Fred Phelps is near death

[JMac85]

Doesn't mean to say America gets to be all peachy and nice either, are we going to argue the numbers now instead ogf the actual feelings that were expressed?.

Why? Because 13% of people who answered a survey over half a century ago had some reactionary and vindictive views? Big whoop. In any given population there are going to be a few bad apples. Doesn't make it specifically an American problem, nor is it indicative of some kind of crippling flaw of humanity.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

So the old bastard's dead. My response? Let's Celebrate!

Yes, I know some people are saying we shouldn't stoop to his level, but you know what? Screw that! This man was scum, and deserves no sympathy. Well, I won't give him any, at least. If that's how you feel, that's fine.

Me? I'll be busy partying it up.

 

[Queen Michael]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/us/westboro-church-founder-dead/index.html

CNN is saying that he is dead.

Yay? Do we celebrate now?

The man was never the problem, it was the idea he represented.

Spoiler: Ding Dong the Witch is dead

There are few people in this world who I could call scum and this man was one of them. He brought nothing into this world other than hate and vitriol. If he did have any kind of positive influence on humanity, it was exposing what true bigotry was with no bullshit excuses, giving people a figure to rally against.

I just watched that clip, smiling and clapping all the way through. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

snip

Did I specifically say it was an american problem, only related to America?.

i was pointing out that people can be scum and shouldn't be ignore, you leaped onto me because I mentioned 13% of that petition (yes decades ago i know) and suddenly you're going to get all politically correct on my ass which really isn't the point of this thread and really doesn't solve anything.

 

[JMac85]

Did I specifically say it was an american problem, only related to America?.

i was pointing out that people can be scum and shouldn't be ignore, you leaped onto me because I mentioned 13% of that petition (yes decades ago i know) and suddenly you're going to get all politically correct on my ass which really isn't the point of this thread and really doesn't solve anything.

I pointed out your misrepresentation of polling data. 13% of America in the 40's was indeed a large number of people, but 13% of people who took a survey does not mean it's an accurate representation of the entire population. I've always been a bit of a stickler for that kind of thing.

However, you responded with "Doesn't mean to say America gets to be all peachy and nice either". Which seemed as though you were ignoring my point because it conflicted with some kind of grander statement you were trying to make about America specifically.

At any rate, I disagree with your suggestion that people shouldn't be ignored. So longs as they're not actively harming anyone, they can go ahead and spew whatever hateful nonsense they want. Freedom of speech isn't about protecting what you like, it's about protecting what you don't. Let their backwards world view fade into obscurity, fighting against them just made them feel vindicated. It's like dealing with internet trolls. You don't try to argue with them, that's what they want. You ignore them, no matter what vile things they say.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

snip

Good to know you disagreed from the very start with me I guess.

but you can if you want I just think ignoring this guy for what he's done is wrong.

 

[JMac85]

but you can if you want I just think ignoring this guy for what he's done is wrong.

Just what has he done other than be an unbelievable asshole? He wasn't like Charles Manson or some other cult leader that molested a bunch of kids or something. Getting angry at every malcontent will just leave you physically and emotionally exhausted.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

well I hear he is now dead and that is nothing to celebrate. The tiny extreme religious sect that he made should fall apart at some point in the future.
All I have left to say about this matter is Fred Phelps is dead
.

 

[J Tyran]

Well whether his funeral is picketed or not it seems he has reaped everything he sowed, he has a fairly large family and his "church" claim to be all about family and community values yet he died alone, estranged and outcast from everybody. Ironic really the hate group hates so much they even hated one of their founders.

Whatever else he may or may not deserve I think he deserved that at least.

 

[Dragonlayer]

Holy crap does this thread make humans look like total scum. I don't know who Fred Phelps is, and what _I_ don't care about is what he's 'done'.

Yall might as well be pointing at a man that's on fire and shrugging your shoulders. I am not saying you should burst into tears, but to pretty much take pleasure in someones death is a very cold, evil thing to do. It really means you are probably worse than the person you think you're better than.

I don't really get this kind of attitude, it seems a lot like a very disingenuous attempt to foist shame on the non-aggressor in a situation: "Yeah well, this guy might have broken into funerals to insult grieving families as their mourn their recently dead children in an utterly despicable fashion, but you called him a mean word! So whose the real monster here, huh!?"

Since he was a hateful twat who dedicated his life to protesting soldier's funerals (which I consider to be absolutely fucking disgusting) and despising gays, I can happily say: "Woohoo! Rot in Hell you complete scumbag." I can also happily say I am so much better then him at the same time, because for one thing I don't interrupt a goddamn funeral with placards saying just how grand it was that that person died!

 

[AgedGrunt]

I don't really get this kind of attitude, it seems a lot like a very disingenuous attempt to foist shame on the non-aggressor in a situation: "Yeah well, this guy might have broken into funerals to insult grieving families as their mourn their recently dead children in an utterly despicable fashion, but you called him a mean word! So whose the real monster here, huh!?"

Since he was a hateful twat who dedicated his life to protesting soldier's funerals (which I consider to be absolutely fucking disgusting) and despising gays, I can happily say: "Woohoo! Rot in Hell you complete scumbag." I can also happily say I am so much better then him at the same time, because for one thing I don't interrupt a goddamn funeral with placards saying just how grand it was that that person died!

It seems your attitude is basically what he was referring to, and I'll add that the entire Internet sounding off trumpets for his death, in as much as the outraged web has been the Westboro Baptist's biggest trumpet (ironically giving it a voice exponentially greater than it could ever achieve on its own) is completely in the wrong here.

