Huge fine for anti-gay US church

[pitchan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7072404.stm

 

These people are...beyond words. I cant imagine how they could say God would punish someone by killing them off. Kudos to how the judge sentenced the case though.

[JamesSavik]

This was not a "fine". It was the award of a lawsuit.

 

There's a big difference.

 

A fine is imposed by an agency or office for a number of infractions and is usually levieded without Judaical review unless the fine is appealed.

 

Court awarded damages are the results of litigation. The award can be appealed and the results can be no comment, a reduction in damages or a higher court may overturn the verdict or require a re-trial.

[Benji]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7072404.stm

 

These people are...beyond words. I cant imagine how they could say God would punish someone by killing them off. Kudos to how the judge sentenced the case though.

 

 

......These people are not only anti-gay, they also seem to think our soldiers deaths are something of G_d's doing. :wacko: I hope this civil judgement financially wipes them out. I hope the next sign they hold up is "homeless please help"

[Menzoberranzen]

Fred Phelps and all of his various offspring aren't even worth disdaining.

[Krista]

Bah...

 

 

Funeral protesting of any kind shouldn't be protected by Free Speech. If they can't be respectful to the family of the dead then there is something wrong with them, regardless of the driving force for their actions. To me, that's an attack - which isn't protected by free speech. They aren't protesting, so I hope nothing is over-turned. Obviously the group didn't learn anything about their time in court so maybe they'll learn a few things when they're struggling to put their finances back in order.

 

 

Krista

[Thirdeye]

Bah...

 

 

Funeral protesting of any kind shouldn't be protected by Free Speech. If they can't be respectful to the family of the dead then there is something wrong with them, regardless of the driving force for their actions. To me, that's an attack - which isn't protected by free speech. They aren't protesting, so I hope nothing is over-turned. Obviously the group didn't learn anything about their time in court so maybe they'll learn a few things when they're struggling to put their finances back in order.

 

 

Krista

 

 

 

Protesting absolutely should be protected. But thats not what they were sued for, they were sued for libel. They posted things on the website indicating that the soldier was gay, his parents adulterers. I believe they also had them on the signs, therefore taking from a protest to a public attack on a private function.

[rknapp]

Not only are they anti-gay, but they hate America. They have no respect for the country in which they were born and raised and gave them the right to free speech for which they claim allows them defecate over her lost soldiers. This isn't a matter of free speech, this is a matter of borderline treason. Sure, there are many groups out there who speak against the US government and its supposed war on terror, but not one of them smiles brightly as the death toll climbs. This is the only group who does so and then goes so far as to destroy the families' final farewell in the name of something that has nothing to do with the soldier or his family. What if Mathew Snyder was a God-fearing catholic, just like his parents, and also looked down upon the gay community? What they're doing is conjuring lies about innocent people to support their agenda and bring down the government in the name of God.

 

I present to you that these people are two things. They are sinners of the worst variety for tarnishing on the Lord's name and they are communists for denouncing the government.

 

 

 

Note: If you also denounce the government, I am not calling you a communist. I am calling these ingrates communists to show that the blade of the written word is indeed a doubled-edged one. Also note that I am not religious, but I won't tolerate people who justify their ill-conceived actions in His name.

[NickolasJames8]

Reading stories about Fred Phelps and his church makes me physically ill. He has no respect for human life, and he has no respect for the word of God. I truly believe in my heart that he and his family/church members are facing an eternity in Hell for bearing false witness. I also believe that ruining someone's final moment with a loved one ought to be a crime, but again, he'll pay for his actions in Hell.

It's funny, but this might be the one issue that unites the left and right wingers of not only this nation, but around the world. Personally, I think that with his stated support for IEDs, the department of Homeland Security and the FBI ought to be investigating the finances of this "church." Who knows if their hatred goes far enough for them to help finance some of the insurgency in Iraq. I'm not saying it's true, but it's definitely worth looking into.

[AFriendlyFace]

I heard about this yesterday via a text message! Good to know the fuller story. I think the lawsuit is justified.

[jfalkon]

They hate the USA and yet they continue to live here.

I saw the story on 20/20 tonight. They are out of their minds to the point of being funny. I had to laugh when the little kid went on about how f_gs are evil but could not define the word f_g. b

[Menzoberranzen]

They hate the USA and yet they continue to live here.

