Westboro Baptist Church

[Sopranette]

Why isn't there a great public outcry from the Christian community against what the WBC and the Phelps family are doing? They are every negative stereotype that Atheists think of when they talk about Christians, especially Baptists. This family is singlehandedly undoing the work so many of us have been doing for years. The Phelps have nothing to preach but hate, and the "preachings" they do are filled with so much disgusting language it ties my stomach in a knot just to listen to them. And the really dispicable screaming and ranting at soldiers' funerals is the final straw for a lot of Americans. They are so despisable, they have become infamous all over the world.
Now, I remember just after 9/11, everyone here was waiting for some outcry from the Muslim community, condeming the bombings, but it never came. To a lot of people, this seemed like implied approval on their part. Well, it's looking like that now, with Christians saying nothing about the WBC.

Sopranette

 

[Lagardo]

I have heard plenty of Christians speak agains the Westboro Baptist "Church." What exactly do you want?

 

[Sopranette]

I mean a huge get together, publically condeming the actions of this church. Maybe a certain day and time when we can all get together and protest.

 

[Lagardo]

And draw more attention to them? Give them more air time on the news, and what they want most...the chance that a "protest" might end in their property or persons being harmed leading to a lawsuit?

No thanks. At some point, to chase everthing in the world that calls itself a church in order to show why it isn't takes valuable time away from the great commission

 

[Andy T.]

I don't like them. I think they are wrong. There - is that enough?

I think you overestimate their influence, though. The people pointing to them as proof that Christians are evil have already set in their minds that Christians are evil, and thus, they find the most despicable "Christians" they can find to "prove" their previously held presuppositions. Those with the presupposition that Christians are evil include many in the media, so in that case, it appears that Westboro has great influence, because the media will shine the light brightly on them. The answer? Pray for the salvation of those in the media. Until then, probably not much will change.

I think ignoring them is the best thing to do. If someone asks you about them, then you can always share your disgust for their ways.

 

[Sopranette]

All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.

They already have about as much media attention they can stand. Why not show people this is NOT what being a Christian is about?

 

[Andy T.]

I mean a huge get together, publically condeming the actions of this church. Maybe a certain day and time when we can all get together and protest.

I think the Lord would want us to use our resources in doing something the apostles did - like spread the Gospel. I think doing something like you propose above would be a huge waste of resources and be of great folly.

 

[Andy T.]

All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.

They already have about as much media attention they can stand. Why not show people this is NOT what being a Christian is about?

If you put your hope in the media to shape the hearts and minds of people, then you are in for a big disappointment. The newsman withers, the media will fade away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

 

[Lagardo]

I think the Lord would want us to use our resources in doing something the apostles did - like spread the Gospel. I think doing something like you propose above would be a huge waste of resources and be of great folly.

Amen!

And spreading the gospel is by no means "doing nothing." In fact, it can accomplish far more than a protest.

 

[preachinjesus]

Get rid of one Westboro and another will happily take its place. The best protest against them...love your neighbors and show them what the true Gospel looks like.

If we truly communicate legitimate Christianity these people will be seen for what they are...a brood of vipers.

 

[donnA]

What we do by not protesting and giving them more attention is show we are different then they are.

 

[Salty]

One suggestion would be to contact your local newspapers, TV and radio stations (when they run a story) and let them know that Westboro is not a typical Baptist church. We may need to remind them (the media) that Baptist churches are independent and autonomous.

Speak to the editors, reporters, producers. Many communities have a press club. Attend their functions. Get to know them personally. You can send letters to the editors.

If you are really ambitious, start your own newsletter. I am sure there may be a few business that would take out a small ad to at least pay for the postage and printing.

Another words take ACTION!

Salty

 

[Jkdbuck76]

Ignore them.

Nothing makes them happier than getting to tell someone off.

They told me off before. In another thread, I wrote about how
I called them up and told them that their protesting my friend's
funeral was beneath contempt, rude and that ironically my
friend was not a homosexual (he left behind a wife and kid).

They this person I spoke to started spouting and going thru
their maniacal, deranged party line. Hindsight being 20/20,
I wish I'd have never called because THAT is all they want---
a reaction.

And all of them are lawyers and they all have cameras, so you
can't take a baseball bat with you to one of their protests
and tune them up the old fashioned way.

Same thing happens every time here in Cincy when the kkk or
the neo nazis want to march.... everyone gets in an uproar and
does a counter protest and these guys get the two things they
set out to do: MEDIA ATTENTION FOR FREE! AND A REACTION FROM
YOU. What I WISH would happen is that nobody shows up and the
"other side" decides to go home.

