Minneapolis faithful set to ignore Fred Phelps whirlwind tour

[shockingelk]

"WBC to picket the sodomite whorehouse (Ezek. 16:24) masquerading as Bethany Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minn. -- Sun. July 25

God Hates Fags and Fag-Enablers! Ergo, God hates the faggot Jay Wiesner, Bethan (sic) Lutheran, all 'reconciling in Christ' perverts, Augsburg Fag College, and all associated with ELCA."

http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/jul2004/Bethany_Lutheran_7-20-2004.pdf (PDF)
http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/Picket_Information.html

July 24, 2004
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Minneapolis, MN
St. Boniface Catholic Church, 629 2nd St. SE

July 24, 2004
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Minneapolis, MN
Augsburg College-Foss Center, Riverside Ave. & 23rd Ave. S.

July 25, 2004
7:30 am – 7:55 am
Minneapolis, MN
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 S. Lyndale Ave.

July 25, 2004
8:05 am – 8:30 am
Minneapolis, MN
Central Lutheran Church, 333 S. 12th St.

July 25, 2004
8:45 am – 9:15 am
Minneapolis, MN
Bethany Lutheran Church, 2511 E. Franklin Ave.

July 25, 2004
9:45 am – 10:15 am
Minneapolis, MN
Bethany Lutheran Church, 2511 E. Franklin Ave.

July 25, 2004
10:30 am – 11:00 am
Minneapolis, MN
Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S.

July 25, 2004
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Minneapolis, MN
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 S. Lyndale Ave.

[k in IA]

1. What the hell happened to that man as a child? How does a person

become like that?

[Krupskaya]

2. What makes me sick

...is how he's teaching his grandkids to hate. He drags along a 10-year-old boy and teaches him to yell that filth at people standing by. For that he should be flogged, IMNSHO.

If he'd just come out! Things would be so much easier for everyone.

[Zookeeper]

10. Maybe we should alert Child Protection... n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Proud Augsburg graduate here

Of course, it is just the kind of thing a coward like him would do, picket at college when hardly anyone is there.

Besides, he's missing a great opportunity just picketing the Lutheran churches.

A couple of the local Episcopal churches have out gay or lesbian clergy on staff. I feel snubbed, since one of them is my own parish.

(When bigots are that over-the-top, the best thing to do is ridicule them, because they thrive on other people's anger.)

[shockingelk]

4. He's here for Bethany Lutheran Church

Snip from a letter from a pastor:

They are coming to protest the irregular "ordination" of Jay Wiesner, a gay man whom Bethany has called to serve as a pastor. Bethany is acting in defiance of ELCA policy when it comes to ordination (congregations may not simply ordain; candidates for the ministry must be approved by the appropriate synod on behalf of the whole church), and in spite of Bishop Johnson's request that they not proceed.

So,

a. Phelps doesn't like the fact that Bethany is ordaining a gay pastor
b. The ELCA opposes Bethany's action
c. So Phelps decides to protest all ELCA churches

The guy sadly falls short of "genius".

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Never thought of it that way

:eyes:

[indigo32]

6. Sad to hear the the ELCA opposes it

Both the pastors at my (ELCA) church are very accepting (though not all the members I'll admit). Phelps is too disgusting to bother to comment on, except to say it just figures.

[no name no slogan]

8. Like the Catholic Church, I think it's the bishops more than the clergy

Most of the ELCA clergy I've had contact with either don't care or are accepting. I know it was a big deal a few years back during some conference or other, but I think the rank-and-file doesn't think about it much, as long as the pastor is good.

I have several GLBT friends who are ELCA Lutherans (some who are even church elders), and I've not heard of a lot of resistance to them-- especially after the congregation gets to know them.

Huh, who'da thunk it.....gays and lesbians are just plain folk, like everyone else. What will they think of next? ;)

[Morning Dew]

11. It's my understanding that the ELCA will vote on ordination next year..

for gay pastors in relationships.

not sure, but I think they currently allow for ordination of celibate gay and lesbian pastors -

[MrsMatt]

7. I'm insulted he's ignoring St Paul

We have at least two congregations that I can think of off the top of my head that would qualify as "enablers".

[Zookeeper]

9. I'm normally not in favor of ignoring bigots...

but Fred Phelps is just so bizarre, crazy and desperate for attention, that I do think the only way to deal with him is a mass shunning. He doesn't exactly have a lot of followers, anyway.

Maybe he'll give up and find a different way of getting attention. Try out for a TV Reality show, maybe?

[MnFats]

12. assoc. pastor at my church is an out lesbian

she has helped my family a lot, esp. when a nephew came out and his parents were not thrilled.
this is a suburban episcopalian congregation that is older than average and was nearly 100 straight when she was picked. a handful of gay couples have started attending in the meantime (i don't even know if they came because of her) and nobody has said 'boo' but have welcomed them.
i suppose fred will show up someday as he has been furious with us episcopalians since we got our gay bishop.....