Posted on 08/05/2005 8:41:11 PM PDT by gamarob1
Members of the Rev. Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., are picketing military funerals, KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported Friday.
The group has made national headlines for traveling throughout the country to picket gay churches, gay weddings, and the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was murdered in Wyoming in 1998.
Friday, about 15 members of the group -- some of them children -- picketed the funeral of a St. Joseph soldier who was killed in Iraq. Mahoney reported that the group stood across the road from the Grace Evangelical Church during the funeral of 21-year-old Spc. Edward Myers.
"The first sin was being a part of this military. If this young man had a clue and any fear of God, he would have run, and not walked, from this military," said protester Shirley Phelps-Roper. "Who would serve a nation that is godless and has flipped off, defiantly defied, defiantly flipped off, the Lord their God?"
One protester had an American flag tied to his belt that draped to the ground. He was holding a sign that read, "Thank God For IEDs," which are explosive devices used by insurgents to blow up military convoys.
Protesters said America has ignored the word of God, and those who defend the nation must pay a price.
"That's the first piece of solid evidence that you have that the young man is currently in hell," Phelps-Roper said.
"The soldier is in hell now, you believe?" Mahoney asked.
"Absolutely," Phelps-Roper said.
About a dozen veterans stood across the road from the protesters, and Mahoney reported that there were some harsh words and insults traded between the two groups. However, sheriff deputies were stationed about 100 yards away and there was no violence.
"The protesters were so rude -- were disrespectful," said veteran Jim Fields.
"Do I like it? No, I don't. But what can you say, it's a free country," said veteran Dave Campbell.
Veterans told KMBC that a member of the soldier's family shouted at the protesters to leave, and they left about 20 minutes after the funeral started. Mahoney reported that there was applause from veterans and other crowd members when the protesters left.
After the funeral was over, one of the mourners commented on the irony of the protesters showing up at a soldier's funeral.
"They shouldn't protest the funeral for a man who was out there dying to protect the rights that they're demanding they receive," said Marvin Russell.
Russell said he thinks the soldier's family saw the protesters.
"I think it saddened them. They didn't say anything outright, but you could tell by the way they looked down that this was a sad thing to do. They're already in mourning, they don't need people like this to make it worse," Russell said.
Myers was buried with full military honors in Leavenworth National Cemetery. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
One of the protesters said the group is planning to picket other military funerals.
I think I would have shown less restraint than these veterans.
These people are total wackos. They protested at my church, which actually is a Bible-believing evangelical church. They apparently don't like anyone who is not actively calling for gays to be burned at the stake.
Those dirty SOB's.
Absolutely crazy.
Masking tape? No. Duct tape, more like.
Agree ...some day a good old asswhuppin is due this turdpolishing trash. Hope I'm present to ensure it's done right proper.
"The soldier is in hell now, you believe?" Mahoney asked.
"Absolutely," Phelps-Roper said.
I can't believe this sorry excuse of a preacher would say such a terrible thing. He's judging the soul of that young man who died serving our country. The Bible tells us VERY clearly NOT to judge anyone. God is the ONLY Judge.
Mine, too. I'm Catholic. Their signs referred to our dear old pastor, a frail man approaching 80 years of age, as a "fag priest".
These people will protest at the wrong funeral, with the right family, one day and it will be in the headlines.
Where do they get the money to fly themselves all over the country?
He's buddy-buddy with Al Gore. The Democrats are behind this fool.
Ne zot! Who writes this dialogue? It's worse than "Star Wars Episode 3"!
Fred Phelps is a flaming homosexual.
It wouldn't be so bad if Fred Phelps wasn't such a pole-slobbering donut-punching gayboy.
Do a little research on the left's methodology.[wink]
There are a ton of churches here in Tejas, but I still haven't come across an "Evangelical Church." Are they denominational????
Is there a freeper out there who can start a ping list of military funerals that are going to be attacked by Phelps? I'll try to go to any in Eastern Kansas or Western Missouri. I'm sure other freepers can be mobilized.
Sadly, the church has become lax in discpilining it's own. A group of Baptist pastors needs to go to Mr. Phelps and bring correction to him. If that doesn't work, they need to go to the Baptist association, and if that fails, they need to go public and the Baptist association needs to toss him out.
For a Baptist, who have been great at developing systematic theology, Phelps doesn't seem to grasp much of the gospel's point, which is to love the lost. God doesn't hate gays any more than he hates murderers or gossips or adulterers or liars or theives, which is to say that he doesn't hate them at all. He may hate their sin, but last I heard, gay sex was listed right there with drunkenness, slander, coveting, lying, killing, fornicating, selfishness, and anything else we know to be wrong.
The Lord has told us that judgment first will come to the House of God. Fred needs to be told that as an ambassador for Christ, his representation of Christ by presenting the Gospel as bad news is not likely to be viewed by God as something to be put up with for much longer. Pride goeth before a fall, as it says....
I'm thinking they must
be financed by Left Wing nuts,
who get a big kick
seeing "Christians" look
like unbalanced lunatics.
They're awful people.
I don't think he's part of any Baptist association. "Baptist" is like "Catholic"; it's not a trademark. Anyone can call themselves a "Baptist pastor".
Phelps is a stooge in the service of, and probably also in the pay of, the loony left. His purpose is to make serious Christians look like freaks in front of the media. The "church" he really belongs to is the church of the far left.
When Phelps' gang protests, they hold gaudy signs designed to offend, walk around, and maybe chant some slogans. They don't sing hymns. They don't pray together. Doesn't sound like any Christian protest I've ever been involved with.
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