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Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps: The Unsung Hero of the Gay Rights Movement
FrontPage Mag ^ | 03/19/2014 | Daniel Greenfield

Posted on 03/19/2014 8:49:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind


If there is one man who can be credited for the success of the gay rights movement, it’s Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps.

Phelps did more than anyone to make opposition to homosexuality seem as toxic as possible by picketing the funerals of soldiers with anti-gay slogans. There probably wasn’t a more inspired way to make anti-gay sentiments seem as unacceptable as possible.

If the Phelps clan had deliberately set out to implement gay marriage in America, they could not have chosen a better method and who is to say that they didn’t.

The Phelps, with their background in civil rights lawsuits and ties to the Gore campaign, weren’t really anti-gay. They were and are willing to do anything to get attention. They were trolls before the word had become common internet parlance. They understood that negative attention could be monetized, literally through lawsuits, and more indirectly through recruitment.

The protests of the Westboro Baptist Church were cartoon efforts at extracting maximum outrage. The people they trolled helped pay their bills.

Fred Phelps began by monetizing civil rights legislation and ended by cashing in as the default villain of a culture of perpetual outrage. If Fred Phelps should be known for anything, it should be as the man who did more than anyone else to promote gay rights in America.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: algore; civilrights; democrats; fredphelps; gayrights; gore; homosexualagenda; homosexuality; lgbt; morrisdees; splc; westborobaptist
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1 posted on 03/19/2014 8:49:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I think he was really on their side


2 posted on 03/19/2014 8:50:40 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Can God be credited, too, for the success of the homosexual political movement?

I mean ... considering what He says in the Bible about it.


3 posted on 03/19/2014 8:52:11 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: SeekAndFind

By the way, Phelps’ daughter calls her father a fag-loving whore and Westboro is going to picket his funeral. Phelps was excommunicated from Westboro!


4 posted on 03/19/2014 8:53:46 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

RE: Phelps was excommunicated from Westboro!

Now that’s news to me. Can you cite a link for this please?


5 posted on 03/19/2014 8:56:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (question is this)
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To: SeekAndFind
What was he excommunicated from his own "church" for?

For all the veteran funerals he ever tried to disrupt, I would have no problem with a big payback.

...see how his family feels about God Hates Fred Phelps signs and chants.

I never understood his hatred for America and our military.

6 posted on 03/19/2014 8:56:24 AM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: GeronL

He was doing a cruel and false parody of Christians.


7 posted on 03/19/2014 8:56:57 AM PDT by DManA
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, I don’t want to hunt back through all my posts ... but if you do, you’ll find the thread on Phelps and what his daughter said ... :-) ...

It was within the last couple of days.


8 posted on 03/19/2014 8:58:12 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: SeekAndFind

He and David Duke are two of the Left’s favorite straw men.


9 posted on 03/19/2014 8:58:57 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: TexasCajun

Ummm ... it’s Westboro that’s going to picket Phelps’ funeral ... LOL ...

You’ll be picketing right alongside of them ... :-) ...


10 posted on 03/19/2014 8:59:47 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: SeekAndFind

He held a fundraiser for Algore back in the 80’s.

He did exactly what I would do if I were looking at a long term plan to help bring in gay culture into the country. Classic leftist action-reaction combined with the deep cover stuff that they like to do.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he was just a plant all along.


11 posted on 03/19/2014 8:59:59 AM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead...)
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To: GeronL

Considering what God says about it ... does that mean God is on their side, too?


12 posted on 03/19/2014 9:00:59 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Free Vulcan

I think they say he was a registered Democrat and that coming out of a heavy Republican State in Kansas.


13 posted on 03/19/2014 9:03:09 AM PDT by BeadCounter (morning glory evening grace)
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To: SeekAndFind

Okay ... I decided to look ... :-) ...

Westboro Baptist Church To Protest Fred Phelps’ Funeral, Says Daughter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3134261/posts

And this post in the thread ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3134261/posts?page=21#21


14 posted on 03/19/2014 9:09:16 AM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Free Vulcan

He was actually mentioned in Time Magazine back in 1951 when he was protesting ‘immoral activities’ on his college campus.


15 posted on 03/19/2014 9:12:26 AM PDT by Borges
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To: SeekAndFind
Ask and ye shall receive:

Elders Ex-communicate Phelps After Power Struggle

The article says he was thrown out after advocating that the church "go easier" on disciplining church members. In other words, he was advocating having a measure of mercy on church members and got kicked out for it.

16 posted on 03/19/2014 9:16:16 AM PDT by hoagy62 ("Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered..."-Thomas Paine. 1776)
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To: DManA

Phelps has always been an agent provocateur and doing what his group did was a form of inspiring the left while deriding Christians and conservatives. A twisted form of projection giving the left the ammunition needed to justify their actions and goals in hating conservatives. The SPLC when Phelps began also just happened to be a lone guy or two working out of their house. Amazing how they were supported by foundations and likely government agencies. These two together with the media have done much damage to Christians and conservatives in solidifying opponents of Christianity and getting many to believe this strawman angle.


17 posted on 03/19/2014 9:18:45 AM PDT by Sheapdog (Chew the meat, spit out the bones - FUBO - Come and get me)
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To: hoagy62

the article I read says he got caught maturbating


18 posted on 03/19/2014 9:19:11 AM PDT by Revelation 911 (por que no musica?)
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To: Revelation 911

“Go away, Baitin’”


19 posted on 03/19/2014 9:19:39 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: SeekAndFind

Is this like Obama being the firearms salesman of the year?


20 posted on 03/19/2014 9:20:01 AM PDT by vpintheak (I will not comply!)
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