What's Wrong With Westboro Baptist Church?
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What's wrong with the Westboro baptist church? A lot of things.
I grew up in a christian home raised by a father and mother who took us to church every Sunday, youth group on Fridays and sometimes bible studies during the week. My father read us bible stories each night and was active in more than one church as a youth leader. They were strong in their belief in what is right and good and I only hope that I be as pure, honorable, and righteous as they were.
The Westboro Baptist church is none of these things. They are not Christians because true Christians don't act like that. The only thing they do is make Christianity look like a horrible cult and make it that much more difficult for real Christian leaders to make a difference. I've read much on their church and have seen interviews and videos put out by the Westboro baptist church. The leader of this cult, Fred Phelps enjoys releasing videos laden with profanity and racial slurs on a frequent basis. If Jesus were to visit this man he'd be washing his mouth out with soap.
The Westboro baptist church also enjoy picketing at military funerals. This is wrong. The dead bodies in those coffins contain young men and women who gave their lives for your country. Regardless of your views are on the wars your country is involved in you should have respect for human life and with that respect comes respect for their friends and loved ones who are grieving. They have just dealt with the death of their father, brother, son, etc. they don't need to remember the day their funeral as a more horrible event than it already is. Just remember that the freedom of speech you enjoy so much is protected by the same deceased soldiers that you mock. So have some decency, put away your signs, go home and leave others in peace.
Over 80% of the Westboro baptist church congregation are related to Fred Phelps, the head of the church. One can only hope that as generations shrink that the amount of Westboro baptist church goers dwindles and eventually disbands the church.
A plea I would make to Mr. Phelps is to turn back away from this craziness. You have been allowed to lead a church full of people that listen to you, that follow your words. Think long and hard about what you are doing, the path you are going down. If not for yourself then for the sake of your congregation. Read what is in your bible. Remember what it says in Luke 17:2 - "It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." They look up to you and you're the only one that can lead them away from this path of self destruction.
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I agree. This church doesn't remind me of Love. When you pray that your own soldiers die in battle, you are basically saying you want your country to be defeated by anyone who is in opposition. This organization has no credibility and they are not a good example of the Love of Christ.
Becky Katz - your right, people from baptist churches must be horrified that the Westboro Baptist Church use "baptist" in their name, they obviously aren't affiliated with any true Christian church. I'm glad you were able to protect the funeral from the crazy picketers.
Brandon Spaulding - yes, their church is anyhting but love, they are just fueled by hate which seems to be for just about everything that isn't related to their church. Thanks for reading, I'm glad were on the same page.
these people are really terrible "Christians", I don't even think they should be called that. What happened to love thy neighbor?
I agree with you amberld. I get the same impression when I read or hear about this group.
amberld - Your right calling them Christians is an insult to true Christians. They just don't understand love I guess, one would wonder how they even manage to stand eachother.
Protesting soldiers funerals is pretty classless. It is hard to believe that they are a real group. Someone has to be funding them and allowing them to get as much promotion as they do. I see them on the news all the time, but you never see any Christian protests anywhere else on the news.
Brandon Spaulding - they definitely have a belief system all their own but is pretty nasty.
michiganman567 it seems like they are getting help from somewhere to get such pliblicity, but they are so outrageous I'd assume that happens anyway. But maybe thats part of why they really do it, for attention.
Westboro often came to my campus and they were so upsetting to me, I often went around just to get to the dining hall. I agree they give Christians a very bad name but human beings in general. Love is never angry. Awesome hub!
There is always someone waiting to fill the last Nut Jobs shoes... Main problem I have with this group, is that they call themselves Baptist. If they were doing what they are doing under any other name they would be sued at law and forced to change thier name to something that is not patented... The problem with this is that the name Baptist is sort of like ACME it is a generic term and the Conventions do not have a Patent or Copyright on the word Baptist. (Unlike other denominations) What makes a Baptist Church truly a Baptist is the Doctrines taught inside... Not the name on the pole... But most of the world does not understand that part of history about us... So we must endure these people and the insults they bring down upon our heads... the heads of the actual Baptists... Its Sad in deed... We deplore what they are doing... In our name... and also in Jesus name.
Alecia Murphy - I have never actually encountered them personally but it sounds like a bad experience.
MrMaranatha - they make me very angry too, so much that I would like to do something too, but I guess we can't lose our cool completely. Like anyone doing horrible things sooner or later it's going to come back on them. I feel bad for the baptist churches though, some people may not know that Westboro isn't how other baptist churches are. I could put them in a bad light. Hopefully people realize the difference.
This is one group that the right of free speech should be taken away from! I am perplexed as to why they continue to get publicity. Why can't the news media ban together and ignore this group? Perhaps if the attention stopped, they would take a moment and reflect on the damage they are doing.
Satanists like each other also.
michiganman, If you had seen the Nashville News when the Hillsboro group was her for a soldiers funeral last spring, you would have seen the Christians and DAV protesting them and not letting them within a 2 block radius of the church where the funeral service was. All over the news.
