Free Republic

Lost and saved alike can agree that if they never see Westboro's Phelps gang again, it will be too soon. The Supreme Court has found the cult's outrageous behavior to be protected by the First Amendment. Many on the right have disagreed with the decision because they rightly desire to protect the grief stricken families of fallen patriots from the evil taunts of the death loving Phelps family. If the government shuts down these jokers, who's next? The lefty media delights in describing the WBC as "Fundamentalist Christians." Nothing would please the left more than seeing the public proclamation of...

Let's start by stating the obvi ous: The Westboro Baptist Church is a hateful, odious fringe sect, less a "church" than the extended family of founder and "pastor" Fred Phelps, that has picketed nearly 600 military funerals with signs like "Thank God for dead soldiers," "Pray for more dead soldiers," and "God hates fags." The Topeka-based "independent Baptist church" is animated by extreme anti-gay, anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic views, and blames America's tolerance of homosexuality for what it sees as the country's moral downfall. In 2007, the "church" was sued by Albert Snyder -- whose son Matthew, a Marine lance corporal,...

Sarah Palin voiced disappointment with a Supreme Court decision Wednesday protecting the First Amendment rights of anti-gay protesters at military funerals. Continue Reading "Common sense & decency absent as wacko ‘church' allowed hate msgs spewed@ soldiers' funerals but we can't invoke God's name in public square," Palin tweeted . The court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church's right to protest outside the funerals - though the court recognized the right of local authorities to put restrictions on how close to a proceeding the group can protest.

A Kansas church known for its angry, anti-gay protests at funerals of U.S. troops won an appeal Wednesday at the Supreme Court in a case testing the competing constitutional rights of free speech and privacy. In an 8-1 ruling, the justices said that members of Westboro Baptist Church had a right to promote what they call a broad-based message on public matters such as wars. The father of a fallen Marine had sued the small church, saying those protests amounted to targeted harassment and an intentional infliction of emotional distress. "Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move...

The Left does some truly despicable things in this world, but this is a new low for Democrats. Former three-time Democrat gubernatorial candidate Fred Phelps Jr. (commonly called just “Fred Phelps”) and his Westboro Hate Group have announced plans to disrupt the funeral of 9 year-old shooting victim Christina Greene. Christina was murdered by Jared Lee Loughner yesterday in his assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The little girl was born on September 11th, 2001, so her parents have been cursed with a horrific trifecta of high profile trauma: their daughter born on the worst day in our generations’ lives,...

According to The Huffington Post Kevin Smith is going to make a movie about religious extremism that is "loosely based" on Pastor Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" fame. He's calling the movie "Red State." I love Kevin Smith's movies....but TIME OUT! First of all, this movie is going to FAIL, make no mistake about that. Mariah Carey's "Glitter" is going to look like "Avatar's" box office cousin compared to this movie because only a bunch of ignorant liberals who think there is a semblance of reality in it will spend two hours of their life watching it. Meanwhile,...

Two week ago, when John Heilemann wrote a cover story for New York Magazine outlining the perfect storm that could carry Sarah Palin to a Presidential election victory in 2012, I would have told you that Sarah was much more powerful as a king-maker and not a King. And then she went and bragged to Barbara Walters that she can beat Obama in 2012 this. Hah ha. Funny. In an Armageddon kind of way right? We can’t be that stupid, can we? Well… in the immortal slogan of an era long ago: yes we can! So I decided to re-read...

Though I did not agree with Ms Edwards political views, she’s still an American and deserves a respectful funeral for her family and loved ones. Just because I disagree with someone, does not make them my enemy, just my opponent in life. We will not stand by and allow these monsters to disrespect Ms Edwards life or her family. Randy’s Right, the Patriot Gaud and NC freedom and Triangle Conservatives Unite will be there in numbers with American Flags for only one purpose. To prevent Westboro Baptist Church radicals from disrupting funeral services or harassing the Edwards family. This is...

A church that pickets funerals to protest what it calls American immorality says its members will be picketing the service this Saturday for Elizabeth Edwards, who died of breast cancer on Tuesday. Based in Topeka, Kan., the Westboro Baptist Church said it would be outside the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, N.C., during the funeral for the former wife of one-time vice presidential candidate John Edwards. Westboro members, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps, have also picketed military funerals to make their point that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are punishment for Americans' immorality, including tolerance of...

