Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps dead at 84

Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps dead at 84 – LGBTQ Nation

While I never take joy in death, I can't say that I'm particularly sad to see him go. His own congregation has voted him out relatively recently, so I'm not sure what that will mean for WBC, but I can only hope this is the beginning of the end for this hate group.

I actually hope no one pickets his funeral. I think it would be most fitting for his passing to go widely unnoticed. He was a sad, pathetic man who found joy in tearing others down, especially for families at griefstricken times. I feel the response should be a wall of silence and apathy as a sign to his survivors and his congregation that he had no power over our daily lives.

 

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I have no positive things to say here, so I'll just go over there --->

 

I've heard two different theories as to why the church cut him loose.
The first being that he wanted to take a softer approach and a group of hardliners having none of that pushed him out.
While that seems like a nice concept for his final days the other one seems a bit more likely.

On finding out that he was going to be needing very expensive medical care the church excommunicated him so they wouldn't be responsible for paying the bills.
Sounds cold and brutal I know but it fits with their pattern so I'm willing to believe it.

The best way to mark his passing is to ignore it.

 

Nothing much to say about this sad, hateful man except this. Whatever anyone wants to think about this man, please don't confuse anything he's said or done with Christianity. There's nothing remotely Christian about him at all. Or his so-called church. He's just another small, hate-filled person who tried to co-opt a veneer of Christianity and use it as a thin justification for his actions. That is in no way what real Christians are about.

 

I read a theory on JREF earlier that his son thinks he was abusing prescription drugs (again) and that might be what lead to the excommunication.

To be honest hamsterball, there was justification in the bible for all the hate he spewed. If anything modern 'liberal' Christianity is the veneer... Sam Harris has much to say on this. Jesus himself said that not one jot or tittle of the law was to be laid aside until the end of the world (basically). Read some of that wonderful law, and gag yourself silly. Deuteronomy is just wonderful </sarcasm>

 

Agreed, but he's pretty much a case study proving that Christian fundamentalism is every bit as screwed up as the Islamic variety.

I prefer to think that he got caught with a pair of male hookers.

 

I am just imagining the convo when he meets his maker:

God: Why would you ever think that I wanted anyone to act like such a huge douche?
Phelps: ummmmmm.....
God: Seriously, did you even read any of those books?
Phelps: wellll.......
God: And what the hell is with all the fag references? Did you ever actually spend any time with gay people? They're delightful!
Phelps: But....!
God: Dude, I put a lot of work into creating people in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and with a huge diversity of ideas. Did you really never stop to think that if I didn't want that, I just would've created everything differently?!
Phelps: ummmmm....
God: Jesus Christ!
Jesus: Yessir?
God: Nothing, it's just an expression. OK, Fred, back to earth for you. You need some serious remedial lessons in decency and compassion. I think this time you get to be a lesbian from Mumbai.
Phelps: God damnit!
God: Yes. Precisely.

 

Reminds me of this!

 

A few years ago I was reading about Phelps, and something was odd about it.

By all accounts he was a nice guy, charitable, etc. It just seemed odd.

Then I had one of those odd thoughts which is most likely not true but would be glorious if it was. There is NO one who has done more FOR gay rights than Phelps, no one. By showing hate in its most obnoxious form, with his protests at soldiers funerals, he did more to foster "acceptance" than anything I can think of.

What if his motives were contrary to his actions

 

As someone recently suggested to me, "Is it too soon to state that Phelps was likely the biggest closet case ever?"

 

@Levite, awesome post.

(Your post inspired mine)

 

I'm not sure that the "church" ever actually requested people leave any kind of memorial service in peace. Most of the "requests" I've seen reported do not sound like they are something that would come from anyone's mouth. (Other than an opinion writer trying to poke sarcastic fun at WBC while get viewers.)

His son (or grandson?) who was disowned by the family (clan) requested peace. He was also upset that the rest of the clan would not let him, or the others who left to say their goodbyes.

I hated the guy and everything he stood for, and I completely agree with the statement above about how he demonstrated that Christian extremists are just as messed up as Islam and other religions - but I did feel kind of bad for the people who left when they realized they could think for themselves and maybe this wasn't the way to go.

 

I wish I could say that I never take joy in death, although I don't think you should throw a party. I mean, it was great that they killed Osama Bin Laden, but a party in Times Square was more than a bit over the top. In terms of Fred Phelps, he was a pathetic douche-bag that used religion to provide anguish to people at the worst possible times. I don't really believe in God or anything like that, but I certainly think that the world is better off without him, and if I had the authority to decide such things I might even say that he deserved to die, or at least lose the ability to hurt other people. I'm glad that there will be no funeral so nobody will have too big a chance to rub it in the face of his fellow Westboro Baptist Church-ians, though. I guess you guys are right about trying to ignore it, since there are plenty of people who won't be, and in all likelihood the harder people bash on the Westboro Baptist Church about this, the bigger the chance they'll regain their footing be back with a vengeance.

 

They are two peas in a pod...