Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church

[fashbash]

Anyone else see Louis Theroux's programme last night? He was living with what is essentially a religious cult, made up almost entirely of one extended family, who believe that 'God Hates Fags'.

They claim that 'God' is punishing America for allowing Gays to practice homosexuality legally, and therefore everyone is going to 'hell' except them. They hold demonstrations outside the funerals of dead soldiers, and claim to rejoice whenever someone dies because they are unrighteous and going to hell.

There was all the usual homophobic bollox, and quite a bit of anti-semetic rubbish too. Did anyone else see the show? What are your thoughts? Personally, I don't hate them. I feel desperately sorry that anyone can have so much hate.

[Angry Young Man]

Bugger I missed it! :angry: Looked quite amusing as well! Americans lol :lol:
Let's start a cult: "GOD HATES CAPITALISTS!!!"
All men go to hell in the UK because the government allows people to practise capitalism legally. And we rejoice every time a soldier dies because the government made them!

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

Oh i watched it!

poor Louis having to meet such nasty people.

The girl who went to university, i felt really sorry for her because she so obviously desires to be in a relationship but is being totally coerced into not having one.

It was also really shocking when she goes "im probably going to hell, and my dad will be happy about that!" really messed up family if thats true.

Im not contemplating the idea of hell as a reality, but if it was there after you die, i thought the last person you would wish it on would be one of your kids!

weird.

Also, it was satisfying to know that those little kids holding "gad hates fags" signs didnt even know what it meant!

but really, they are mad and everyone knows it

[razboz]

Are you referring to the Westboro (http://youtube.com/watch?v=S8cN2pB3MCE) Church?

[Sir Aunty Christ]

I didn't watch it but when I did flick on to it Louis was talking to some auld geezer who didn't deserve my attention.

[Comrade J]

I watched it, it wasn't anywhere near as good as When Louis Met The Nazis, but it was still pretty fucked up.

[luxemburg89]

'God hates fags' is a song by Donnie Davies who started the C.H.O.P.S. programme (Changing homosexuals into ordinary people scheme) type in 'god hates fags' into google and look for the video - its f*cking hilarious. i dunno whether the bastard is serious or not but still scarily funny.

[Janus]

I believe you're referring to Fred Phelps and his church?

If so, some of his views are very similar to that of many other conservative Christians, but as far as his anti-army attitudes go, that's quite unique.

[Tommy-K]

Everyone talks about taking down Stormfront, but I think, if possible, we should try our best to get rid of this:

God Hates Fags (http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html)

If you don't know what God Hates Fags is I'm not going to explain, just look at the site and you get the general idea.

The site is hosted by First Amendment Hosting:

First Amendment Hosting (http://www.first-amendment-hosting.com/)

Maybe request the site is taken down? If not, there must be someone here who knows how we can bring this site down?

[anarchista feminista]

That's awful :(

[Bilan]

That's fucking appauling.
Ergh.
Homophobic scum

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Did anyone see them on Louis Theroux the other day?
What a program, iv read the book, its really good. Its got prussian blue and other Nazis, the porn industry, and lots of othere weird people

[Coggeh]

what a pack of stupid idiots , pure scum .

[Qwerty Dvorak]

I heard about this a few years back when it was first established, some representative of theirs (a Reverend or something) was on a radio talk show over here in Ireland (I think it was 98FM or something) and he basically got tons of abuse from people calling in.

It's fucking disgusting no doubt, but considering the host's name is "First Amendment Hosting", they're probably fairly right-wing themselves, and I doubt they'd take the site down. Thankfully though pretty much everyone, even in America (bar some rednecks in the bible belt) thinks these guys are batshit insane.

[freakazoid]

I know of this Phelps clan since I also live in Kansas, grrrrr. One of them wrote to our newspaper once in the opinion section, they are crazy and know nothing of the teachings of Jesus. Luckely, there is a group of motorcyclists and other people who go to the funerals that they are at and help to block them.

[bcbm]

They're pretty marginal, no use attacking their site... its all been done before, believe me. Somebody even bombed their compound. When they came here, we pretty much ran them out of town.

[RebelDog]

I'm watching the Louis Theroux documentary that was on British tv the other night about these people, the Phelps. These people are seriously, mentally ill. I think social services should seriously look at removing their children from them. They are complete nuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bXP4SlnPnY...related&search= (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bXP4SlnPnY&mode=related&search=)

[Lenin II]

PHELPS! My old nemesis. I wondered how long it would be before someone would brig him up. I don't know, he's pretty damn old. I think we should focus on his children, since he will probbaly be kicking the bucket soon. We can protest at his funeral.

[Question everything]

This shit gives theists a bad name.

[Tommy-K]

Originally posted by Y Chwildro Comiwnyddol [email protected] 03, 2007 02:22 pm
Did anyone see them on Louis Theroux the other day?
What a program, iv read the book, its really good. Its got prussian blue and other Nazis, the porn industry, and lots of othere weird people
I saw the program. I knew of the site beforehand but after watching the program I realised they were worse than I actually thought, prompting this thread.

