Westboro Baptist Church to pay $11 million for their hatred…
A jury in Baltimore is ordering Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church to pay 11 million dollars to the father of a marine who was killed in Iraq.
âMatt and all of the military kept me going through all of this, âsaid Albert Snyder who sued the church after members demonstrated last year at the funeral of his son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder. He hopes Wednesdays ruling sets a precedent for the future.
âI hope itâs enough to deter them from doing this to other families and that was my goal the entire time,â said Snyder.
Wednesday the jury awarded 2.9 million dollars in compensatory damages, 6 million in punitive damages and another two million dollars for causing emotional distress.
The Phelps plan to appeal.
Read about it here.
[From me]
I’m grateful we have freedom of speech here in the US. But a “minister” of the “Gospel” should be telling “Good News” not spewing hate. I was able to meet Shirley Phelps-Roper of Westboro last summer. You can watch my interview with her here. It is sad.
Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. Many of these people whose funerals are being protested are not even involved in sinful lifestyles. EVEN if they were, a funeral is NO TIME to be throwing stones. I have participated in several funerals where the eternal condition of the person was in question. Those were depressing services to say the least. But the last thing in the world I would ever do is point out their sins after death. Funerals are times to give comfort to people and give them hope.
Phelps and his crew should be pointing people to Jesus not scaring them away.
What do you think?
I hope that the looming legal battle will keep them away from funerals. As much as I feel a deep sadness and compassion for the Phelps gang, their barging into the grief of others is hardly a decent act, regardless of their claims that “Dying time is truth time”.
Oh MAN, Kevin! You ROCK!! That was you!?? I saw that interview when it first hit the web - way before I know about you or this blog. I thought the interview rocked then, and I think it rocks now. GREAT stuff!
Quite often, I believe civil litigation is out of control, especially with the amount of some judgments. In this case, however, it is good to see the system is actually working.
Of course, we all know that the money will never be paid . . .
Kevin,
You showed tremendous restraint in your interview, and in doing so let us all see what the Phelps are truly like. I hope they have to pay every last penny. Maybe that will keep them busy and give them less time to spew their venom.
And I think your blog is the best out there today. You always have a fresh word.
God bless you, bro.
I’m glad the “long arm of the law” has finally spoken to these people.
Now if God will speak to them as well…
I think the idea in the judgment was to bankrupt them. Morris Dees did this to the KKK by having the mother of her slain son sue them. It worked. The jury awarded an obscene amount and it did indeed bankrupt them so they had to disband.
Since they are the ones making the appeals, it will cost them more and more money to push on. I hope they knock on the door of every appeals court in the country, they will spend cash like it is going out of style and their appeal isn’t going to be heard.
Not only that, but many states, as a result of their activity, have passed laws protecting funerals as private events, and imposing jail sentences for disruptions. There’s a platform for them.
Francoise,
Good words.
A3,
Thanks, U R Da Man too!
Darryl,
I agree but these people are out of control
Steve,
Thanks for your kind words.
Phil,
They do need the Lord because that isn’t the God I know.
Debbie,
Sounds like a good plan
Lee,
I love free speech but somewhere their has to be a line drawn. A funeral is not the place for a protest.
And may we always remember that as offensive as the Phelps clan are, they are loved by God, and need our prayers.
Speaking of funerals and the words said . . . a friend of mine had a sister that committed suicide. The woman had led a less-than-perfect life - had lots of problems with drugs. The man that preached the funeral all but asked hell to open its gates cause she was coming through! I’ve been to funerals of “unbelievers” before and the service was just about the “good” of the person, i.e., good parent, good sibling, etc. This service never told anything that the woman had done GOOD. It was a very uncomfortable experience - I can’t imagine what the family was going through.
Just in case it needs to be said, “It may be Westboro, but it’s neither baptist or a church, much less an accurate portrayal of biblical living.”
Marty- they seem to apply biblical prinicples in their lives- they sure do preach the Bible and know it inside out! Their women cover their heads when praying, their husbands are the heads of hoseholds, they teach obedience to the 10 commandments, that Jesus is the Saviour of an elect, that God is able and willing to smite sinners, and so on, so, in my view, they are biblically based.