It's wrong to be gleeful and take satisfaction in someone's death; you should wish for people to stop doing evil (i.e. do good), not want them dead.

While it can be a good thing to raise awareness, it's wrong to draw too much attention and effectively stir up hatred. The other irony isn't lost on people, either, to see these e-celebrations for a death in a group that, you know, is happy to see certain people die.

But this is nothing new on the Internet, where people let their true feelings fly. It's why thousands on social media cheered when a woman lured and murdered her rapist with her family. Margaret Thatcher's death also featured people showing their ugly sides, made all the more baffling that she hadn't been in politics for more than twenty years. Old hatreds die hard with some people, I guess.

If you ultimately take pleasure in death you're psychologically damaged. Stop being proud of it and realize you have a problem.

 

[McMarbles]

I thought the air smelled a little sweeter this morning.

If there is a god, Fred's about to find out what he really hates.

 

[Dragonlayer]

I don't really get this kind of attitude, it seems a lot like a very disingenuous attempt to foist shame on the non-aggressor in a situation: "Yeah well, this guy might have broken into funerals to insult grieving families as their mourn their recently dead children in an utterly despicable fashion, but you called him a mean word! So whose the real monster here, huh!?"

Since he was a hateful twat who dedicated his life to protesting soldier's funerals (which I consider to be absolutely fucking disgusting) and despising gays, I can happily say: "Woohoo! Rot in Hell you complete scumbag." I can also happily say I am so much better then him at the same time, because for one thing I don't interrupt a goddamn funeral with placards saying just how grand it was that that person died!

It seems your attitude is basically what he was referring to, and I'll add that the entire Internet sounding off trumpets for his death, in as much as the outraged web has been the Westboro Baptist's biggest trumpet (ironically giving it a voice exponentially greater than it could ever achieve on its own) is completely in the wrong here.

It's wrong to be gleeful and take satisfaction in someone's death; you should wish for people to stop doing evil (i.e. do good), not want them dead.

While it can be a good thing to raise awareness, it's wrong to draw too much attention and effectively stir up hatred. The other irony isn't lost on people, either, to see these e-celebrations for a death in a group that, you know, is happy to see certain people die.

But this is nothing new on the Internet, where people let their true feelings fly. It's why thousands on social media cheered when a woman lured and murdered her rapist with her family. Margaret Thatcher's death also featured people showing their ugly sides, made all the more baffling that she hadn't been in politics for more than twenty years. Old hatreds die hard with some people, I guess.

If you ultimately take pleasure in death you're psychologically damaged. Stop being proud of it and realize you have a problem.

Fred Phelps had his entire fucking life to reconsider his actions, he had the intense outrage and disapproval of almost the entire strata of society (well except for the obvious homophobic and diehard anti-soldier sections I guess) and presumably people like you telling him he should stop being such a meany-pants and do some good, and you know what he did?

He continued to be an appalling fuck of a human being who disgusted me on a personal level.

So while I respect your Zen like resistance to such primitive emotions, I'm afraid I'm just going to sit right here and enjoy the fact that he's six feet under like the psychologically damaged loon I am!

Good thing you caught onto that, I might have gone out and harmed someone if it hadn't been diagnosed by qualified experts!

 

[DudeistBelieve]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/us/westboro-church-founder-dead/index.html

CNN is saying that he is dead.

Yay? Do we celebrate now?

The man was never the problem, it was the idea he represented.

Spoiler: Ding Dong the Witch is dead

There are few people in this world who I could call scum and this man was one of them. He brought nothing into this world other than hate and vitriol. If he did have any kind of positive influence on humanity, it was exposing what true bigotry was with no bullshit excuses, giving people a figure to rally against.

Actually, I learned from his obituary he'd take the cases of black people in the 50s... Which is actually pretty cool.

And you know, defender of Free Speech.

Probably a more complex character then just a guy with a deep hatred of gay people. But most human beings are.

Anyway, his death solves nothing. The Westboro Baptist Church still stands.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

but you can if you want I just think ignoring this guy for what he's done is wrong.

Just what has he done other than be an unbelievable asshole? He wasn't like Charles Manson or some other cult leader that molested a bunch of kids or something. Getting angry at every malcontent will just leave you physically and emotionally exhausted.

He was a pretty big dick though. He was like a Batman Villian in a way, not like The Joker but more like a version of Riddler who just stood outside materny wards heckling the new parents. "Ohhh you had a baby? I bet that was hard! Jerk!"

 

[soren7550]

So, boyfriend pulled up the Wikipedia article on the church. I skimmed it, and two things stuck out:

In 1954, East Side [Baptist Church] hired Phelps as an associate pastor, and then promoted him to be the pastor of their new church plant, Westboro Baptist, which opened in 1955 on the west side of Topeka. Soon after Westboro was established, Phelps broke all ties with East Side Baptist.

What this seems to mean is that Phelps pretty much went and stole a whole church.

Nathan [Phelps] has previously predicted the Westboro Baptist Church may fall into a leadership crisis and theological crisis when Fred dies, because he is the binding figure and because their beliefs hold that they are immortal, which will be disproved with the death of a member.

This seems like the reason behind his excommunication from the church, guies. THEY KICKED HIM OUT BECAUSE HIS DEATH WILL PROVE HOW STUPID AND DELUSIONAL THEY ARE TO THEMSELVES.

Also, mentions of figs in the bible [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figs_in_the_Bible] has its own Wikipedia page.