[LSD]

He's not anti-army per se, that is he doesn't hate soldiers any more than anyone else, he just hates the liberalization of society and blames the American government and all her agents for that process.

Also, of course, yelling at soldiers' funerals is a good way to get into the news. There are so many whacko conservatives these days that you have to do something truly insane to get press anymore and Felps has found his particular "in".

As far as I know Westboro baptist only has like 100 members, it's celebrity really is a testament to the power of extremism.

It's just good old fashioned shock journalism, if it freaks people out, it sells. Which, at some level, I suppose is actually a rather encouraging sign.

'Cause 50 years ago there would have been nothing particularly shocking about a southern preacher condemning all "fags" and their supporters to hell. Clearly today there is, and even the most rabid mainstream homophobes are forced to cloak their bigotry in layers of bullshit rationalization.

That may not be much comfort to the family of a gaybashing victim when that asshole Felps comes to "protest" his funeral, but it's nonetheless an encouraging sign.

Epur si muove.

[Janus]

He's not anti-army per se, that is he doesn't hate soldiers any more than anyone else
Right, I suppose what I meant was that his congregation has shifted their focus lately and was picketing military funerals because they believe that god is punishing the US for its immorality and because they look down upon the soldiers. So by all means and purposes he is anti-US and his church's picketing of funerals are simply an extension of those beliefs. This is really what outrages other conservatives and has even spawned the "Patriot Guard" riders to begin attending the funerals which of course led to the later "Respect for fallen soldiers" Act.


As far as I know Westboro baptist only has like 100 members
Yes, and the composition of its membership gives it a cultish tinge since the vast majority of the attendance are Phelps' own relatives which of course explains their fanatic devotion to him.

[Comrade J]

Yes, and the composition of its membership gives it a cultish tinge since the vast majority of the attendance are Phelps' own relatives which of course explains their fanatic devotion to him.

Yeah, even those who aren't related to him call him "Grandpa." :blink:

[xule]

no-matter what race/nationality/religion; hatred of homosexuals is rampant.
its disgusting
kill a person/rape a woman, get a few years in prison; fall in love with someone of your own gender, be shunned by society and maybe even killed <_<

[Anton]

yeah, it&#39;s on you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW79eTqskpc...related&search= (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW79eTqskpc&mode=related&search=) (that&#39;s part 1 of 7)

[Enragé]

its on the BBC tonight (again?) :)

[Pirate Utopian]

http://www.videosift.com/video/Louis-Thero...Westboro-Church (http://www.videosift.com/video/Louis-Theroux-visits-the-Westboro-Church)

i watched it online with that link, fucking idiots if they really think america is "gayfriendly"

[Sentinel]

Originally posted by black coffee black [email protected] 03, 2007 08:46 pm
They&#39;re pretty marginal, no use attacking their site... its all been done before, believe me. Somebody even bombed their compound. When they came here, we pretty much ran them out of town.
I agree, and good that you did that. I think their site is fucking excellent negative PR for christianity and theism, let it be. I mean, Phelps said God sent the tsunami to punish all sinful swedes visiting thailand. In other words, God is a terrorist who wipes out countless innocent poor people in order to get to a few guys he personally dislikes..

Confront these fuckers in real life, but let them expose their agenda on the net -- that has to make at least a few theists consider atheism&#33; :D

[Janus]

There&#39;s no reason to have two threads on this.

Merged.

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

This is a documentary aired on BBC2 in which Louis Theroux spends a week living with the Westboro Baptist Church - the ones who use the &#39;god hates fags&#39; epithet (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_hates_fags)... They picket funerals of soldiers who died in Iraq, AIDS victims and various others...
It&#39;s available to watch on dailymotion

Part one: http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...hated-family-13 (http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/louis%2Btheroux/video/x1mrt6_louis-theroux-most-hated-family-13)

Part two: http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...hated-family-23 (http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/louis%2Btheroux/video/x1ms9x_louis-theroux-most-hated-family-23)

Part three: http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...hated-family-33 (http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/louis%2Btheroux/video/x1ms4r_louis-theroux-most-hated-family-33)

[Janus]

Merged again.
Anyone who missed the original doc. airing can watch it on the links provided above.

[Module]

"Is your 3 minutes up yet?"
"No, it was 5 minutes,"
"But I&#39;ve already talked 2,"
"Yes... so there&#39;s 3 minutes left"
How any of them, even if they are religious nuts, could respect somebody so clearly stupid and obnoxious is beyond me. Fred Phelps attitude was just... childishly rude&#33;
But there was an obvious similarity in all of the peoples&#39; attitudes. Cut every argument from the start with &#39;silly&#39; and &#39;dumb&#39;. Good on Louis for being so tolerant.
I did also notice a contradiction that I wish he&#39;d have pointed out... near the beginning Shirley goes in response to Louis saying that the church&#39;s actions are probably putting people off Christianity or atleast their version of it, rather than convincing them, "It&#39;s not our job or goal to win souls over," or something of that nature and yet after that she justifies so many of her actions with merely trying to do just that&#33;
And yes, I felt so sorry for those kids. Their lives are pretty much being ruined&#33;