By Diane Silver
I'm not linking to their site because the Phelps clan gets enough publicity already. True to form they are using the tragedy at Virginia Tech to preach hate.
The family's main spokesperson, Shirley Phelps-Roper, argues that because our entire nation does not agree with the Phelps' nasty version of Christianity, the students who died at Virginia Tech are not innocent. Shirley says it was God's judgement that they should die. This material is in their "Featured" section in "Dear Shirley."
Where to begin with this insanity?
The Westboro Baptist Church in neighboring Topeka, Kan., is largely made up of the Phelps family and a few others. The latest estimates I see are place the size of the church at about 70 members. While not being an overwhelmingly liberal place, Topeka largely loathes the Phelps.
Here's the bottom line of the Phelps' theology: You can't understand God's love until you understand God's hate. To them, God is a horrible, violent creature, a kind of ultimate abusive father who must be placated at all cost or else he will destroy you.
They thrive on attention, and I'm sorry to say that I've given them more of that.
Like a child throwing a temper tantrum, they escalate their outrageous behavior if people don't pay attention. Hence, when folks started ignoring their picketing of the funerals of AIDS victims, they picketed the funerals of troops killed in Iraq.
They thrive on hurting others, claiming they do it in the name of God. (That's a twisted God for you.)
My feeling has always been that the only thing worst than being picketed by the Phelps would be to be them. Can you imagine growing up with such hate and living with it every day?
The best place to start in understanding Westboro and the Phelps folk is probably at From Kansas: Who the heck is Fred Phelps? You can also scroll through all of our Phelps and Westboro commentaries. These include numerous links to other sources.
Hat tip to the anonymous person who pointed me toward Shirley's post.
And, of course, Shirley has now just posted a comment on my previous post.
[update]
Wrong Phelps. That's Margie who just posted a comment.
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5 comments:
Once again I have deleted contact information for the Phelps. I do NOT AGREE WITH THE PHELPS, but I do not think we should support harassment, which is what you do when you post anyone's personal contact information on the web.
Go to www.godhatesfags.com and send your disgust. Have a march. Write to your local newspaper. Comment here. Create your own blog, but don't descend to their level. Don't be as hateful as they are.
Becoming just like them doesn't do anything but give the Phelps a victory.
All of them are sick in the head to think this is "the way of God"! What do they think will be accomplishe dby hurting others?!? I am pro peace and I love evryone...but I honestly despise and HATE everything that Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church stands for. I don't want to fall to their level, they're just so dumb and are poisioning the universe. PRAISE THE UNIVERSE AND PREACH PEACE!
I do not agree with what Phelps said at ALL!.. as a God fearing Born again Christian I can honestly say that what He did was wrong.
Yes God is a Loving God but He is also a Just and Righteous God, you cannot separate either parts or you come up with a different God and not the God of the Bible..
God HATES sin plain and simple doesn’t matter what the Sin is He HATES IT!, He loves the homosexual PERSON, but hates their Sinful Lifestyle. Romans 1 talks about that as well as the whole story of Sodom and Gomorrah and why It had to be destroyed. But He also Hates Lying, Gossip, Murder, Fornication, Evil Concupisence, Rev 21:8”But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. “ As well as when people that say they are His children resort this garbage when instead of doing what God called us to do they become tools of the devil, deceived into believing they are doing God's work when they are truly hindering it.
We are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, not hold up a sign condemning soldiers that are sacrificing themselves to protect our country and us from what is going on in the world and from the dangers that are attacking our soil, even if we do have homosexuality in this country. AND i am NOT supporting homosexuality by no means,i know it is wrong and against God and they will be punished if they do not turn from their wickedness and Accept Jesus Christ. but the way that man handled it was very unchristian and very wrong. Phelps himself needs to take a closer look at the bible and what it says before holding up signs telling the world what he feels is wrong with the country and his personal attitude toward it and dragging God into it. What he did was to make a mockery out of the Christian Faith..
Homosexuality is wrong and against God's natural order, the bible states that, but we dont have to preach that to them. their lifestyle shows that. and we are not called to preach that to them either.. We are to Preach the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mar_16:15; Luk_4:18; Act_16:10;Rom_10:15; Rom_15:20; 1Co_1:17; 1Co_9:14; 1Co_9:16; 1Co_9:18; 2Co_2:12;
and What Good news is that?
