It’s just amazing that the ACLU joined forces with the Phelps gang on this one:
Judge: Mo. funeral protest ban unconstitutional
By CHRIS BLANK – Associated Press Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A federal judge Monday ruled that Missouri laws restricting protests near funerals are unconstitutional.
Missouri legislators passed two laws in 2006 in response to protests at servicemembers’ funerals by members of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The church contends the deaths are God’s punishment for the U.S. tolerating homosexuality.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan ruled the laws violate the right of free speech guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. …
Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/08/16/1640228/judge-mo-funeral-protests-ban.html#ixzz0wssTomGf
I met Fred Phelps once in 1999 outside of Jerry Falwell’s church. One of his family members spit at my feet because I refused to walk on a gay flag they had defaced and laid on the ground. I think I’ve made his godhatesfags.com Hall of Shame twice over the years.
The United States is particularly wonderful in that one of our greatest strengths is freedom of speech. It is obvious, to me at least, that freedom of speech is a fundamental pre-requisite for a truly free society.
At the same time, the venom from Fred Phelps is in direct conflict with the solemnity and reverence held for funerals and could produce a very volatile situation. I am surprised a fight or riot of some kind hasn’t happened yet. I think it is in the interest of the state to have certain boundaries in various highly emotional situations. Especially in regard to our fallen soldiers and their families.
It is not about silencing Fred Phelps. It’s about the state facilitating his ability to hijack a public platform and impede others rights to freedom of assembly. These funerals are supposed to be about the friends and family of fallen soldiers gathering together to mourn and remember their loved one. These funerals are not about providing a soapbox for a fanatic cult leader.
What do you think?
About Randy Thomas
I have tears in my eyes as I look at those signs. Really? What do they think they are accomplishing? But as anger and sadness rise up within me, I have to remind myself that God loves them and Jesus died for them, too.
But ugh, I do not know the answer to the free speech aspect of the protests. My heart just wants the protests to stop. Can you imagine being at the funeral of your son, daughter, spouse, parent, friend, loved one, and reading a sign that says, “God Hates You”? Just ugh.
Completely agree Brenna Kate. I can’t imagine. That’s why I think this court decision is incorrect.
I know Jesus died for and loves them too. At the same time I honestly feel they are the modern legalists He would have roundly rebuked as “vipers” and “white washed tombs.” The need and deserve a strong harsh rebuke. It’s the only thing I think they might even possibly hear.
I agree that Jesus would have had strong words for them.
I have tears in my eyes as I look at those signs. Really? What do they think they are accomplishing? But as anger and sadness rise up within me, I have to remind myself that God loves them and Jesus died for them, too.
But ugh, I do not know the answer to the free speech aspect of the protests. My heart just wants the protests to stop. Can you imagine being at the funeral of your son, daughter, spouse, parent, friend, loved one, and reading a sign that says, “God Hates You”? Just ugh.
Completely agree Brenna Kate. I can’t imagine. That’s why I think this court decision is incorrect.
I know Jesus died for and loves them too. At the same time I honestly feel they are the modern legalists He would have roundly rebuked as “vipers” and “white washed tombs.” The need and deserve a strong harsh rebuke. It’s the only thing I think they might even possibly hear.
I agree that Jesus would have had strong words for them.
I could say a lot. I’m thinking a lot of things.
But God is bigger than my thoughts, thank God.
About free speech: I’m basically a libertarian ultra-conservative (hush- I do NOT want to hear it, y’all). I will bodily defend their right to say stupid things. But I will also bodily defend my right and the rights of the families of fallen soldiers to use whatever (what ever) means to drive the Phelps’ gang away from private funeral services. This includes water balloons filled with perfume and ammonia and dirty diaper stuff… maybe paintball practice wouldn’t hurt either.
But God is bigger than all that and I think I’ll let Him get in trouble for what He’s going to do to them. Oh. Wait…
You cannot legislate un-stupidity. There will always be a loophole. Trust me. They’ve been to the church I attend. This is all a political stunt on their part. It has NOTHING to do with Righteousness or Mercy or Grace or Judgement.
I could say a lot. I’m thinking a lot of things.
But God is bigger than my thoughts, thank God.
About free speech: I’m basically a libertarian ultra-conservative (hush- I do NOT want to hear it, y’all). I will bodily defend their right to say stupid things. But I will also bodily defend my right and the rights of the families of fallen soldiers to use whatever (what ever) means to drive the Phelps’ gang away from private funeral services. This includes water balloons filled with perfume and ammonia and dirty diaper stuff… maybe paintball practice wouldn’t hurt either.
But God is bigger than all that and I think I’ll let Him get in trouble for what He’s going to do to them. Oh. Wait…
You cannot legislate un-stupidity. There will always be a loophole. Trust me. They’ve been to the church I attend. This is all a political stunt on their part. It has NOTHING to do with Righteousness or Mercy or Grace or Judgement.
