i think powerlineblog.com did an expose on this so-called church. if you go to fred phelps's websites (godhatesfags and godhatesamerica) you can see his motivations. i BELIEVE in the expose i read, the writer revealed that the purpose of the group is LEFT wing rather than the right wing it appears to be. ...their purpose being to turn people away from God rather than toward him. just google him and you'll be shocked.
no, they aren't worth the time of day. unfortunately the family of the soldier IS worth the time of day, regarding your freep.