He married some God-awful harridan years ago and cranked out about a dozen or so kids. Most make up his 'church' congregation but some have split from his cult. I think they make up the most disfunctional family west of the Missouri.
I know -- but I think my theory (self-loathing repression case) is the most plausible explanation for this nutjob.
I believe Phelps' two eldest sons left the cult and rightly spilled the beans on their old man's insanity and abuse of the remaining, obviously brain-washed family members who make up what the MSM likes to refer to as a "church."
Fred Phelps is an evil, abusive, hate-filled creep who loves the limelight and knows the MSM will cover his antics to make decent Christians look bad.