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Fred Phelps and his latest messages of hate
I appologize, in advance, for the length of these articles. Normally I try to pare them down, for inclusion on these boards, and provide a link for those that want more "dinner" with thier "meat". This time, however, I found that every word held just as much import as the last.
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First, for those that do not know, an IED is a Improvised Explosive Device. Now...for the discussion part: I know of very few (in fact...I really know of none) Christians that embrace, nor even condone, the Rev. Phelps' idealogy. I would call Phelps an...extremist. Why then, do we assume that because some Muslim extremists step out of the bounds (to put it lightly) of human acceptability, are we so quick to catagorize them as representative of the entire islamic faith? |
It seems that the only people who characterize all Moslems as extremists are the people who 1) no nothing about Islam 2) hate Moslems because they are different 3) are extremists themselves.
I often times here people ask why don’t normal Moslems denounce the extremists in the faith to which respond "why don’t denounce extremist Christians" Rarely are the ever able to respond. This is just another one of those dumb head-up-our-ass sort of problems that Americans we are going to have to come to terms with |
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Case rested. Edit:I would like to add this gem http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=93173 |
The wonderful thing about the WBC, I think, I just how effectively it acts as its own measure of self-preservation.
It's not a group that is growing, and gaining members, or, wasn't, the last time I read about them. Really, they're a group of 200 individuals or so, the majority of whom are just extended parts of the Phelps family, who live on a closed compound. And they'll probably just die out once Fred bites the dust. I take a lot of comfort in that, and it just allows me to giggle at everything they do. As far as the Moslem question is concerned, I really can't help but think it's a matter of perception. If we keep pushing these ideas and this imagery of the Bedouin savage devil, of us vs. them, it's easy to see how we'll keep believing that misconception. I have several friends who are Moslem, it really shocks me to learn that when I go over to their house, they aren't in a constant state of planning to blow up a bus or a building. I thought that was what they all did. /sarcasm ended |
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I don't have an answer to my own question. I would like to believe that he is so small and unimportant that he isn't worthy of the attention of the mainstream christianity groups, whatever their view on homosexuality may be. |
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What does that have to do with John Q. Muslim-American living (not literally, I actually dunno any in this town) right across the street? Or even the muslims in Egypt and Palestine who curse the fanaticals for giving them a bad name? You rest your case on very weak grounds. |
Phelps isn't the only one who promotes this kind of nonsense. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell were quick to blame the 9/11 attacks on liberals, gays, and feminists, saying that we "probably deserve" what happened:
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The day following the 9/11 attacks, a Sikh man was murdered not far from here by a couple of lowlifes who beat him to death when he stopped to fill up his car with gas. There were actually people defending these dimwits on the basis of thier anger, if misplaced, was justified. Accepting blame is difficult. Blaming others is easy, especially when the others are Other, people not like me in some way. I can understand why some mainstream Muslims are reluctant to denounce the extremists, especially when they're faced with being accused of things for which they're not responsible simply on the basis on their religion and national origin. It's easier to denounce your enemy than it is your brother, and sometimes very difficult to recognize that your brother is your enemy. Gilda |
i think there are two parallel points to made here.
first, there is a pretty strong stance against Fred by Christian communities. Silence. Take a look at who he protests....go on to his site if you can bear it, and look at the protest plans. They'll be 99% churches or other religious institutions. And the collective experience that has been had among the churches targeted is that ignoring him is the best response. He's an attention whore, and lives for conflict. Give it to him, and he'll grow off that energy. As a queer advocate, I know where my real fights are, and this is not one of them. I think Robertson and Falwell are worth engaging. Phelps is not. Whether it's pathological or simply intractable, his stance in this matter does not bear any mark of reason. second. it's interesting that this is a point where mainstream press and culture happens to find Phelps problematic. he's been at this for years...and it was churches, funerals, schools, libraries, denominational assemblies, a whole range of cultural and religious functions. i think it's somewhat ironic that some people who didn't really mind him before when he was protesting other people now find him so objectionable. |
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I'm not going to say much more until this thread is moved to politics where it belongs, but.... Islam may well be a wonderful and peaceful religion at its core, but Islamic culture is uncompromising and dangerous to all who do not adhere to its ways.
