WTH: Anti-gay church pickets Denison service

[dkf]

A small group from a Kansas-based church that protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers faced off Saturday night against more than 150 counter-demonstrators outside a memorial service for a Reno woman killed by a serial rapist.

The tense standoff ended peacefully when three female anti-gay protesters associated with the Wesboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., were escorted away from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in a police van, Reno police Sgt. police Sgt. Chris Lange said.
“There were a couple of eggs thrown at them and that’s about it,” Lange said.
Counter-demonstrators surrounded the three church members after they waved placards reading, “Pray for More Dead Kids,” “Don’t Worship the Dead” and “God Sent the Killer.”

Counter-demonstrators responded by chanting, “Go Back to Kansas” and “Go Home.”
Inside, about 2,200 people attended the service for Brianna Denison, who police said was abducted Jan. 20 and killed by a serial rapist linked to two earlier attacks on the edge of the University of Nevada, Reno. Her body was found in a field in Reno on Feb. 15.
Members of the church picket military funerals out of a belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.

Last month, the church announced it would protest the service for Denison because they think God hates Reno, as well as gay people and America’s tolerance of them.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080223/NEWS18/80223040&oaso=news.rgj.com%2Fbreakingnews

[davidinalameda]

1. its Fred Phelps

nothing he does surprises me

[NMMNG]

2. The Phelps family

A hate group masquerading as a "church" and they'll do whatever they can get away with to get attention. They didn't get enough of it merely picketing the funerals of gay people so they branched out to the funerals of soldiers. It seems now they're getting even more attention hungry.

[dkf]

3. That is bad. Awful awful people

How they can call themselves religious is beyond me.

[NMMNG]

4. There are millions of people who spew hatred in the name of religion

It's well protected by the law. Sadly there are even people here on DU who support such nonsense. :-(

[dkf]

5. Well that starts with the church.

And it needs to come from inside. I feel bad that so many have been misled into hating others. That is the sin I think.