The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an independent Baptist church and anti-gay hate group. It is headed by Fred Phelps and located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. Its first public service was held on the afternoon of Sunday, November 27 , 1955 .
The WBC is not affiliated with any known Baptist conventions or associations. The church describes itself as following Primitive Baptist and Calvinist principles, though mainstream Primitive Baptists reject The WBC and Phelps.
The group is primarily known for its protest activities, which include stomping on the American Flag and the provocative signs its members carry while picketing.
Protest activities
The organization is known for picketing at public events and funerals, often those related or peripherally related to gay people or soldiers in the military.
The group carries out daily picketing in Topeka (purportedly six per day with fifteen on Sunday) and travels nationally to picket the funerals of gay victims of murder, gay-bashing or people who have died from complications relating to AIDS; other events related or peripherally related to gay people; Kansas City Chiefs football games; and live pop concerts. As of March 2009 the church claims to have participated in over 41,000 protests in over 650 cities since 1991. One of Westboro's followers estimated that the church spends $250,000 a year on picketing.
The pickets have resulted in several lawsuits. In 1995 Phelps Sr.'s eldest grandson, Benjamin Phelps, was convicted of assault and disorderly conduct after spitting into the face of a passerby during a picket. In the 1990s the church won a series of lawsuits against the City of Topeka and Shawnee County for efforts taken to prevent or hinder WBC picketing, and was awarded approximately $200,000 in attorney's fees and costs associated with the litigation. In 2004, Margie Phelps and her son Jacob were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct and failure to obey after disregarding a police officer's order during an attempted protest. In response to pickets at funerals, Kansas passed a law prohibiting picketing at such events. In the autumn of 2007, the father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the WBC was awarded $5 million in damages. In June 2007 Shirley Phelps-Roper was arrested in Nebraska and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The arrest resulted from her allowing her eight-year-old son to step on the American flag during the demonstration, which is illegal under Nebraska law. The defense contends that the child's actions were protected speech, and that the state law is unconstitutional. The prosecution claims that the demonstration was not intended as political speech, but as an incitement to violence, and that Phelps-Roper's conduct may also constitute child abuse. All the principals of the Phelps Chartered law firm, a firm founded by WBC founder Fred Phelps, are members of WBC. Phelps Chartered handles most of WBC's legal work.
On two occasions, the church accepted offers for radio air time in exchange for canceling an announced protest.
Anti-gay picketing
While being filmed by documentary film-maker Louis Theroux, they picketed a local appliance store because it sold Swedish vacuum cleaners, which transaction the church viewed as supportive of gays because of Swedish prosecution of Åke Green, a pastor critical of homosexuality.
The church has picketed, or threatened to picket, productions of the play The Laramie Project , which was based on the murder of Matthew Shepard, whose funeral they also picketed.
On January 25, 2004, Phelps picketed five churches (three Catholic and two Episcopalian) and the Federal Courthouse for what he said was their part in legitimizing same-sex marriages in Iowa. A community response was to hold counter-protests and a multifaith service in the municipal auditorium.
The group also picketed revivals sponsored by evangelist Billy Graham, with the claim that he would burn in Hell for failing to propagate the God Hates Fags doctrine. In October 2004 the group protested Graham's mass meetings, calling the 85-year-old preacher a "Hell-bound false prophet."
On January 15, 2006, Westboro members protested a memorial for 2006 Sago Mine disaster victims, claiming that the mining accident was God's revenge against America for its tolerance of homosexuality.
Funeral pickets
The group came into the national spotlight in 1998, when they were featured on CNN for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man from Wyoming who was beaten to death by two men because of his homosexuality. Westboro has protested at the funerals of people ranging from Fred Rogers to Coretta Scott King to Jerry Falwell.
In July 2005 the Westboro Baptist Church declared its intention to picket the memorial service of Carrie French in Boise, Idaho. French, 19, was killed on June 5 in Kirkuk, Iraq, where she served as an ammunition specialist with the 116th Brigade Combat Team's 145th Support Battalion. Phelps Sr. was quoted as saying, "Our attitude toward what's happening with the war is the Lord is punishing this evil nation for abandoning all moral imperatives that are worth a dime."
In August 2005, a group from the church protested at the funeral of Edward Myers, a soldier from St. Joseph, Missouri, who died in Iraq. Shirley Phelps-Roper told a television reporter that Myers was "burning in Hell."
On February 2, 2008, the group picketed during the funeral of former LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley in Salt Lake City, Utah, displaying picket signs criticizing him for being a "lying false prophet" and "leading millions of people astray." The organization also criticized Hinckley for being too accepting of gay people, accusing him of having an ambiguous voice about homosexuality rather than taking a firm stand against it. Police had difficulty determining whether the demonstration met the guidelines of protected free speech."
