Phelps is making us all look bad
Posted on August 28, 2005
Filed Under Religion Leave a Comment
Anti-Gay Church Protests at GI Funerals By BETH RUCKER — Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq. The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members cars’ down a highway, waving flags and screaming “God bless America.”
“My husband is over there, so I’m here to show my support,” 41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as tears came to her eyes. “To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what your beliefs are.”
The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps’ children, grandchildren and in-laws. The church members carried signs and shouted things such as “God hates fags” and “God hates you.”
About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist Church and nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City. Members have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation.
The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna and Spc. Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the Tennessee National Guard.
Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other soldiers turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro Baptist members brought. So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that police, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers were brought in to control traffic and protect the protesters.
The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in Smyrna turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time expired on the protest permits. “If they were protesting the government, I might even join them,” Danny Cotton, 56, said amid cries of “get out of our town” and “get out of our country.”
“But for them to come during the worst time for this family — it’s just wrong.”
Fred Phelps is a very disturbed man. His over-the-top, firebrand, “God hates you” message is not only un-biblical, it’s wrong—dead wrong. Although it is true that homosexuality is a sin and it is an abomination unto God for a man to lie down with another man as he would a woman, God absolutely does NOT hate the sinner, only the sin.
Fred Phelps is guilty of taking scripture out of context and actually harming the cause of Christianity in this country. His bad press outweighs any good he’s doing. His message should be, rather, that God has predetermined a man and woman to marry then consummate their marriage, their union. For a man to do so with another man or woman with a woman is against the plan, the order, the Will of God. However, God has given all men, both great and small, rich and poor, fair skinned or dark, a way to turn their heart from this sin and be forgiven by a Holy God. Mr. Phelps has never advocated repentence and reconcilliation with Christ for Gays and because of that he’s advancing hatred instead of love and compassion. We don’t need any more hatred. There’s plenty in this world to go around.
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