Fred Phelps Confronted

[William769]

(Topeka, Kansas) When we went to talk with Rev. Fred Phelps we thought we were prepared for anything, but even we were shocked about what we saw and heard. Not all words and images in this story are suitable for all audiences.

"God hates America," said Phelps.

He offers no apologies.

"This country is hellbound, it's hopeless," said Phelps.

We went with Phelps and his flock to protest in front of a catholic church and to his sermon because we wanted to find out what it is that makes him spread his message that so many call hate.

Phelps' church isn't a big place. About 60 people were there the Sunday we visited, 30 of them children.

His sermon often rambles, he repeats himself, jumps from one topic to the next and is often tough to follow. He includes conspiracy theories and a lot of fire and brimstone.

Phelps believes in the doctrine of predestination. He says God has selected a small number of humans to go to heaven, the rest are out of luck.

"The doctrine of absolute predestination is the bible from one end to the other," said Phelps.

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/02/020406Phelps.htm

I try not to "hate" anyone, but this man is making that damn dear impossible for me.

[mzteris]

1. He is mentally ill and

should be committed to an institution.

[MichiganVote]

2. Paranoid Schitzophrenia, otherwise known as Jim Jones

[Libby2]

3. He's fucking nuts

and his followers must be as well.

[bperci108]

4. It runs in the genes...

If it wasn't for his family, he wouldn't have a "church" as most of the members are relatives. :puke:

A few of his children escaped the brainwashing, but most didn't.

www.baptistwatch.org used to have an unprinted article (it explains why) from the Topeka paper about Fred. It may still be there- it's quite enlightening.

[terrya]

6. If it's the same article I'm thinking of, yes, it's very enlightening.

According to the article I read, Fred baby is a NASTY piece of work...wife beater, would beat his children as well. A very disturbing look at his personal and family life.

[Uncle Zoloft]

5. His next stunt...

... is to bring his Klan to protest Coretta Scott King's Funeral. I predict that the little old church ladies, in their fabulous hats, will descend upon Phelps and his followers and pummel them into the ground with their Praise Jesus pamphlets! even a "damn Yankee" like me knows you do not mess with the church ladies. I can not wait to see the footage!

[TaleWgnDg]

11. Welcome to DU, Uncle Zoloft . . . n/t

[MarianJack]

19. Welcome. Uncle Zoloft, and don't forget...

...those BIG Purses!

[Uncle Zoloft]

20. Amen!

I forgot about their purses of mass destruction. They're the stealth weapon of the Church Ladies ~ ya never see it coming, but you sure as hell feel it's punch.

[MarianJack]

21. A BIG, Sudden...

WHAAAP and you're knocked silly! :silly:

[Uncle Zoloft]

22. then ....

.. while holding you down to the ground, with a sensible shoe frimly planted on your chest, they call upon the Lord in a voice that makes one's nads shrivel.

[MarianJack]

23. Shrivel So Much...

...you look like you swallowed a couple of plumbs whole.

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Phelps Is Part of Right-Wing Religious Thinking

Fred Phelps is fully within the tradition of right-wing American fundamentalist/evangelical thinking, no matter how hard broadcast blowhards try to spin him away and no matter how frantically right-wing apologists try to squirm away from him. The only difference between what Fred Phelps says in public and the rest of the Radical Right fundamentalist/evangelicals is that Phelps says in public what the right-wing fundamentalist/evangelicals say in private. Period.

Fred Phelps should be tied around the necks of Ralph Reed, James Dobson, Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, Cal Thomas, and Donald Wildmon like three day-old stinking roadkill.

[Nightflurry]

8. Agreed

I used to be part of a fundamentalist church (I'm against all religion now). It really pains me to say this.. but his attitude is NOT at all uncommon. The ONLY difference is that his church goes public with what fundies believe. It's very hard to escape the brainwashing that is pummeled into you from birth, but some of us are able to.