OP, there are people out there whose only purpose in life
it to agitate, cause harm, and get people whipped up into
a frenzy. It is only when they pose a real physical threat
that our elected officials and armed law enforcement can
step in.

The very very very difficult thing to do is to love fred phelps and
to pray for he and his family. If I pray for him it is only because
Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. And I don't particularly
care for them at all but I must do it anyway. And you, too.
And everyone else who reads this.

 

[webdog]

Strange this thread was started this morning. From my devotions today, I was thinking about them based on the passages I was reading.

2Ki 22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king; he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
2Ki 22:2 He did what was right in the LORD's sight and walked in all the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn to the right or the left.

The bolded got me to thinking that not only are the liberal, self serving, left evil in the Lords sight, but the right can also be evil, taken to extremes, (Phelps) in the Lords sight. Walking the straight, narrow path, neither to the right of left is what God wants.

 

[Sopranette]

Well, okay. I have learned two things; goodness will win in the end, and actions speak louder than words (by action, I mean protest, not violence). Two ideas at opposite ends! I admire those who can stick to the "strait and narrow", not looking right or left, without being distracted by people who use His Precious Word to further their agenda. But is it only me here who is horrified by their hate? I can't help but be human in that way. That they use children to scream obscene things (and possibly put those children in physical harm's way)? I still believe we should protest groups like these...the KKK, the Neonazis, etc, so as to tell everyone this behaviour is NOT ok, will never BE ok. Now I can write a letter to the newspaper to really win people over (great idea, btw). Praying just isn't enough to me to shut WBC down, and I don't think a reaction is what they're looking for. I truly think they believe what they spew out in their heart of hearts. And others are just looking for some group like them to cling to, as well. Maybe if they go away, another takes their place, but that means we must continue to fight. Those who do not know His Word like we do only see an example of hate filled Christians. I remember myself, as a Born Again on the brink of change, stopped only by a screaming, bigoted preacher, who hated so many of those whom God created in His own image! I thought, "Well, if what he says is what Baptists believe, how could he call himself a Christian?". Thanks be to Jesus, another Baptist talked to me with love and genuine concern for my soul, and I was saved. Most of all, it HURTS me to hear the Precious Word fall off the lips of people like the Phelps family, to have them USE Jesus for the growth of their own "church". I hope and pray others will not just stay home and pray, ignore them (and they'll go away...unlikely), or think spreading the Gospel is sufficient to win souls (after many of the unsaved have heard the Phelps family rants beforehand). Please, I know there is a lot of evil in the world, but as Christians, we CAN take it on, one task at a time.

Love,

Sopranette

 

[Andy T.]

There are a lot of sinful groups out there - are you sure that you want to start protesting all of them? Like you said, why stop with Westboro - we need to go after every whack job out there, right? And how exactly, do you think these protests will shut them down? It won't. It will just fuel their fire and give them more and more attention. Listen, they aren't going to change until their hearts are changed. Do you really think protesting them is how to change their hearts? And I really have to take task with this:

or think spreading the Gospel is sufficient to win souls

Actually, I do think the spreading of the Gospel is sufficient to save souls. Romans 1:16. Maybe you could start by sharing the Gospel with Fred Phelps himself, if you have the opportunity. Because that is the only way that he will ever change, not through some protest.

I think SaltCity had some good ideas above. Those are some things that people can do if they are called to do so. But please do not think that your calling applies to everyone. It's kind of like a pastor thinking that everyone is called to be a pastor - kind of silly, don't you think?

 

[mcdirector]

I had my say on this topic in this thread when a similar question was asked. Most hated family in America

It wasn't the topic of the thread, but it was asked within the thread.

 

[donnA]

One suggestion would be to contact your local newspapers, TV and radio stations (when they run a story) and let them know that Westboro is not a typical Baptist church. We may need to remind them (the media) that Baptist churches are independent and autonomous.

Speak to the editors, reporters, producers. Many communities have a press club. Attend their functions. Get to know them personally. You can send letters to the editors.

If you are really ambitious, start your own newsletter. I am sure there may be a few business that would take out a small ad to at least pay for the postage and printing.

Another words take ACTION!

Salty

Seems more reasonable the picketing and protesting, which is no different they the westboro people are doing.

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

We should find ways to be outspoken about these folks. When we do not it gives the appearance that we associate with them. We do need to police our own.

 

[Sopranette]

Andy T., why the animosity? I want to find a way to stop what the WBC is doing. Perfect solution? Probably not! But it's a start.
Thank you, Timothy!
Protesting can be a PEACEFUL action, NOT the same as what the WBC is doing! Fight fire with fire, except that, in this case, we would be fighting hate with peace. And it is the American way, to have your say heard!