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Here's the Deal:
we were separated from God because of Sin, and headed for a devil's Hell. God did not want us to have to die and go to Hell because He loved us so much, BUT He is so Just and Righteous that His Justice demanded a payment. what was that payment? a PERFECT Sacrifice. and since man was fallen and could not save itself, God sent His only son Jesus Christ to Earth to die for the Sins of the world and rise again the third day and be seated at the right hand of the Father because all Sin was attoned for and the payment was paid.
dont believe it?
Well Okay,
Have you ever told a lie?
what would that make you? A Liar
Ever stolen anything, piece of candy,cheated on a test, a pencil, Value doesnt matter?
What would that make you? A Thief
Ever been so mad at someone you wanted to just punch them in the face or wish they were dead?
what would that make you. A Murderer
Jesus said if you were to hate someone so much as to call them a fool, you have commited murder against them in your heart. Matthew 5:22
Have you ever taken God's name in vain?
what would that make you? A blasphemer.
If youve said yes to any of these 4 questions you have openly admitted that your a liar, theif, murderer and blasphemer. and that is only 4 of God's laws you have broken
How could that be you ask because you only said yes to one?
Well According to the Infallible word of Almighty God, if you break ONE of His Laws you break them ALL.
and since God is such a Just and Holy God, He demands payment for the Law you have broken just like any other Just Judge would, and since God is the Creator of the Justice system. He demands more because He is so Just.
What is this penalty you ask?
It's Death in Hell and Eternal Separation from God.
Does that Concern you? it should
Do you know what Hell really is?
According to the Bible Hell is a place called outer darkness where it is so dark you cannot see your hand before your face, where it is so hot that your flesh burns off just to grow back and repeat the process. Hell is so Hot that every fiber of your body screams for relief or a cool drop of water and you never get one. where every desire you have had, sex, drugs, alcohol, or something as small as a soft chair or ham sandwich is more powerful than every but never satisfied. Your tormented night and day and all of your senses are working better than before, so you can hear the burning flesh, smell it, feel it, and Hell has Sulfuric and brimstone gases so thick that you have to struggle to take in a breath of air, you'll never see your family or your home ever again. and it only gets worse.. On Judgement Day, you will stand before God who will replay every sin that you have ever commited before casting you into the Lake of Fire that burns forever and is hotter than lava that flows from the volcanos.
Does that concern you??
Lets say for a minute it does.
How do you get out of this death penalty to Hell that the bible says we are all headed for because we are guilty "For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God" Romans 3:23. even your answers from that test above shows that you are guilty, if you were to stop breathing this second you would bust the gates of Hell wide open
It's Simple. God already paid the payment for our Sins by sending His Son Jesus Christ to Earth to Die for our Sins and pay the payment that Sin's horrible debt required.
Jesus became our substitute and took our place. and all we have to do is ask God for forgiveness of our sins and believe that Jesus is our substutite. Too easy you say, well let's look at what the bible says
In 1st John 1:9 " If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" and Romans 10:9 says" If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved"
It's that simple..
and what if you dont care about your status as being a lawbreaker in the eyes of God?
well God will hold you accountable for the debt you owe since you did not accept the substitutional sacrifice He offered.
and you will have to pay for your sins forever in Hell separated from God.
Mr Phelps needs to review the bible and what It says that as a child of God we are to do, as well as what ANYONE in the Office of a pastor is to do. Because Right now He’s preaching the wrong message. He's preaching another another Jesus,and another Gospel Galatians 1:7-9 He's perverting The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thank you For your time
For more information. Check out www.jsm.org or www.livingwaters.com
Dear Jesus Rocks,
I appreciate your comments on the Phelps, but find myself parting with you on your view of sin, hell and God. The view of God you're preaching is so close to the Phelps theology as to be nearly impossible differentiate. You're just a teeny bit nicer about it, than Fred Phelps and his family. All of these views seem to take God as a simpleton who has a giant ledger in the sky. If you get a black mark against you and you don't repent in EXACTLY the way this very narrow minded God wants, then you're doomed to damnation.
I think God is much bigger than that and much wiser.
If you want to know something about what the so-called homosexual life really is, read some of my posts about "gay life" or "gay rights." You have no idea how we live, which is frankly not all that different than anyone else. You don't know my life yet you chose to judge me and my family, and in so doing, you make it impossible for me to live under laws that treat me and my son fairly and equally.
I wish you well if your life and hope that you will have an opportunity to expand your understanding of humanity and God.
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