Gay Funeral Protests & Fred Phelps

I just finished watching the 10 o'clock Fox news, and was absolutely dumbfounded when they showed a group of idiot Christians protesting at a fallen soldiers funeral. Seriously, I've calmed down since watching it. This is the single stupidest thing I've ever seen. Why are they protesting? Because of homosexuality. Was the soldier gay? No. They are protesting because the guy fought for a country that supports homosexuality in their opinion. The segment showed protesters yelling to the family "Your son is going to Hell"

These people should be shot. These people should be tied down, gang raped by a San Francisco Zoo gorilla and then shot in the head by Elton John.

What is wrong with Christians today? Seriously. I know its not all of you, but you gay haters really need some therapy.

This was the single most disgusting thing I've ever heard out the God Mongers. The guy stood and fought for a country that sent him to death over oil and greed. He had nothing to do with furthering the gay movement in America, and you just pissed over his family's last memories. I hope to God someone shows up at your funeral and makes Gay love on your headstone. Seriously I hope people see this hate, and this horrid atrocity and run, run, run-away far from your religious cult.

I didn't see this. Can you elaborate or find a link?

Was this local?
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No it was like Minnesota or something, but they ran like a 5 minute segment on Fox 8 last night at ten. I seriously thought this has got to be a load of crap, but nope they had film crews at the funeral shooting all these people with signs protesting this poor kids funeral.

Try this, it pulled up some stuff on it.

Excerpt from Turlock Journal

I too saw this on the news and yet again this morning. I wanted to cram a big apple in that womens mouth who was speaking out. Maybe the apple would remind her about 9/11. Those protesters are to stupid to see who is giving them the freedom to speak out like that. And I never heard anything about this war being about homo-sexual rights before...You?

I was glad to see the motorcycle riders being there to stifle the so-called Christian protesters. They were being so un-Christian like in my opinion to be protesting at that families darkest hour.

God too has a place for so called Christians like that I guess...at the whipping post perhaps.
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God doesnt approve of gays but he always said it is not our place to judge other ppl. thats his place. now, protesting at a funeral is the most disrespectful thing i have ever heard of a human doing!! that is crap as beth said. its crazy to think about how inhumane a person can be...it sickens me to no end!!!

While doing some research after watching the movie Constantine, I happen upon the verses discussing this very issue. They are pretty direct and explicit.

Got this from http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/hudson/12myths.html

Old Testament:

Without being disastrously defensive, its still all a matter of opinion.

Some people include the laws of the old testament, some don't.

Alongside of the passages you've mentioned as well as others who are anti-gay are instructions to stone people, or to keep woman out of church during menstruation, there are rules against shell fish, and wearing tassels from your head. There are also rules for building fences on your rooftop. Depending on what you believe, and what parts of the Bible you adhere to, or ignore will ultimately decide if or if not you believe Jesus is against homosexuality. Then even if you include certain passages, (ie such as "man will not lay with man....") those are even up for debate. Most biblical scholars have even admitted that passage has less to do with homosexuality, and more to do with male prostitution that was common at the time.

Honestly I've given up trying to explain it long time ago. Its all on how you want to interpret it. As I've pointed out, there are several verses that actually insinuate Jesus had same-sex relations. I'm more inclined to believe that, then that God would create Gays, just to hate them.... but again that's just my opinion.

I don't believe in God. However I'm not so closed minded to say that if evidence ever existed to change my mind, I would do so. At this point in my life when I weigh all the information I've seen, its led me to believe no there is not a God. I am not a preacher of agnostics or Atheism though, and I'm just fine and dandy if you or anyone else believes in God, Allah, Buddha, or anything else. Most religions have good parts and bad parts. When I have a conflict of issues is when people try to interpret the moral character of someone based on an isolated passage of the bible.

I'm okay with saying, "Matt's Christian, and he thinks gay is not OK." That's your opinion, and as long as you let that guide your life. Swell, go for it. But when someone says "I'm christian, and your gay, so your a heathen.", I feel that's wrong. It's not God judging that gay person, its that christian. He or She is trying to impose their interpretation of the Bible on someone else. If God him or herself came down from heaven above, sat here in my living room and said "Beth, Gay people suck." then hey I'd believe it, but unfortunately all we have to go on is a 2000 year old collection of writings that have been handed down, edited, and translated numerous times, and are vague in their most direct intentions. Even the different books in the bible give conflicting accounts of the same stories. You cannot tell me that this person who says gays are bad is without a doubt 100% correct. All you can say, is this is how me and my religious beliefs interpret the bible, and this is how I choose to lead my life, and I'm okay with that.

For the Jesus is gay post (which you posted on before) it's right here:

Jesus is Gay, Oh Yeah!

who said I was anti-gay? I was just sharing what I had found. Geez I have to explain the difference between research and what my opinion is AGAIN?

I found the link to the verse. From what I read, it could be taken many, MANY different ways. Bible is open for interpretation. But that verse supposedly quoted in the link doesn't even hint as to which way to go.