Rev. Fred Phelps believes he is lead by God. Why shouldn’t we believe him?
A3-
You don’t believe that Kevin or I am led by God either, eh?
Francoise-
“If you have not love, you are nothing.” All of their “obedience” in the world is meaningless. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were just as “biblical” and they were soundly condemned.
A3,
The evidence of a true follower of Jesus is found in a person who lives by Galatians 5:22-23
Only God knows the Phelps heart but I’ve seen no “fruit” in their actions.
Marty, I thought Jesus stated that he had not come to the world to abolish the law, but to fulfil it? That not one tittle of the law would be done away with? Ergo, the Phelpseseses are correct to behave as they do. They believe that to refrain from warning our neighbour about his/her sins is a sure sign that you HATE your neighbour. There is method in their madness!
Kevin, those fruits have been expresed by Jews and Muslims of my acquaintance. I don’t think that certain virtues are exhibited only by adherents to one dogma.
A3, did you receive my emails? Bigpond is playing up.
Francoise,
I beg to differ. I see a few in non- Christians but not all & certainly not @ the same time. I certainly don’t see true love (not affection or lust) & self-control in non-believers on regular basis.
The Westboro crowd doesn’t display the fruit of the Spirit @ all.
Did anyone watch the 20/20 segment on the Phelps’ tonight? Being from Kansas I have known about them for many years, but tonight made me literally sick. Hopefully more people will stand up to them through the courts. They say they do not care, but after so many judgments that could come against them I don’t see how they could last too much longer. Also could they not get charged with child abuse for subjecting the little children to participating and being taught such hate?
By ’self control”, what do you mean?
And do you see those virtues in all Christians, all the time?
Francoise-
Yes, He said it and He did it. You have misunderstood the first part and misquoted the second.
He did not abolish the law, He did what no one before or since could have: He obeyed it completely–thought, word and deed. All the righteous requirements of the law found their completion in Christ.
“Not one jot or tittle shall fall until all are fulfilled.” Jesus fulfilled the law. He did not come to eternally establish the law, nor to continue it, but to complete it. This is why the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) did not require of the Gentiles to keep the law of Moses, explicitly saying that it was not necessary for salvation.
Kevin,
Agreed. However, Timothy II 4:2, Matthew 18:16-17, Proverbs 9:8, and Romans 15:14 (in no particular order)
Just a note: I think Kevin and others that I’ve communicated with on this blog know me well enough by know to know I’m playing devil’s advocate here, and that this response is a snipe against fundamentalism in general. To clarify for others - I’m definitely against Westboro; I think they should enjoy freedom of speech, but they should not be allowed to disrupt funerals.
Fran,
Yes, I got them - it’s been one hell-of-a week and I’m just now getting back on-line (other than for work) … I’ll respond this morning and explain by email…
I LOVE your writing style - I wish I had your flare.
A3,
How can you be devil’s advocate? You don’t believe in him do you ?
Point!
Maybe it is a “Darwin’s” advocate.
“Darwin’s advocate”- too funny!
Re: Westoboro- they never say that they hate anyone. They say that GOD hates gays, et al. They back it with biblical quotes.
A3- you’re no slouch yourself, mate!
Francoise-
I cannot find anywhere in Scripture where it is stated that God hates gays, though I can find a pretty good number about sins that God hates. In fact, the Bible talks a LOT more about people who hate God.
Do you have the quotes that they are using on hand?
Thanks.
Oh boy-I cant beleive I am about to say this, but listen to all of it:
1. Those people make me want to puke.
2. They picketed a military funeral at my home church in OKC and made me furious.
3. That said-freedom of religion is vital to this country.
I dont know the merits of the lawsuit, but it makes me very nervous when the government tells churches what is “hateful.” Yes, I think what they do is hateful and vile and I would have no part in it. But all Christians should be concerned about being told which parts of our beliefs are allowed.
I think I’m gonna throw up that I had to say that. Ugh.
Marty- you can see those quotes on WBC’s website.
Francois-
I guess we’ll never know; it was taken down the day they lost the case.
“Rev. Fred Phelps believes he is lead by God.”
So does George W. Bush. Enough said.
Drat! There goes my favourite site (cough).
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