I saw the story on 20/20 tonight. They are out of their minds to the point of being funny. I had to laugh when the little kid went on about how f_gs are evil but could not define the word f_g. b

 

I cannot find it in my heart to feel anything but contempt for the adults, but I do feel sorry for the poor children born into that family. Obviously a child who thinks fags are evil without even knowing what a fag is has been completely indoctrinated.

 

My personal favourite, though, is the 'god hates fag enablers' campaign. It's too ludicrous for words.

 

Menzo

[Red_A]

I cannot find it in my heart to feel anything but contempt for the adults, but I do feel sorry for the poor children born into that family. Obviously a child who thinks fags are evil without even knowing what a fag is has been completely indoctrinated.

 

My personal favourite, though, is the 'god hates fag enablers' campaign. It's too ludicrous for words.

 

Menzo

 

Those that are adults were child. Hate breeds hate. I would recommend that you look for the " Fred Phelps expose' " It is not very pleasant reading, be warned.

[rknapp]

I would recommend that you look for the " Fred Phelps expose' " It is not very pleasant reading, be warned.

Anything having to do with Fred Phelps is not pleasant.

[Menzoberranzen]

Those that are adults were child. Hate breeds hate. I would recommend that you look for the " Fred Phelps expose' " It is not very pleasant reading, be warned.

 

I couldn't care less about Fred Phelps or his activities.

[JamesSavik]

Phelps is symbolic of the worst sort of bigotry that gay people face.

 

In some ways he is useful to our cause: when reasonable people see the drooling, rabid faithful of Westboro and hear their lunatic ravings, it has to be similar to seeing a member of the Taliban telling women to wear their burkas, children to quit playing soccer and everyone to stop playing or listening to music.

 

Like the Taliban, their message simply does not make sense in the modern world. The more it is disseminated, the more back-wards and foolish it appears.

 

Hopefully, the Westboro crap will have a trickle down effect that causes moderates to react to Phelps anti-gay rhetoric the same way they would to the Ku Klux Klan's anti-minority and anti-Jewish rhetoric: no one really cares if you are a backwards, inbred religious fanatic-- and no one wants to hear about it either.

[The Reaper]

this is so f*ckin bullshit. if they want an anti-gay church, i say go for it. Ill even donate.

 

why do gays try to take others freedoms away? all of you make me ashamed

 

 

and for the record, i hate the US, does that make me a bad person?

Edited November 4, 2007 by The Reaper

[NickolasJames8]

this is so f*ckin bullshit. if they want an anti-gay church, i say go for it. Ill even donate.

 

why do gays try to take others freedoms away? all of you make me ashamed

 

 

and for the record, i hate the US, does that make me a bad person?

 

It's not about being an anti gay church. There are probably hundreds of thousands of those in the US and millions all over the world. It's about what they do to families trying to say goodbye to their loved ones. Would you want some group of crazies protesting at your loved one's funeral, holding up signs that say they're burning in hell or thanking God for ending their lives?

[Krista]

this is so f*ckin bullshit. if they want an anti-gay church, i say go for it. Ill even donate.

 

why do gays try to take others freedoms away? all of you make me ashamed

 

 

and for the record, i hate the US, does that make me a bad person?

 

 

A pro-gay church is rare, but there's a huge difference in anti-gay and what the church in Topeka Kansas is doing. Freedoms are for the people that know not to over step boundaries and that church over the years have been doing that so I feel their freedoms should be taken into consideration and it was when the church members were fined.

 

My church is anti-gay, but it's peaceful like it should be.

 

 

Krista

[rknapp]

I have no idea what my church's stance on the issue is (considering that it's Roman Catholic, I'm not getting my hopes up) but AFAIK it doesn't concern itself with homosexuality -- there are more pressing matters at hand than something that doesn't even indirectly affect the comings and goings of everyday society (like, I don't know, Iraq? Iran? Israel? California? N. Korea?). The point is, their stance is a passive one. The worst picketing I have seen is people standing on the side of the Flemington circle and holding up picket signs, protesting abortion. I took a quick second of my time to floor it and driving within inches of the curb, allowing my open-cone air intake system to scare the bejesus out of them. That was a good day

[JamesSavik]

this is so f*ckin bullshit. if they want an anti-gay church, i say go for it. Ill even donate.

 

why do gays try to take others freedoms away? all of you make me ashamed

 

Perhaps knowing the score before you weigh in would be beneficial.

 

Here's a few facts about Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church you must have missed:

• The Westboro Baptist Church is composed almost entirely of Phelps blood family.
  
