Estranged son of anti-gay Westboro pastor says father does 'evil'

[Ken Burch]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/16/westboro.nate.phelps/index.html?iref=obnetwork

(snip)

Nate Phelps called his pastor father "one of the best reasons that America has been forced to get off the fence and address this issue (of gay rights)."

"But at the same time you can't ignore the fact that he's done a lot of damage," Phelps said. "He's hurt a lot of families, not only in the gay community, but the families of these soldiers."

The younger Phelps said his father also hurt his own family.

"He used his fists. He used his knees and he used ... the handle of a mattock," said Phelps, referring to a pick-like digging tool. "He used that in such a way that it split the skin on the back of the kid's legs so they bled."

"If they want to call that discipline, that's fine. But I call it abuse," Phelps said.

(snip)

_____________

(apologies if somebody has posted this before, but I thought it should be posted if it hadn't been already.)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm glad he's speaking out...

It's good to hear the story from the inside of that wretched family.

Recommended.

:kick:

[wtmusic]

2. It would be great to see Nate leading a picket of the picket nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. It WOULD. nt

[Dorian Gray]

18. He's a strong man

It is his family, warts and all, that he's telling the tale of. It must make him extraordinarily sad to know that he will never have a relationship with his mother or any of his brothers and sisters.

But what he is doing is right, and he's very brave for exposing the suffering and abuse he and his siblings were exposed to.

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Isn't that something. I had no idea this son existed.

Good to see he is speaking out. And, if I read correctly and am not projecting, dare I say his son is perhaps pro-gay equality?

Wonder who else has left that den of evil and is ready to speak out.

[old mark]

5. His son does not get the free publicity gioven to his evil father...nt

[Brother Buzz]

6. Three are estranged from Phelps plus his sister

I suspect the three siblings could be a hot ticket on talking circuit

Sister: Martha Jean Capron (retired missionary, estranged from Phelps family)
Wife: Margie Marie Simms (m. 15-May-1952, thirteen children)

Son: Fred Phelps, Jr. (lawyer, employed by Kansas Department of Corrections)
Son: Mark Phelps (business executive, estranged from Phelps family)
Daughter: Katherine Phelps (lawyer, license to practice law suspended, estranged from Phelps family)
Daughter: Margie Phelps (lawyer, employed by Kansas Department of Corrections)
Daughter: Shirley Phelps-Roper (lawyer)
Son: Nathan Phelps ("Nate", gay rights and atheist activist, estranged from Phelps family)
Son: Jonathon B. Phelps (lawyer)
Daughter: Rebekah Phelps-Davis (lawyer)
Daughter: Elizabeth Phelps (lawyer, works at homeless shelter)
Son: Timothy Phelps (lawyer, employed by Shawnee County Department of Corrections)
Daughter: Dorotha Bird (lawyer, estranged from Phelps family)
Daughter: Rachel Phelps (lawyer)
Daughter: Abigail Phelps (lawyer)

[freshwest]

13. The two professions of the family members are strikingly similar. All law or prison.

Somehow, this just feels all wrong.

[AnneD]

16. Seems like to much passing judgement....

And meating out punishment on people for my taste. Nothing feeds into a god complex like having power to judge others life. They have made themselves judge, jury and executioner. Too much power concentrated.

[freshwest]

17. They do appear to have been doing this for a lifetime. Maybe this will shut this thing down.

So much cruelty.

[glinda]

21. Wonder who has funded the family to get such degrees and jobs?

[freshwest]

22. I have always been suspicious who paid the bill for these gangs, don't believe it just happens.

FDR said, 'there is no such thing as a coincidence in politics,' or something to that effect.

The John Birch (Koch) Society funded groups to go after the Kennedys. The Scaife gang paid to get Clinton impeached. Sometimes I even wonder if that circus was put on to take the nation's eyes off the economic crimes that were being committed.

The US taxpayers through Tom Delay paid for brownshirts (congressional aides) to be flown to Florida to stop the vote in 2000 and those guys are all doing great in the corporate and political world now as their reward for their behavior.

