Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[CJ Online]

Members of the Phelps family awoke to flames early Saturday. Topeka firefighters were dispatched to Westboro Baptist Church, 3701 S.W. 12th St., at 1:05 a.m. A fence and garage were engulfed in flames. Lucas Mark and his girlfriend, Monique Webster, were in the drive-through of McDonald’s at S.W. Huntoon and Gage when they noticed flames in the east. They drove toward the flames and ended up at the church.

“We called 911,” Webster said. “My boyfriend knocked on the door.”

Mark notified an occupant that their garage was on fire.

Topeka fire marshal Greg Bailey said Saturday afternoon the cause of the fire hadn’t been determined. Bailey said it didn’t appear that accelerants were used to ignite the fire, but that the blaze remained under investigation.

“We won’t rule anything out,” he said.

Fire investigators said the flames originated outside the detached garage, near two large trash can totes. The fire destroyed both cans and their contents as flames spread to the exterior of the garage and an adjacent privacy fence, Bailey said. Fire crews evacuated occupants at the home. Firefighters removed several of the Phelpses’ anti-homosexual picketing signs from the garage as family members and neighbors watched.

Shirley L. Phelps-Roper said she thought the fire was intentionally set.

“None of what they do is going to stop us from delivering our message,” Phelps-Roper said as she watched firefighters spray water on the garage.

Phelps-Roper said firefighters responded and “did what they were supposed to do.”

Read more here.

[From me]

As much as I hate their message, even the Phelps should not be harmed.  Just because they are hateful people doesn’t mean they should be targeted.  In fact, the way to get rid of their hate is to give them a dose of love.

What do you think?

[The Atlantic]

At Tim Russert’s Kennedy Center memorial, members of the Westboro Baptist Church picketed and held placards cursing the belovedMeet the Press host for his Catholicism and tolerance of homosexuality.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I always liked Tim Russert.  I wouldn’t have expected the wackos from Westboro to show up at his memorial but I guess nothing should surprise me.  Tim Russert was not a homosexual activist.  He was a Catholic so his church teaches against homosexual behavior.  So why do the Phelps and the Westboro church feel the need to protest his memorial?  I think I know the answer (publicity) but do they even have a heart?

I wouldn’t protest at anyone’s funeral.  Even if they believed in everything opposite of me.  I didn’t rejoice when Sadam Hussein died.  I don’t want to see anyone perish–even the Phelps.  What kind of sick mind would protest at a families lowest point?  How does that display the love of Christ?  

Many of you know but if you are new to this site I interviewed Shirley Phelps-Roper the woman in the picture above 2 years ago.  You can watch my interview here.  

What do you think?

[Marine Corps Times]

The commander of Camp Lejeune, N.C., ordered her leathernecks to stay away from an anti-military and anti-gay group that has promised to demonstrate at the base following the death of a pregnant Marine.

The Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, which frequently pickets the funerals of military members, said it will demonstrate at the base at noon Saturday.

“God hates the U.S. Marines,” the group said in a statement.

Read about it here.

[From me]

I lived in Jacksonville for three years. The Marines in our church were some of the most committed men and women I’ve ever met. Where in the Bible does it say that God hates the Marines? The Westboro people are so misguided. This young lady’s family is grieving and the Westboro clan is spewing hate. You can watch my interview with them last year here.

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

Matthew Murray, the gunman who is believed to have shot and killed four people in Colorado, appeared to have acted out of revenge against Christians, police officials indicated.

Authorities believe Murray, 24, posted an anti-Christian message online on Sunday - the day of the shootings - in a language almost identical to the text of a manifesto written by one of the Columbine killers, Eric Harris.

“You Christians brought this on yourselves,” Murray wrote, according to KUSA-TV in Denver. “Feel no remorse, no sense of shame, I don’t care if I live or die in the shoot-out. All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you … as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

This whole tragedy is just sad.  I wonder if the hate crimes legislation will apply to this?

What do you think?

[From KSNT]

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.

“Matt and all of the military kept me going through all of this, “said 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.

“I hope it’s enough to deter them from doing this to other families and that was my goal the entire time,” 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?