It is the culture they have created for themselves which makes children into human bombs, and murder of innocents heroic, that we fight. |
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I think Bill would have chosen Politics for this discussion if he had been trying to elicit your type of response. Ustwo, you are the one trying to change the venue with heated rhetoric. Why not give a thoughtful and respectful response to Bill's discussion point? |
Ustwo and Psycho Dad:
You are looking at Islam as if all it was was a big group of waiting terrorists. Keep in mind that the Muslim world has been ruled by colonial powers and dictators for the entire duration of the modern times. These people have been repressed for decades. I'm not downplaying the violence that was been a hallmark of a slice of Islamic life for the last 25 years. Place a group of christens in a repressed controlling society long enough and there will be violence. Good examples of this can be found in the American Revolution the French Revolution and the American Civil War. I would like you to spend some time in Palestine. You will quickly realize that these people are little different than we are. It is a diverse and and colorful culture. not the mention middle eastern food is damned good. |
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And okay okay ... India may be middle east near as opposed to middle east but I flew over Tehran to get there so :p |
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And the same song everyone wants to sing when this subject comes up in most forums is “you don’t understand Islam”. Why should I feel obligated to “understand” something I see as nothing more than superstition? I think that the majority of the support that non-Muslims want to show for Islam stems from this need to be politically correct that everyone thinks is required. I just can’t get on that bandwagon. If these loving and peaceful people wish to break free from their repression, why do they not wage jihad against the governments and dictatorships that oppress them? Blowing up busses with a bomb strapped to a girl will not get them free from that oppression. Flying planes into buildings packed with civilians won’t do it either. |
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We categorize things to make our lives easier. The kind of thinking that dictates all Muslims are kooky bombers allows us to justify our fears and takes all the work out of having to look at life's little complexities. I have a friend who DJs at a college radio station here and he is Muslim. The music played on his show is 80s techno/industrial/goth/europop. Don't you find it zany that a Muslim likes this kind of music and plays it on the radio? He even speaks English! He also likes the Cubs! We went out one night and I kept thinking the whole time we were out, "why isn't he at home making a bomb and hating me 'cause I'm an infidel? He is a Muslim, after all, and that's what Muslims do is make bombs and hate infidels." :rolleyes: Sorry for the flippant response, but I find people who are unwilling to understand or acknowledge that there are Muslims in this world who aren't terrorists to be a little silly, thus the flippancy of my answer. |
How about everyone just gets back on the topic at hand, which is NOT about muslim extremists, and NOT about who killed who, when, and what religion they were.
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i dont believe what they did but i believe in their rights to do it
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After rereading my last post, I can see where it may look like I paint all Muslims with the same brush. But I don't (I just did with that post). What I was pointing out is how it seems to be common to jump to a politically correct defense of Islam every time such a subject comes up.
And I'll wager that the techno loving Cubs fan wouldn't stand any more chance in many Muslim circles than I would with a beer and a ham sandwich or a Muslim woman in a skirt and her face exposed would. |
Handled with tact, a post worth mentioning!
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I think you and I, Elphaba, could have some very excellent discussions/debates. Thank you for handling that really, really well. It's one hell of an example - one that I think many on TFP and everywhere else, should consider following! :thumbsup: Have a great day. P.S. Elphaba, your quote is one I personally refer to on Myspace.com (slight mod.) "Something Wiccan This Way Comes"; regardless, it's remained on of my ultimately favorite movies throughout my life. I apologize for the PS being off-topic, but I felt it was worth a taking a moment to mention. :D |
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big sigh............