But no, sadly this line of thought is not rare.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. Hey, Nightflurry, welcome to DU . . . n/t

[TaleWgnDg]

9. Uuummmmm, why not tell us how you REALLY feel . . .

and ummmmm glad you said it too! Since it's so damn true, unfortunately.

.

[xchrom]

12. ring a ding ding -- a winnah!

exactly -- he is in line with jerry falwell and pat robertson -- the baptist church in general -- the purge the catholic church is committed to, etc.

[terrya]

13. Bingo. Exactly right.

You have it exactly right. Thank you.

[cboy4]

14. Perfectly put. But Phelps is so outrageous, he protests at

soldier funerals now, Catholic churches, you name it, I think he disgusts all walks of life. It's almost laughable.

I just feel bad that he brainwashes all of those children in his family. That's what sad.

I couldn't care less what he says, but he should really be prosecuted for child abuse.

[Jella]

24. Amen brother

[MountainLaurel]

27. True dat

Just like the Klan and the Council of Conservative Citizens. One is the "ugly" face and the other comes out for company.

[cboy4]

15. Everybody needs to just STOP trying to figure

this man out and quit giving him so much attention already! This is what keeps him going, don't you understand?

If you look at his website, he posts links to all of the newspaper stories of their protests, he GETS OFF on all of the publicity.

This extremely mentally disturbed man thrives on the anger and tears of distraught people.

I realize it's not easy, but if everyone ignored him and his troubled followers, they would no longer have an audience and would just go the fuck away.

edit spelling

[Exiled in America]

26. I don't give him attention until....

..he comes to my town and pickets GLBT welcoming churches in our city.

Then he gets my attention, along with the 250 other people who showed up to counter his 15 some person demonstration.

[gator_in_Ontario]

16. It's funny

but I was sitting here thinking about my closest friend (besides my wife), before I even came into DU.O8)
She is a baptist, and possibly the only Christian I have ever met. She thinks Phelps is an idiot. She follows Christ as best she can in this life, recognizes her humanity, and has taught me alot. I think I have educated her as well. She knows she is free to ask me anything about my life, as I am free to ask her about hers. It is in this exchange of ideas that we will come to know and love one another across all the "divides" we tend to create. My life is enriched by having her in it. I hope I have enriched hers.
Okay...enough of the sappy crap, Fred Phelps is the anti-christ, a demon from hell, hatred-makes-his-dick-hard serial killer. ARRRRGHHHH!

[ronnykmarshall]

17. Oh I'm proud to say I hate him.

I'd run him over with my car and back up over him to make sure his stank ass was dead.

[cboy4]

18. Alright, well that made me laugh

:applause:

[Exiled in America]

25. It helps to realize that he is mentally ill.

I'm not just saying that because I loathe that he says. I spent a little time trying to study this man and I'm convinced that he is not at all sane.

[insleeforprez]

28. Phelps=terrorist

I'm serious.

His organization's philosophy and bin Laden's philosophy is so amazingly similar. I think, if the req.s for a treason conviction were not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, one could easily make the case that Fred Phelps is guilty of treason.

Especially with the "pray for more dead American troops" angle; since they believe that prayer=action, then they are doing something that they believe will kill American soldiers. That sounds like treason (or "attempted treason" since one cannot actually equate prayer with action) to me.

Of course, as I mentioned, treason is mentioned in the Constitution.

Article 3, Section 3: "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."

Kinda the same reason Aaron Burr was never convicted of treason.

[NMMNG]

29. The man is certifiable

He needs to be committed and treated so he can no longer infect others with his brand of illness. It is not uncommon for individuals with mental illnesses to have distinct religious fixations, as well as other obsessions. It is obvious that Phelps has fixations on religion and homosexuality. My guess would be Paranoid Schizophrenia and perhaps OCD. He would be greatly assisted by some antipsychotics and/or SSRIs, as well as intensive psychotherapy. The world would also benefit greatly if he were to be placed on such a regimen.