Westboro's Legacy of Hate

Fascinating. In many ways, Phelps and Falwell read from the same playbook.

Yet Falwell had the "curse" of human decency, and this damns him in the eyes of Phelps.

What a world.

 

Their music video is sick and very unchristian.

 

Why would any Christian praise God because someone went to hell?

Unfortunately, I think they will be finding themselves there, as they have no clue what salvation really is... :tear:

 

As easy as it is to hate pheps's crew and fred phelps himself,
we have to pray for them.

Caps not used intentionally.

 

It is so hard not to hate Phelps. Seriously.

 

Some of us, including me, find that comment repugnant.

 

I once had the misfortune of looking at Fred Phelps's web site, Godhatesamerica.com, and I am under the impression that Phelps thinks everyone is going to hell except him and his followers.

 

And he's not real sure about them!

 

The heretics at Westboro would have protested against Jesus Christ Himself.

 

They're not Christian, they're not Baptist, they're not even a church. They are a cult. Let's give them no more space - they don't deserve it.

 

I can't control how you react to the facts.

At least on the surface, some of the things Falwell said and taught were at least as controversial and offensive as Phleps. However, as I stated in the part that you couldn't be bothered to include in you quote, Falwell had human decency, and did not sink to the depths of evil that Phelps so eagerly embraces.

Falwell's passing changes nothing, except his children no longer have a father, and his wife is a widow. The university and the church wil cntinue to thrive. This is a legacy to be proud of.

When Phelps dies, everything he has worked for will cease to exist. One has a hard time not looking forward to that day.

 

Hear, hear.

Phelps and his bunch lust for attention; the fact that news sources like the one in the OP jump at the chance to cover them, and boards like this one spend two pages discussing them is a "win" for them.

The problem with Phelps (and, to be honest, the problem with many prominent Fundamentalist leaders like Falwell) is that the whole group tends to be identified by its loudest and most offensive spokespeople. When Phelps giggles about Matthew Shepard burning in Hell, people assume that all Baptists feel that way. When Falwell said that 9/11 was God's judgement on America, people assumed that Christians agreed.

The difference, of course, is that Falwell understood that his words were taken out of their context and, rather than fight a losing battle, he acted in a Chrislike manner and apologized. Phelps hasn't the capacity to think deeply enough to apologize, since he hasn't an inkling what Jesus really thinks or wants in a given situation.

 

==Many Christians do agree with Falwell on that point, and I am one of them. Why do we believe that God punished nations in the past but no longer does that today? Why do we believe the United States is somehow exempt from God's mighty hand of discipline? I've got new for everyone, we are not. God allowed 9/11, God allowed/caused Katrina, the tsunami, the great flood of Noah's day, and every other tragic event in world history for a reason. I don't know if the reasons Falwell gave for God's judgment on America are correct or not, nobody knows those things, but I do know that Falwell's reasons fit what the Holy Spirit said through Paul in Romans 1 about the things that bring the wrath of God.

==Yes what Falwell said was misunderstood, just like what I said above can be misunderstood. There are theological/Biblical reasons for what Falwell said and for what I said. Not one of those reasons has to do with "hate", "bigotry", or being "mean". It is just taking the warnings of Scripture seriously and applying them to everyday life.

 

Martin, I think Ron Paul is closer to the mark on this than you or Dr. Falwell. Let's just agree to disagree.

 

==I agree with you about Thomas Road Baptist Church, Liberty University, and the Falwell family. However I disagree with you about Fred Phelps. Sadly there will be some nutcase out there, maybe one of his children, who will take up the Phelps cause when he is gone.

 

==What did Ron Paul say, exactly? I keep hearing people talk about it but I never hear his whole statement/comment. Does anyone know of a website, maybe Youtube, that has his comments in full?

 

I would warn against reading the comments on this page, since the language on YouTube is often offensive. Here, though, is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuX73Ixqtbg

 

Thanks!

I think Ron Paul is partly correct. I do think, however, that what Rudy said in the interview with Hannity is also partly correct. America was attacked on 9/11, and the terrorists hate us, for several "reasons" (foreign policy, freedom of religion, democracy, christianity, our friendship with Israel, etc). Make no mistake about it, the men who flew those planes into those buildings, and those who planned it and supported them, were/are evil, decieved, terrorists and murderers who will burn in the darkest realms of hell for all eternity. It was our duty, after 9/11, to go after those who planned/supported 9/11 with all the might and force of the United States military. And that is exactly what we did. However I think Ron Paul was saying, and what I agree with, is that America's current foreign policy is causing more problems then it solves. We can't continue to play the role of the "world's police", going around fixing everyone's problems. We need to mind our own business. If we would only follow the advice of George Washington we would be much better off.