I noticed you didn't list the verse. So I followed the link and looked up the quoted verse. Mark 10, 34:35 doesn't say anything like that.

It's not even close to saying that.

Not a very credible argument.

Happy Easter!

You know I keep havnig the notion that we'll get to the after-life one day and there will God to greet us.

He'll be shaking his head, laughing, and saying "Man you guys are a whacked! I just wanted you all to behave and try to get along. Where'd you get all this other crap from?"

Thanks. I know its something that's played heavily on my mind this week. They did a catholic funeral ceremony for him, and I made sure I said every Amen, and Lord Be with you. I hope there is an afterlife. Because it's really sad if there isn't. It's just been a really crappy week, and its really tough to bury a loved one, when you can't convince yourself there is something after this life.

I did see that report, and I can honestly say that it's the only thing I've ever seen that's made me want to kill someone. I am a very peaceful, non-confrontational person and I believe violence should always be a last resort or no resort. But I think that woman needs to just die. OR get the fuck out of this country. These people think it's OK to invade a family's life like this and tell them that their son is going to hell for protecting the very thing they're practicing. Disgusting. Just disgusting. It's those kinds of things that make me ashamed to be not only an American, but a human being.

I am no christian, I won't lie. But I have read the Bible. Nowhere did I read that being homosexual was enough to get you into hell. As a matter of fact, in an experiment conducted at a University in Oregon, some scientists studied male Rams that would not mount ewes. They would only mount other Rams. These males were attracted only to the pheramones that other males gave off, much like a human being. So if homosexuality is hereditary, as it's been theorized and has become more and more accpeted as truth, then why would God create something that would be damned from birth? It makes no sense.

I thought the Bible was a good story, but it was nothing more than that to me. Just a story. Had a few good lessons in there. A few bad ones. But too many people take it too literally and follow it as a rule book rather than a guidebook. And these ignorant, ungrateful, disgusting human beings further my resentment toward our own species even more.

One time I had a christian woman wearing a rosary approach me and ask me if I had embraced Jesus as my savior. I calmly and plainly told her that I renounced my Christianity, but truly have every respect for the religion and one's freedom to practice whichever religion one chooses to follow. She frowned at me, handed me a brochure and told me, "In the first commandment, our Lord the savior said, 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' I will pray for you. Repent and perhaps you will be saved."
Before she had a chance to walk away, I told her, "I don't need you to pray for me. And I definately don't need you to recite the commandments to me," and handed her back the brochure.

Old Testament:

Fred Phelps and his group is a primitive Baptist church I believe in Kansas. According to some reports he is a liberal. I have no way of proving it but have seen rumors.

I have also heard rumors he has five or six kids and all of them are lawyers. If they are confronted by anyone at the funerals, they bring up charges against whoever confronted them.

Here is the website

http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html

The first thing you notice is the un-mistakable upside down American flag. You will also see many things that God-fearing Christians like myself despise.

His bit is not an act out of ignorance!

If that guy is a liberal, then I'm a freaking nun... Bottom line, I won't even throw this nut into the conservatives label, because they don't even deserve this wack-job. This is someone who should litterally, (and I don't say this lightly) disapear, only to show up 50 years from now in the psychiatric ward.

I've talked to people about protesting the church and advised against it. Thats not the way. Someone needs to go to one of their services and beat down their hate with the scriptures....record all of it, then give it to the press.

What ticks me off the most about these guys is that they are so lawsuit happy. They abuse my religion, and they abuse our law system.
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I am extremely disheartened by all of your conversations. I was attempting to watch this broadcast and came accross these blogs to find opinions with no actual facts to back them up. You all are not Christians, you haven't read the Bible, and you claim the Jesus is gay, Christianity is a cult, and that christians are practically evil because they protest their beliefs. The world won't listen and refuses to be held accountable for their actions. HOMOSEXUALITY IS WRONG, and these people ahve gone to an extreme to show that. It got you talking didn't it?

Let me tell you something from a Christian's perspective. Jesus wasn't gay, there is no passage in the Bible claiming he was. Christians sin; all people sin, that doesn't make us perfect, which means we make mistakes. Homosexuality is a sin. The passages that were presented in earlier conversation correlate with that statement. And whether you are Catholic or not, homosexuality is still wrong. The Bible says it is wrong, and what it says is not just guidelines, it is words from GOD. Our religion is not a cult, it is the truth, and its your decision not to follow it. There is an afterlife, and its called heaven or hell. You must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, admit you are a sinner, believe he is God over all things, and commit your life to Him. If you don't, then when you die you go to hell and burn in the firey pit. Its all in the Bible, and I highly reccommend you read it. Because let me tell you, God is awesome and he does wonders in your life. If you choose not to believe, I am sorry for you, because you'll never experience anything like it.

Okay....

Shannon, whens the last time you read the bible?

And I mean front to back in one sitting?