I believe it is so sad that Fred Phelps and his church believe that they are so right in what they do and say. I don’t agree with any hate group but in this country they have a right to say any thing they wish as long as it doesn’t provoke a riot or provoke to kill. The good thing is I also have a right to speak what I believe.
Yes you do and thank you for speaking up.
I believe it is so sad that Fred Phelps and his church believe that they are so right in what they do and say. I don’t agree with any hate group but in this country they have a right to say any thing they wish as long as it doesn’t provoke a riot or provoke to kill. The good thing is I also have a right to speak what I believe.
Yes you do and thank you for speaking up.
When I first came across Phelps, I felt sick to think that this man was misrepresenting God. I thought maybe he was just uninformed. I wrote to him and told him about how God had loved me and redeemed me as a lesbian and how he had loved me enough to turn my life around. Phelps came back with several sentences of venomous hatred telling me that I was a pure liar and that I was going to hell.
At first I was shocked and astonished that this man could have so little knowledge of the God that he thought he was assisting. I vented to some American friends as we are not able to say things like this in the state in my country. They reminded me of his right to free speech. This pulled me up and I began to realize that despite Phelps Pharisaical, obvious error, freedom of speech is the better of two evils.
Well meaning laws to stifle freedom of speech as we have, mean that you can be the target of anyone who thinks you are offending their values. What that means is that along with not being able to spew forth the hatred that people like Phelps has, you are also not easily able to tell people of hope in Jesus for anyone who is homosexual as this can be deemed to be hurtful or offensive.
The message of hope and of the love of Jesus is so much more powerful. A puny voice like Phelps is easily seen to be what it is – false.
Yeah, when I told him my two sentence testimony he yelled that I should be ashamed and not to speak out loud the abominations of my past. I told him I was not ashamed of what God has done in my life and he said I should be ashamed and to shut up.
yeah… that ain’t going to happen.
When I first came across Phelps, I felt sick to think that this man was misrepresenting God. I thought maybe he was just uninformed. I wrote to him and told him about how God had loved me and redeemed me as a lesbian and how he had loved me enough to turn my life around. Phelps came back with several sentences of venomous hatred telling me that I was a pure liar and that I was going to hell.
At first I was shocked and astonished that this man could have so little knowledge of the God that he thought he was assisting. I vented to some American friends as we are not able to say things like this in the state in my country. They reminded me of his right to free speech. This pulled me up and I began to realize that despite Phelps Pharisaical, obvious error, freedom of speech is the better of two evils.
Well meaning laws to stifle freedom of speech as we have, mean that you can be the target of anyone who thinks you are offending their values. What that means is that along with not being able to spew forth the hatred that people like Phelps has, you are also not easily able to tell people of hope in Jesus for anyone who is homosexual as this can be deemed to be hurtful or offensive.
The message of hope and of the love of Jesus is so much more powerful. A puny voice like Phelps is easily seen to be what it is – false.
Yeah, when I told him my two sentence testimony he yelled that I should be ashamed and not to speak out loud the abominations of my past. I told him I was not ashamed of what God has done in my life and he said I should be ashamed and to shut up.
yeah… that ain’t going to happen.
Turn or burn, that’s his message, period.
In this society we have to put up with his menacing preaching. Nobody publically complained in the 90′s when he picked on the families of dead AIDS victims and when that didn’t get him the attention he wanted he moved onto a target that would get press.
I personally can’t stand him but then again, there are quite a few people I can’t personally stand to listen to (Wendy Wright, Brian Brown, Maggie Gallagher, Tim Wildmon). They all have a message that’s as offensive to me as the Phelps clan has, yet I support all of their rights to speak as long as it’s legal and on a public piece of property.
I actually want most of the above people to speak more. It’s helpful.
Turn or burn, that’s his message, period.
In this society we have to put up with his menacing preaching. Nobody publically complained in the 90′s when he picked on the families of dead AIDS victims and when that didn’t get him the attention he wanted he moved onto a target that would get press.
I personally can’t stand him but then again, there are quite a few people I can’t personally stand to listen to (Wendy Wright, Brian Brown, Maggie Gallagher, Tim Wildmon). They all have a message that’s as offensive to me as the Phelps clan has, yet I support all of their rights to speak as long as it’s legal and on a public piece of property.
I actually want most of the above people to speak more. It’s helpful.
Phelps and his small clan even protested Jerry Falwell’s funeral. I was there at TRBC that October day in 1999, by the way. Didn’t know any of you guys then. I, too, believe free speech ends when egregious harm is done by it. The irony is in maligning those who died to continue ensuring the freedom to protest in the first place.
That is very true. It is very ironic.
Phelps and his small clan even protested Jerry Falwell’s funeral. I was there at TRBC that October day in 1999, by the way. Didn’t know any of you guys then. I, too, believe free speech ends when egregious harm is done by it. The irony is in maligning those who died to continue ensuring the freedom to protest in the first place.
That is very true. It is very ironic.