• Westboro & Phelps rose to prominace by protesting at the funerals of AIDS victims during the 80s & 90s.
  
• Phelps sr and many of his adult children are lawyers and sue EVERYONE for almost any reason.
  
• Phelps Sr has since been disbarred for unethical conduct and some of the other Phelps are not far from it.
  
• Westboro advises G&L youth to committ suicide rather than live in sin.
  
• Phelps is a creature of the media. The more exposure he gets, the more donations roll in from like minded people.
  
• Phelps only began protesting soldiers funerals because the media was no longer covering his gay-bashing activities.
  
• Westboro/Phelps was sued by a soldiers family for their words and actions at soldiers funeral.
  
• Gays had nothing to do the this court action.
  
• Between 1985-1998 Westboro protested at thousands of funerals of AIDS victims and Matthew Shephed's funeral- no one gave a shite.
  
• Westboro started picketing funerals of soldiers in 2003 and has done a couple of hundred. Since then scores of lawsuits and state laws prohibiting these protests have popped up.
  

 

and for the record, i hate the US, does that make me a bad person?

 

There are better places for gay & lesbian people to live. And there are much worse places.

 

Of the "gay-friendly" countries of the world, most of them are very close to the United States politically, culturally and diplomatically.

[Menzoberranzen]

When your freedom impinges on my freedom, then I have a problem. They can sit in Kansas spouting off religious bromide 'till the cows come home for all I care, but when they start protesting people's funerals, then a line needs to be drawn.

 

Menzo (who loves America)

[NaperVic]

Perhaps knowing the score before you weigh in would be beneficial.

 

Here's a few facts about Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church you must have missed:

• The Westboro Baptist Church is composed almost entirely of Phelps blood family.
  
• Westboro & Phelps rose to prominace by protesting at the funerals of AIDS victims during the 80s & 90s.
  
• Phelps sr and many of his adult children are lawyers and sue EVERYONE for almost any reason.
  
• Phelps Sr has since been disbarred for unethical conduct and some of the other Phelps are not far from it.
  
• Westboro advises G&L youth to committ suicide rather than live in sin.
  
• Phelps is a creature of the media. The more exposure he gets, the more donations roll in from like minded people.
  
• Phelps only began protesting soldiers funerals because the media was no longer covering his gay-bashing activities.
  
• Westboro/Phelps was sued by a soldiers family for their words and actions at soldiers funeral.
  
• Gays had nothing to do the this court action.
  
• Between 1985-1998 Westboro protested at thousands of funerals of AIDS victims and Matthew Shephed's funeral- no one gave a shite.
  
• Westboro started picketing funerals of soldiers in 2003 and has done a couple of hundred. Since then scores of lawsuits and state laws prohibiting these protests have popped up.
  

 

Thanks for the Summary, I didn't know most of that (probably because I try to ignore most of what goes on with Phelps).

[Benji]

this is so f*ckin bullshit. if they want an anti-gay church, i say go for it. Ill even donate.

 

why do gays try to take others freedoms away? all of you make me ashamed

 

 

and for the record, i hate the US, does that make me a bad person?

 

 

:wacko: .........I'm not sure what "freedoms" gays are trying to take away? I couldn't care less about a anti-gay church, they can say all they want, like a televison set I simply change the channel. But I sure won't donate to a "church" that wants me dead. The right to free speech is not being infringed upon, but to interrupt a funeral chanting and yelling to the grieving families of soilders being laid to rest.....a line must be drawn, almost akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater. Hate the US? Surely it is not on the top of your list??

[The Reaper]

Families have a right to a peaceful funeral, but by god if ill let anyone say they cannot protest it. If they want to protest, go for it. If they want to demean others by their obnoxious beliefs, go for it. But i wont stand for anything less than respect and compliance to let others have their freedoms.

 

People want to protest (insert noun of choice) but wont let others protest what they believe in...nonsense. Thats all im saying.

 

and sorry for ocming off as grouchy or mean int eh last post, but what i want to say isnt easily said.

Edited November 7, 2007 by The Reaper

[colinian]

If they come around where I live, I'll make up a bunch of signs and my friends and I will protest their presence:

 

The Devil Loves Fred Phelps and

 

the Westboro Baptist Church

 

I think another question is: Why do these hate mongers try to take others' freedoms away? And say they all should be killed?? That's what's the real bullshit!

 

 

Colin