Tux of Borg Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 http://news.yahoo.com Anti-Gay Church Protests at GI Funerals By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press Writer Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq. The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless America." "My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support," 41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as tears came to her eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what your beliefs are." The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws. The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags" and "God hates you." About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist Church and nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City. Members have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation. The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna and Spc. Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the Tennessee National Guard. Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other soldiers turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro Baptist members brought. So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers were brought in to control traffic and protect the protesters. The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in Smyrna turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time expired on the protest permits. "If they were protesting the government, I might even join them," Danny Cotton, 56, said amid cries of "get out of our town" and "get out of our country." "But for them to come during the worst time for this family — it's just wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachChuckDickerson Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 I think JoeSixPack said it best when it comes to people like this. Louisville slugger....meet cowardly protestors. 419159[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Pat Robertson's minions got their marching orders. PPP in five, four, three, two.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 hypocricitcal church! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 hypocricitcal church! 420799[/snapback] Yes, it is. I found their website a few months back and sent them an email explaining with Biblical verse references what they are doing is totally wrong. I didn't get a reply back. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Yes, it is. I found their website a few months back and sent them an email explaining with Biblical verse references what they are doing is totally wrong. I didn't get a reply back. Go figure. 420800[/snapback] My guess is that when they didn't read "Here's my $200 donation to your worthy cause" within the first two sentences, it went to the Trash Bin. Good people, these evangelicals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 My guess is that when they didn't read "Here's my $200 donation to your worthy cause" within the first two sentences, it went to the Trash Bin. Good people, these evangelicals. 420804[/snapback] Isn't there some kind of open season on morons? Do I need a license? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Apparently the "church" just consists of some guy and his children and grandchildren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Apparently the "church" just consists of some guy and his children and grandchildren. 420843[/snapback] I wonder if they're in-bred. Kinda sounds like it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL7 Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 see even more reason to hate religion.... u stupid hypocrites!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 This is the "God Hates Fags" group. They are total whack jobs. I've seen them on Howard Stern. To lump them with evangelicals is showing your bias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 As some of you know, I am a devout Christian. And yes, I am in agreement with the prior posters. This Phelps guy is not only a moron. He's a disbarred lawyer, a bully, and a wife- and child-beater. God can forgive sin (that's why Jesus came to Earth), but He does not give license to act in this manner. Fred Phelps has done great harm to Christianity with his message of hatred for all those who do not believe as he does. Those who are in sin, need to repent, yes. Jesus said so in Matthew 4:17. But there are such things as bad timing, bad taste, and spewing of hate, of which all three have been perfected by Phelps and his ilk. Christianity does not need you, so-called Reverend Phelps. Take your lies and hate, and go jump in the nearest lake. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 That's funny but if that statement were true, God would've destroyed most of Europe by now. God doesn't hate people, he hates sin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RkFast Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Wacka said it best. Lumping Phelps and his "church" in with any group of real Christians is like lumping Anarchists in with the Democratic Party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 These people are a crazy group of idiots. There's no reason for the AP to waste anyone's time covering them - unless they're going out of their way to try to make Church-goers look bad...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blzrul Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Wacka said it best. Lumping Phelps and his "church" in with any group of real Christians is like lumping Anarchists in with the Democratic Party. 421041[/snapback] which happens all the time around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblehead Posted August 29, 2005 Share Posted August 29, 2005 Just so that we are all on the same page here. You know this guy has probably toured the chocolate factory once or twice himself in his day, if you catch my drift, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted August 29, 2005 Share Posted August 29, 2005 These people are a crazy group of idiots. There's no reason for the AP to waste anyone's time covering them - unless they're going out of their way to try to make Church-goers look bad...... 421048[/snapback] Right, and all that coverage of the Matthew Shepard murder was simply yet another left wing media plot to make heterosexuals look bad. These people are crazy and they go to church but nobody is suggesting one has anything to do with the other. These kinds of nuts are out there and given the media's need to fill air time 24-7, I'm surprised there isn't a reality series following the godhatesfags.com fruit loops around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted August 29, 2005 Share Posted August 29, 2005 Right, and all that coverage of the Matthew Shepard murder was simply yet another left wing media plot to make heterosexuals look bad. These people are crazy and they go to church but nobody is suggesting one has anything to do with the other. These kinds of nuts are out there and given the media's need to fill air time 24-7, I'm surprised there isn't a reality series following the godhatesfags.com fruit loops around. 421478[/snapback] I fully agree Mickey. If people will actually watch Vicki Gotti and her little scumbag kids on TV, there must be a market for this trash. They will probably, at some point, make the big bucks. These nuts actually do have a website, on which they state their happiness for the London bombings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted August 29, 2005 Share Posted August 29, 2005 Right, and all that coverage of the Matthew Shepard murder was simply yet another left wing media plot to make heterosexuals look bad. These people are crazy and they go to church but nobody is suggesting one has anything to do with the other. 421478[/snapback] Actually there probably wasn't enough coverage on the two guys who killed Matthew Sheppard. They were a couple of messed up drug addicts who, on their way home from tying MS to a fence to die, got into a fight with two other men! Sheppard wasn't the victim of a "hate crime" he was just unlucky enough to run into the two craziest, violent a-holes within a 500 mile radius. The media propped it up as a symbol of intolerance towards gays but that's a pretty poor example unless you count the two murderers as indicative of the "average American", which I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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