I'm not a Christian, but I am the wife of a soldier. I would go insane if I were to attend a Navy funeral and these people were there. I just can't imagine why some people have so much hate in their hearts. I know many Christians and love them dearly, and these people are the farthest thing from being Christian.
Well said terrektwo.
I'm not sure what a Christian is. Jesus wasn't one, but they named the church after him. Since day one they have either been persecuted or did their things to persecute others, from the Crusades to the Holy Roman Empire to the Church of England, where we became refugees from. Catholics condemn their own to hell, Baptists, Methodists and other teach fire and brimstone...according to many the "Rapture" was to be many years ago...what gives?
I'll tell you. It's ALL belief and when one get's "holier" than thou, they become zealots. No one is more righteous than another, no on knows any more about god than the other and as soon as we all understand the fact that my god is no better than yours, we will begin on the path Jesus and other prophets have handed down through the ages. PEACE among men! He never taught "my way or the highway" but talked in parables so we could each understand our paths in our own ways. Draw whatever conclusions you feel appropriate, but remember that you know nothing and only guess what truth is. Have benevolence, compassion, love and wisdom in every choice you make.
These people are despicable and quite frankly deserve to be arrested for the harm they cause .
teachertalking1 - as sickening as they are I guess it's one of those cases where being infamous and famous are almost the same thing. It's horrible and I wish that the Westboro Church would stop the nonsense but like you said with media and people paying attention I think it just makes them do it more.
Becky Katz - yes it really does make one wonder how a group fueled by hate can love one another. But maybe there is just no real understanding the Westboro Baptist Church.
I dislike what this cult does but Christianity has been full of extreme groups through the years.
Daniella Lopez - hopefully no one would have to endure picketing at a funeral but it is possible with these people. I can't imagine why they have so much hate in them either. Thanks for commenting though.
Dave Sibole - Did my best to say it like it is, thanks for the support and for reading :)
Paulw2751 - A few things I'd have to say: Jesus Christ is where Christianity come from so in the time of Jesus they obviously didn't us the term Christian yet. There were things that were done in the past such as the crusades, spanish inquisition, that were done in Jesus name and were responsible for the death of many but were even more evil than what Westboro are doing. In both of these cases evil men used the name of god to justify their evil and neither are what I would consider to be true Christians. To know what a true Christian is you need to read the bible. Understand what god wants a Christian to be. As for the rapture it will happen when it happens. Anyways I don't want to get too involved in a theology discussion as it distracts from the articles topic. Suffice to say from reading the bible and learning throughout life what a christian should be I know in my heart that those of the Westboro Baptist Church just are not Christian. If they spent more time reading their bibles instead of picketing funerals maybe they would be, but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.
breakfastpop - I agree completely. Thanks for commenting.
The media is giving too much coverage to this group and it only casts a skeptic shadow on other believers. I appreciate your writing the hub and pointing out the real meaning of Christian love.
dahoglund - Well again depends on what you'd consider extreme, and just because someone does something crazy and claims to be Christian doesn't make him one.
teaches12345 - thanks for commenting, you are right when you say media gives them to much attention, I'm sure one day they will fade into obscurity.
Good Hub. I disagree with those comments that say their right to free speech should be revoked. We can't pick and chose who gets which freedoms. That is a slippery slope. I do however, think that they shouldn't be allowed to protest funerals. A funeral is a religious ceremony, and those who are worshiping are having their religious freedom infringed upon by the protestors. No other protest of a religious ceremony would ever stand up in court. We can't take away their freedoms, but we can beat them at their own game :)
Elani-Lee - True, true, maybe we can beat them at their own game.
Its sick entities such as this that give true Christians a bad name. People look at them and say we're all the same judgmental and ignorant. As true Christians we need to pray for them. No we can't take away their freedoms that man gives them, but we can put God on 'em. Thank you for sharing, voted up, marked useful and interesting
pmccray - thanks for commenting, I know your right taking freedom away is not really going to happen but hopefully they eventually reach an epiphany that what they are doing is wrong.
Well, Terrek, you said it, this is the fine line, or more like a chasm between what is religion and faith, and what is considered to be a cult a la Jim Jones.
Jesus said, rejoice with those who rejoice and greive with those who grieve. Cruelty and callousness seem to have no limits with these folks. Thanks, Cred2
Credence2 - your right of course, they spread hate faster than most groups could mostly due to attention the press gives them. But time will tell if they manage to channel that craziness into the next generation or not I guess.
Becky Katz Level 8 Commenter 4 months ago
I am also unnerved by the callousness of this group of people. Our church is a Baptist Church and I am hoping that they would be forced to remove the Baptist from their name. They are disgraceful and heartless.
The Veterans and Christians of our area got together and guarded the last funeral of a Soldier in our area. The Westboro cult had promised to be here for it. We encircled the funeral for a two block radius and did not allow them to get any closer than that. The family came out and thanked us.