]

41. With so many people speaking for God, why do they need a Bible?

[Athletic Grrl]

46. tsuki...

...what a 666th post!!!! :evilgrin:

[angrydemocrat]

49. These People Are Hate Mongars!

This kind of crap will come back haunt these people. They need to grow up and get a life.

[MrSlayer]

50. The irony is this guy is a civil rights lawyer.

His daughter appears on the Howard Stern show often and she says they are civil rights lawyers that fight for minorities. And she fights with Daniel Carver (The KKK guy) and says he has it wrong about Jews and Blacks. It's a strange combination of hatred and compassion.

[MuseRider]

51. I remember when I was a kid

that there was always talk of the old man and his fighting for civil rights. Brown VS Topeka Board of Ed was the reason he decided to take the job as a preacher here in Topeka. It is a very odd combo, he has been disbarred. He is a VERY odd man. And, just to add, he is a VERY sick and hateful man.

[MrSlayer]

53. Funny how they don't mention he's disbarred.

Apparently she's a lawyer too, I wonder if she and the rest of the family are still active as well.

[MuseRider]

55. Anything and mostly everything

you would ever want to know about them is here...http://www.cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/

My local paper has done a lot about them. I know his oldest son and daughter are both lawyers. I think there are 5 lawyers in the family, one the wife of his oldest. They have been in the news locally since I was a little kid, I went to school with his children. They were always a very strange group. I used to feel sorry for the kids. Two that I know of got away but the others? I have no pity anymore.

[atommom]

60. Fred Phelps is? It's my understanding that he was disbarred years ago.

[MrSlayer]

66. Yes, I wasn't aware of the fact when I posted originally.

My bad. :silly:

[greenbriar]

52. I knew it was Fred Phelps

as soon as I read the title

[Dr Fate]

54. Have any prominent DEMS gone on TV and demanded Bush/GOP denounce this?

And return the campaign money they gave to the GOP?

Nahh- that would be too truthful & agressive.

Telling the truth about Republicans & conservatives is bad.

Remember when Republicans called all the war protesters "Communists" and asked prominent Democrats to disassociate themsleves with the movement?

Why cant WE do somthing like that. I guess its cuz our "leaders" are too chicken.

Better just to stay silent and pretend they are not associated w/ the GOP- give them another free pass just like we always do.

[MuseRider]

56. They donated to the GOP?

I am very surprised if they did.

[Dr Fate]

61. Next you'll tell me your suprised they voted & campaigned for Bush.

n/t

[MuseRider]

62. Uh, yes I am.

As far as I know they hate all politicians. This guy went to Bob Jones University and left it, Falwell doesn't even like him and I think the feeling is mutual. So tell me, I would really like to know. I have made it my life long struggle to deny they exist even though I see them every day so I may be very uninformed. As far as I know and from any reading I have done they have no use for anyone outside their own little group.

[Dr Fate]

63. I tried to find the photos of them carrying anti-Kerry posters.

They were on DU a few weeks back- cant find em.

Of course Republicans distance themsleves from their ideological soulmates.

Most Republicans "say" they dont agree with Fawell either.

[MuseRider]

64. Well hell

if that is all...they carry anti everything and anybody posters. Seriously, Fred was a Democrat for a long time, he switched the last time he ran for Governor (I think). I would be really surprised to find they donated any money to anyone running. Really very surprised.

[Dr Fate]

65. Uh-huh. And I'll bet they disagree w/ Bush's Gay Marriage Amendment too.

Pretend time is fun.

[MuseRider]

67. Look Doc

I KNOW these people. I have known them my whole life. Unless there is some proof somewhere that they donated I will have a difficult time just assuming they did. So no, this is not pretend time. It is not something that would be characteristic of them. If you want to pretend they did then fine but it would not be very beneficial to us to put it out there in the real world without proof. Seriously, I will be more than happy to eat my words but it just does not fit with the way they operate.

[Dr Fate]

68. I skimmed their web-site for as long as my stomache could hold...

I saw no anti-voting manifesto. Any of them who voted certainly voted for Bush.

I'll meet you half way- Bush & Fred Phelps are ideological soulmates on MOST social issues.

I'd love to see a prominent DEM have the guts to say that on TV-because its true.

[MuseRider]

69. Well now I can certainly

assume that if they did vote it was for Bush**. I didn't mean to be a bugger about this but these people are beyond nasty and strange. It is hard to pin them down on anything and they have certainly spoken out about Bush** being a gay supporter. I would say that I doubt Fred approves of the way Bush** lets his wife out and about and he most likely thinks that he should pound his daughters into submission. Somewhere above I posted the site to my newspaper who have done a lot of articles about them. They are pretty informative if you are at all interested. You went to their web site? LOL, I have never been able to make myself do that. Gotta be a real trip. One other thing for the rumor mill, I can't remember exactly but I do remember seeing here where someone had tied Fred Jr. with some kind of meeting with Al Gore. Maybe someone will have it bookmarked. Peace.

[deadparrot]

58. Yup....that's my state.

:eyes:

I'm getting the hell out of here ASAP.

[donheld]

59. To all those who stood up to these fools

:yourock:

"We're just here to protest the haters," said one woman, who declined to give her name. "We're not trying to cause trouble."

Another woman, who also declined to give her name, called Drain and his companions "idiots."

Drain's group drew the most spirited response from people entering or driving past the First Baptist Church.

One motorist driving on Seventh Street blared her horn and flashed an obscene gesture at the group. Another rolled down his window and shouted, "You're going to hell for hating."

One man wearing a Santa cap walked across the street and yelled at Drain because he kept dragging the bottom of the flag across the ground.

"Don't put our flag on the ground," the man said. "I've got buddies over in Iraq. If you don't like America, get out."

Several people driving by stopped in the street to debate Drain from their cars.

One woman yelled, "You guys give Christianity a bad name."

[proud2BlibKansan]

70. Phelps isn't a Republican

He claims to be an Independent. And I think there are enough hateful Republicans without him being one too.