Raleigh, N.C. — A Kansas church famous for its anti-homosexual protests at funerals plans to protest at the Saturday funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. The Westboro Baptist Church plans to protest for 45 minutes before the funeral set for 1 p.m. at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh, according to the church's website. The Westboro church website throws invective at Edwards but gives no specific reason why they chose to protest her funeral.

Ryan Newell is "Army to the bone," friends and family say of the decorated military veteran who joined the service at 17, lost both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan and now stands accused of stalking members of a controversial Topeka church.

In what has to be some of the best news of the weekend, Pastor Fred Phelps and the hate-mongering parishioners from Westboro Baptist Church were unable to protest at a fallen soldier's funeral this weekend as they had originally planned.

WESTON, MO. — People in Weston, Missouri banded together on Saturday. They wanted to protect loved ones who were saying goodbye to a fallen soldier and stood up to members of the Westboro Baptist Church who planned to protest at Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell's funeral. Sadell died October 24 from injuries he suffered in a surprise attack in Afghanistan. On Saturday, there was quite a turnout of people who wanted to keep the protesters away from the funeral. "I'd say probably half the people in Weston are here," said Eric Moser, Marine Corp veteran. Weston has less than 2,000...

The Westboro Baptist Church… need I say more? The nation watches as the Supreme Court deliberates on the limits of free speech in America involving the right of families to bury the dead in peace versus the need of the little Kansas cult to disrupt military funerals and tell grieving families that their dearly departed are going to hell. Going to hell, mind you, because somewhere in the world, a homosexual exists. The rhyme or reason behind the actions of the Westboro sign-wavers is so contradictory to the Bible and to logic itself that their actions may never be brought...

The DC Chapter started gathering at 3:30, unloading flags, banners, signs and a sound system. We expected Westboro Baptist Church to arrive at 4:30 but they arrived at 4. We responded by setting up quicker. DC Chapter members were Lurker Bill, Cindy_True_Supporter, GunsAreOK, RongKirby, [Mrs] Trooprally and myself. We were joined by a mother and her two kids who were walking by, 5 other patriots who heard about our rally, 3 Marine wives from Quantico, a guy in a wheel chair, and 6 Vietnam Vets on their Harleys. They did not claim to be part of Rolling Thunder or Patriot...

Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Snyder v. Phelps, a case about the nature and scope of basic rights -- those of free speech vs. those of privacy. But this case is fundamentally about wrongs and the law's imperfect ability to redress them. The facts of the case are well known. Matthew Snyder, a Marine lance corporal from Westminster, Md., was killed in the line of duty in Iraq in 2006. The Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church traveled more than 1,000 miles to Maryland to picket his funeral and draw attention...

One thing Al Snyder wants to make clear: His boy fought and died for freedom in Iraq, but not for the right of some "wackos" to spew hate at soldiers' funerals under the protection of the Constitution. "It's an insult to myself, my family and the veterans to say this is what our military men and women died for," Snyder says, barely concealing his anger. Yet more than four years after the death of his only son, Matthew, Snyder is in the middle of a Supreme Court case that raises almost precisely that issue. The court is set to decide...

Westboro Church has Arlington Cemetery in their sites on Tuesday, October 5,2010, 4:30 - 5:30PM. The DC Chapter is working on a permit to show our support for our fallen heroes and to counter the one-branch family tree called Phelps. We will be getting our permit from 3:30 - 6:30PM. In the past Phelps has permitted right outside Metro's Blue Line entrance. Until further notice that is where we will be. We will be keeping an eye on Westboro's schedule since they do change their schedule. Best way to get to Arlington Cemetery is to take the Metro blue line...

President Barack Obama didn't weigh in like he did when a pastor in Florida threatened to burn the Quran. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates didn't make a personal phone call urging the same minister to call it off. The burning of a Quran and an American flag Saturday by members of Westboro Baptist Church drew little visible interest. Instead of the hoards of media representatives that descended on Florida, only a handful of area reporters turned out at noon for Westboro's burning. "I'm glad it didn't get a lot of publicity and it didn't draw a lot of people to...

Westboro Baptist Church, the small Topeka, Kan., church that pickets funerals of American soldiers to spread its message that God is punishing the country for being tolerant of homosexuals, has vowed to hold a Quran burning if Gainesville's Dove World Outreach Center calls its off. "WBC burned the Koran once – and if you sissy brats of Doomed america bully Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center until they change their plans to burn that blasphemous tripe called the Koran, then WBC will burn it (again), to clearly show you some things," the church announced in a news release...