The only thing that will get this world a little farther than it's endless bickering is TOLERANCE. It all starts with FEAR... then comes the BLAME on the scapegoat, it's an old story, but new tricks of hate. Sweetpea |
I definitely do not posess the self restraint showed by members of the soldiers family, kudos to them for not caving and giving the picketers what they truly deserve.
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People that are so extreme that they have to either kill or plaud the deaths of others are to be despised. No matter if the "banner" they hide behind be called Islam, Christianity, "Anti-Gay Coalition," or the [insert any extremist non-compassionate government].
Whether I agree with why our troops are in Iraq or not, I support them for doing their job. Period. When someone loses their life it is a tradgedy. Period. If you don't agree with my views, that is your right. You can take my pity with you for not caring about people. Very few things will rile me. Disregard for human life, and disregard for the law are two that definitely will. Having said that, I don't agree with the protestors, but I support their right to voice their opinion. peace. tenchi |
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Those guys like to quote scripture a lot. What about one of the 10 major passages. Do unto other as you would have them do unto you? I highly doubt that they would like to have a whack of military guys at their funeral or a family members funeral with signs that said "Hate begits hate" "Rasism is Wrong" "Ignorance is the key to evil" or something like that. I bet they would be pissed off. Then when questioned about it the military guys could just say "We are not protesting or anything against the dead person. We are protesting against other protesters protesting at inappropriate places" or something stupid like that.
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All I know is that their Church is very brave in other communities. They travel across the country to make a spectacle in front of people that they don't know. What is the reason they don't do this in Kansas? Is it because the 'protesters' might actually have to live among the people they are protesting?
They came here -not to long ago. There were counter protests of another church -litererally standing with their backs to them. |
They picketed the funeral of a fallen American serviceman a couple of weeks ago where I live. Signs saying the God Hates America. Directly across the road from the cemetary where grave site rites were being conducted.
There are few more sacred events in this country than the funeral of a serviceman killed in combat and for these bigoted idiots to use that as a platform to advertise their hatred for homosexuals is beyond belief. Grief stricken parents and family trying to deal with the death of their 21 year old son. And these assholes within eyesight walking around with huge colorful signs. I think if I were there I would have spent the night in jail. |
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I was really affected by seeing their kids (6 and 7 year olds) at these protests. What pathetic families. With that level of self-righteousness and hate in the family, I can't imagine that those kids could ever have a peaceful life outside of their church. |
Phelps is a nutcase. He uses extremist rhetoric to anger people. After encountering enough mobs of angry people who are angry solely because of his hate, one will eventually throw a punch. This punch will be caught on tape by the half of Phelps' cronies who have video cameras rolling for the sole purpose of catching an attack. Phelps then sues for discrimination or something along those lines, and gets money to spend on future hate demonstrations (I'd like to think that he spends some of it on beer and hookers, but that may just be my love fore ironic justice surfacing.)
It's also worthwhile to note that out of less than 300 people in his congregation, over 90% are in some way related to him. |
If God hates anybody, it's these fucking assholes.
They did a protest in my community a while back...I heard about it in advance and wrote them this e-mail, followed by the response back from them. Quote:
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they hate teh sweden because teh sweden has hate crimes laws that forbid "inciting hatred" or something like that in terms of orientation. There's a case involving a pastor being charged under that law that Phelps, et al are very angry about.
/the teh joke is actually slightly funny in bad scandanavian accent... |
As long as the vastly vast majority of human beings dismiss his rantings as idiotic babble, I could care less about what he says about anything.
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OK, I know logic is not the strong suit of fanatics, but PLEASE, this is so obviously flawed reasoning. They are just looking for any excuse to draw attention to their warped ideology.
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So why don't they assume that God also used an IED to punish their church in the explosion a few years ago for being hate-mongering bigots? If they applied just a few brain cells they would see how completely idiotic they are. |
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
Sweden is the land of the sodomite dead don't you know?
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I'm surprsed that his cronies are so literate. I'd sexpect your stereotypical "redneck" type to be the ones shouting "God hates fags." The fact that educated people can believe this just makes it a little bit more disturbing.
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