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Fred Phelps legacy: Should Westboro Baptist founder be picketed when he dies?
CS Monitor ^ | 03/18/2014 | By Patrik Jonsson

Posted on 03/18/2014 12:46:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

With reports that Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps is near death, some gay-rights advocates are conflicted. In the end, they say, his actions actually helped their cause.

For most of the past 20 years, gay Americans dreaded Fred Phelps Sr. and the “God hates fags” pickets by members of his Westboro Baptist Church, a congregation that believes that disciples who do not attack those they see as sinful will themselves be punished by God.

But amid reports that Mr. Phelps is now seriously ill at a Topeka, Kan., hospice facility, some religion experts and gay activists are suggesting that the gay rights movement may ultimately owe Phelps a debt of gratitude for his leadership of one of the most controversial small churches in America.

Instead of turning America against gays and same-sex unions, they argue, Phelps may have instead helped to draw attention to the subject of religious intolerance and its impact on fellow Americans.

“We should give thanks for [Fred Phelps’] gift to American society,” writes Mark Silk, a religion professor Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. “So what’s the gift? It’s that he made religious hostility to homosexuality repulsive.

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democratscandals; fredphelps; gay; homosexuality; lavendermafia; waronchristianity; waronreligion; westborobaptist
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1 posted on 03/18/2014 12:46:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I won’t lower myself to his level. I won’t celebrate either. When he’s gone he’s gone.


2 posted on 03/18/2014 12:48:59 PM PDT by South40 (Liberalism is a Disease)
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To: South40

Wood chipper


3 posted on 03/18/2014 12:50:30 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: SeekAndFind

For a dude with about 17 followers, Phelps sure gets a lot of attention and reaction.

Take the bastard out behind the barn and shoot him.

But puhlease, to all those who pile on to Fred Phelps whenever his name and Westboro BC comes up, could you now pay some attention Islam?


4 posted on 03/18/2014 12:50:41 PM PDT by mbarker12474
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To: SeekAndFind; All
Nah..Just throw condoms @ all who gather @ his graveside.

5 posted on 03/18/2014 12:51:17 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi)
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To: South40

Same here.


6 posted on 03/18/2014 12:51:59 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: SeekAndFind

I would ignore him. That is what he deserves.


7 posted on 03/18/2014 12:52:33 PM PDT by dforest
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To: mbarker12474

Can’t use Islam to defame Christianity, so they concentrate on Phelps.


8 posted on 03/18/2014 12:53:02 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: SeekAndFind

He should be ignored - totally. Sent to the grave as an after thought and a bad lingering taste nobody cares waste any further energy on.


9 posted on 03/18/2014 12:53:09 PM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Audentis Fortuna Iuvat)
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To: South40



10 posted on 03/18/2014 12:54:20 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey (Jesus came to Save not Entertain / Ground John Kerry Now!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Ignored.

He should be ignored for eternity.


11 posted on 03/18/2014 12:56:14 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: SeekAndFind

He would probably like that. That is good enough reason to stay away.

They get their money by suing governmental entities that pass laws to try and keep them away from funerals. They did that in Sarpy County Nebraska a couple of years ago. It came out in the paper that they had a whole string of lawsuits and won most of them.


12 posted on 03/18/2014 12:56:27 PM PDT by jim_trent
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To: SeekAndFind

No.

By using their tactics you only elevate them into the realm of “acceptable”.


13 posted on 03/18/2014 12:58:30 PM PDT by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
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To: kevkrom

Exactly. The best way to punish attention whores is to ignore them.


14 posted on 03/18/2014 1:00:28 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: South40

I agree with you. Why stoop to his level?


15 posted on 03/18/2014 1:00:43 PM PDT by MamaB
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To: SeekAndFind

I hope his service gets picketed by the families of Fallen Hroes.

Then his body is feed to pigs.


16 posted on 03/18/2014 1:01:08 PM PDT by NoLibZone (The bad news: Hillary Clinton will be the next President. The Good news: Our principles are intact.)
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To: SeekAndFind
The question; Should Westboro Baptist founder be picketed when he dies?

If your thinking generally follows that of Phelps (in principle, if not in the particulars), then his funeral should be similarly treated as he and his followers treated others. Certainly.

It will be interesting to see who does, or does not, think much the same as Phelps.

17 posted on 03/18/2014 1:02:22 PM PDT by YHAOS
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To: SeekAndFind

Westboro Baptist Church is going to picket his funeral, since he was excommunicated from the church.

His daughter calls Phelps a fag-loving whore (her words) and says he deserves it.


18 posted on 03/18/2014 1:03:55 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: SeekAndFind

I read:

Fred Phelps legacy: Should Westboro Baptist founder be PICKLED when he dies?.............


19 posted on 03/18/2014 1:10:25 PM PDT by Red Badger (LIberal is an oxymoron......................)
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To: South40

Contemptuous silence for the man is the best revenge. Like he never existed.


20 posted on 03/18/2014 1:12:39 PM PDT by AnAmericanAbroad (It's all bread and circuses for the future prey of the Morlocks.)
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