On April 10, 2008, Westboro picketed the funerals of three students who were killed in a house fire at the University of Wisconsin–Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Around 1,000 students showed up and drove off the protesters after fifteen minutes.
In August 2008, Westboro announced plans to protest in Winnipeg, Canada at the funeral of Tim McLean, who had been murdered on a Greyhound Canada bus. While a small number of Church members succeeded in crossing the border despite orders to prevent them from entering Canada, they did not appear at the funeral.
In February 2009, the group protested at the funeral of a plane crash victim. Students from the nearby University at Buffalo and the Buffalo area held a peaceful counter protest, holding up white sheets to shield the victim's family from the Phelpses. A motorcycle brigade, known as the Patriot Guard Riders, is known for revving its engines to drown out the Phelpses.
Westboro picketed the funeral of recording artist Michael Jackson after his unexpected death on June 25, 2009. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church have also recorded a song titled "God Hates the World", an adaptation of Jackson's charity single "We Are the World."
Other protest activities
On January 26, 2008 WBC traveled to Jacksonville, NC, home of Camp Lejeune, to protest the United States Marine Corps in the wake of the murder of Maria Lauterbach. A five-member group of females protested, stomping on the American Flag and shouting slogans such as "1,2,3,4, God Hates the Marine Corps." A group of over 40 counter protesters arrived and one spat in Shirley Phelps-Roper's face. Another counter protest was held across town, which attracted over 150 counterprotesters.
On May 14, 2008, two days after the deadly 2008 Sichuan earthquake, WBC issued a press release thanking God for the heavy loss of life in China, and praying "for many more earthquakes to kill many more thousands of impudent and ungrateful Chinese Communists".
In December 2008, as a result of an atheist sign displayed near a nativity scene as part of a Christmas display in the Washington State Capitol, and the controversy which ensued, Westboro Baptist Church requested a display which included the text "Santa Claus will take you to hell," among other incendiary wording. This was in addition to several other groups requesting a wide assortment of other items to be displayed in the state capitol.
In February 2009, the group traveled to Los Angeles to protest the Academy Awards because one of the films nominated ( Milk ) was about a gay man.
Church views
The Westboro Baptist Church considers membership in most religious groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church or Islam, as akin to devil worship, and states these other churches to be "Satanic frauds preaching Arminian lies." All non-Christian entities, non-Protestant Christian churches, and all Protestant Christian churches that do not strongly condemn homosexuality are said to be sending their members to Hell.
Westboro Baptist Church is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League, and classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Views on homosexuality
The church runs numerous Web sites such as GodHatesFags.com, GodHa
God is Imaginary - 50 simple proofs
Proof #14 - Examine Jesus' miracles. If someone were to come to you today and say, "I am God!", what would you do? Yes, you would immediately ask for proof.
Jesus is God
Jesus is God - Study biblical proof that speaks of Jesus’ deity. Is He God? Why is this concept so important to us today?
Proof that JESUS CHRIST is not God - Reader comments at Daniel Pipes
Proof that JESUS CHRIST is not God Reader comment on item: The Enemy Has a Name in response to reader comment: True Source About Jesus Christ Remains in the Holy Bible
A Bible Study Jesus-proof he is the Son of God
This study examines the scriptures and proves that Jesus was the Son of God
YouTube - 100% proof Jesus is not God! The temptation of Jesus.
Jesus was LED by the spirit into the desert TO BE tempted by the devil, NOT THAT HE WAS TEMEPTED, Learn to read and understand the english language before you MANIIPULATE it to try ...
Need proof that Jesus is God, proof that Jesus is God, god's truth ...
Everything to encourage your faith in God and His Holy Word the Bible,over 35 hours of free Christian videos to watch online,free bible course,a great follow on from the alpha ...
Proof Jesus Is Not God (Or Even Real) - Ex-Christian.Net
Proof Jesus Is Not God (Or Even Real): Ex-Christian.Net : Proof Jesus Is Not God (Or Even Real) - Ex-Christian.Net
Is Jesus God?
Copyright © Confident Christians, 2008 www.confidentchristians.org Is Jesus God? Proof that Jesus Christ is God from prophecy, miracles, biblical testimony, and His resurrection ...
YouTube - Proof God Exist! - Real Evidence of God & Jesus.
http://HeDoesLoveYou.org-- Proof about God & Jesus. Here is the low down on God Almighty. Here is a beautiful example of God. If you're wondering whether He lives... look no ...
Sundance Channel : Discussions : Discussion Post : Questions? Like ...
post description (content) ... Questions? Like: Proof Jesus was God incarnate. Posted on Dec 11 2006 at 2:08am by atlpagan