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Westboro Baptist Church: defacing the name of Christianity?
By Erinn Streckfuss
J-Lab Staff Writer
God hates fags, God hates America, and God hates you. God even hates Canada. These are just few of the standpoints that are part of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
“It is your job as a human being to know your Bible and what the Lord God Almighty says in the Bible,” Shirley-Phelps Roper, daughter of the founder of Westboro said.“We are simply obeying the commandments of God Almighty.”
The church was founded in 1955 by disbarred lawyer and excommunicated pastor Fred Phelps, 78. With only 70 members, 60 of whom are related, Westboro may seem like a small and insignificant church. It is most definitely making a name for itself through the media and every day news.
The members main way of making their message known to the public is by protesting everything from the funerals of soldiers to homosexuals. Known for their signs, which carry phrases such as “God Hates Fags,” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” and “You’re Going to Hell,” Westboro makes a strong statement.
But just what are they doing for the name of Christians?
Corban Professor Gary Derickson said, “While much of what they believe may indeed be based on biblical doctrine, they have taken these passages from the Bible out of context and twisted the truth to fit their ideals.”
In the church’s sermons, web sites, protests, and interviews, Westboro does not preach that God loves people, but that He hates them.
“I’d rather the whole world go to hell,” stated Libby Phelps, granddaughter of Fred Phelps.
Because of Westboro’s strong message of God’s hatred, much of the media is portraying them as simply a “crazed Religious cult” or “crazy Christians.” Other Christians, who preach God’s love, worry that Westboro is giving a bad name to Jesus Christ and God.
“They may be Christians,” commented Derickson, “but when they get to heaven they will be embarrassed by their actions.”
“Saving people is totally not what we’re about,” said Sarah Phelps, granddaughter of Fred Phelps. “This world has gotten to the point where they have been forsaken by their God. You don’t pray for these people. They will perish. The Lord your God hates these people.”
The Phelps family has said that their church is based on a five-point Calvinistic belief system and they believe that God has predestined his “elect” as only those will go to heaven.
“There is no point trying to get people to Heaven,” said Phelps-Roper. “God’s elect will go to Heaven. Everyone else will go to hell, which is about 99.9 percent of the world.”
Beyond Corban, Christians all over the world are objecting to Westboro’s hate campaign.
Irish street evangelist and preacher Karl Corcoran might have best summed up the view of Christians who oppose Westboro.
“God loves mankind so much that he sent his only begotten son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. That’s not the elect. Where do they get that from? Of course they are people who are predestined, but we also get to choose.
The Bible teaches both,” said Corcoran. “Instead of just taking what we want to believe, and subjecting the Bible to our own beliefs, which is what Fred Phelps has done and has brainwashed his whole family, then we are going to end up with a doctrine that pushes people away from God and knowing who he truly is.”
Jesus may love Westboro, but other Christians, including primitive Baptists, with whom Westboro associates itself with, wish the church would go away.
“The Primitive Baptist Church does not recognize the ministry of ‘pastor’ Fred Phelps, nor do we have fellowship with the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, which styles itself as an Old School (or Primitive) Baptist Church,” says primitivebaptist.info. “We find the actions of these people to be deplorable and against the very Scriptures they claim to believe.”
While much of the family still remains faithful to their church, four of Fred Phelps’ children have estranged themselves from the church and their family.
Mark Phelps, son of Fred Phelps, who left Westboro 33 years ago wrote a letter addressed to the citizens of Topeka and northeast Kansas.
“He [my father] likes to show himself as being moral, pro-family, pro-Bible, but his actions just don't add up to that. I believe in God and the Bible, and my father's behavior doesn't fit the description of behavior that would show in the life of one who loves God . . . instead, my father’s behavior characterizes, I believe hate,” wrote Mark. “And because he is so bound to be hateful and hurtful, and because he's so untrustworthy, I believe it's a good idea to respond to him with caution much like the caution used when dealing with a rattlesnake or a mad dog.”
With a rapport like that, it’s no wonder that the Phelps family has been dubbed by the media as the most hated family in America.