The GOP funds O'Keefe and his sleazy pals to live a life of debauchery on a luxury yacht with young GOPhers to do smear jobs on ACORN and others, and that's not ended yet.

The GOP and godonlyknows whatever group funds FOX and MSNBC, and CNN isn't exactly liberal or progressive either. They all stick within a narrow range that doesn't show respect to those on the progressive side, just lip service.

The media have been the purveyors of hate in the political venue fpr almost a generation and have transformed our society enough to give consent for endless wars, environmental disaster and degrading of human beings in ways I never dreamed of.

The CIA is alleged to be teaching pastors to turn the old church scene into pro-predatory capitalism, pro-torture, pro-war, anti-woman, anti-gay fanatics, anti-democrat, anti-liberal, anti-progressive, anti-any-other-faith or lack of faith or free thinking people. If I could simplify that list I'd just call them anti-human and anti-life, really. They call for fire and brimstone on all who don't march lockstep with them and they stifle community with their dog whistles, shut out all but the true believers.

I always think it's the Koch guys or some front group that fund these religious fanatic groups to spread hate and dissension. Keeping people at each other's throats, claiming moral superiority. As long as anyone falls for this, mankind is in trouble.

The Koch brothers funded the DNC, it now comes out, after it closed its doors (mission accomplished?) and created the Tea Party.

The neverending publicity for the Phelps makes people freak out so much the teabag agenda with its Galtian belief system look safer! It's like herding the sheep from one horror show to another.

The media is portraying Americans as somewhere between foaming and drooling at the mouth rightwing nutjobs without a sense of human empathy or rationality. Anyone who isn't that way is either a whining sissy or there are none.

Exactly who benefits from that manufactured perception, huh?

I need a break from all this horrible stuff. I'm sorry if anything I said on this thread came off as unfair. Looking back on it after it was too late to edit, it read as downright stupid, and I apologize. I'm just extra freaked out at these people this week for some reason.

[realisticphish]

9. He works (last I heard) for the Center For Inquiry (CFI)

a skeptical/secular advocacy organization

[freshwest]

14. His childhood under the fanatical religionists would lend to that profession.

[libodem]

7. All the hallmarks

Of major mental illness. Sick man. He should be forced to have a psych eval.

[freshwest]

11. Too late to file child abuse charges? How did his wife fit into this? Battered spouse?

Of course this happened decades ago in less enlightened times. We've got to get past these fanatics who believe it's the their god given right to terrorize their families and everyone else.

[freshwest]

8. Makes perfect sense to me. Glad it's coming out. But...

What's up with all these horror stories coming out of Kansas?

Most of the family appears to be working in the prison system. Which has got to be dangerous, for the felons, I mean.

And isn't this the same part of Kansas that elected the guy who called for 'shooting illegals like feral hogs' from helicopters?

Honestly, I don't know anything about the state.

[realisticphish]

10. not to defend kansas

but this church is basically one crazy-ass family. They could be located anywhere in the united states, for all it matters

[freshwest]

12. I didn't mean to sound place of origin bigoted, just wondering if there is something...

In the economic, historic, or some other influence.

Naturally it could be anywhere. Heck, it is everywhere that there is no sense of community and law enforcement isn't empowered by law to take action against domestic violence.

It's different in every state, according to the culture. I would like someone to explain what it is, and don't mind if they feel the need to defend Kansas. No place in the world has a monopoly on evil.

Just wonder how remote and out of touch some of these people are, how far off what most of think of as the beaten path they are.

Sorry if it that came off as slandering the state of Kansas. Just two horrible stories in a week in the same place, and no good news stories from there.

Thanks for the reply.

[Skittles]

15. no one thinks they represent Kansas

they represent sick, evil fucks

[Scuba]

19. In other news, water is wet and Michael Jackson is still dead. n/t

[JoePhilly]

20. This explains a lot.

[EstimatedProphet]

23. Read this to see what a monster "Rev." Phelps really is

http://www.blank.org/addict/