# Could I attend a Sunday service at Westboro Baptist Church? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721 "2010-07-23T15:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/1 "2010-07-23T15:17:12Z")
Let’s say I’m Christian, and I’m in Topeka, Kansas for the weekend. It’s Sunday morning, and I’m looking for a church service to attend. Driving around in my rental car, I stumble upon Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church. Could I just walk in off the street and attend a Sunday service there? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/2 "2010-07-23T15:26:42Z")
Interesting question, and regretfully I don’t have an answer. Google Chrome wouldn’t load their website\*. _It’s probably all for the best. I feel kind of icky having godhatesf_\*\*.com in my registry. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/3 "2010-07-23T18:07:18Z")
From the Louis Thoreaux documentary, they seemed a bit more like a cult with a strong family backbone than a church. So I don’t think you would get far as an outsider, especially considering their many enemies. ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/4 "2010-07-23T18:08:41Z")
I doubt too many of them would still be able to walk if they let just anyone into their “church.” ---
**Author:** ![bullrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@bullrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bullrun)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/5 "2010-07-23T18:13:00Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Let’s say I’m Christian, and I’m in Topeka, Kansas for the weekend. It’s Sunday morning, and I’m looking for a church service to attend. Driving around in my rental car, I stumble upon Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church. Could I just walk in off the street and attend a Sunday service there? LOL! I would suppose you could. Never have seen the church myself. You would, (I would guess), be on some FBI list from that time on…(lol) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/6 "2010-07-23T19:40:10Z")
I don’t think non-family members are allowed/trusted. ---
**Author:** ![Penguinlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Penguinlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penguinlady)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/7 "2010-07-23T19:55:01Z")
It’s called a “church” purely for tax purposes. To the best of my knowledge, they don’t hold services, and the entire congregation comprises family and a few close friends. ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/8 "2010-07-23T20:18:30Z")
God Hates Visitors! ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/9 "2010-07-23T20:40:54Z")
> [@Penguinlady](#): > > It’s called a “church” purely for tax purposes. To the best of my knowledge, they don’t hold services, and the entire congregation comprises family and a few close friends. If the Louis Theroux documentary is to be believed, they do indeed hold services. They’ve got a churchy-looking building or room with pews and a podium at the front. Whether or not the services there are open to the public I don’t know. I suspect they’d let you attend if you could convince them that you were genuinely interested, as opposed to someone who just wanted to gawk or disrupt the service. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/10 "2010-07-23T21:15:17Z")
The church is a house in a residential neighborhood. [Front of house](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4822213984_ac3dc269b5_b.jpg). [Side of house](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4822214568_426c930958_b.jpg) (note the “God Hates Fags” sign). There’s even a pool in the back! I called their number to ask but it was busy. If you are really interested call them - (785) 273-0325‎. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/11 "2010-07-23T22:26:55Z")
> [@Westboro Baptist Church](#): > > For more information about WBC, feel free to attend one of our weekly church meetings. We are located at 3701 W. 12th Street in Topeka, KS. Regular service time is 12:00 p.m. (Central time). from their website. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/12 "2010-07-23T22:37:29Z")
I would be very, very interested in reading the account of a Doper attending services at WBC. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/13 "2010-07-24T00:03:53Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > The church is a house in a residential neighborhood. [Front of house](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4822213984_ac3dc269b5_b.jpg). [Side of house](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4822214568_426c930958_b.jpg) (note the “God Hates Fags” sign). Nitpick: I think that sign is a “God Hates America” sign … isn’t it? I mean, not that it really matters, since the reason they say God hates America is because we’re so gay-friendly… but it took me a few minutes to figure out why “fags” was so long on that sign. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/14 "2010-07-24T02:36:11Z")
> [@Penguinlady](#): > > It’s called a “church” purely for tax purposes. To the best of my knowledge, they don’t hold services, and the entire congregation comprises family and a few close friends. Well, you are right that they are not Christian and are not a real Christian church, they do have services. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/15 "2010-07-24T04:43:39Z")
Wow, they really have open services … thanks all! I wonder how many people outside of family members actually attend. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/16 "2010-07-24T05:06:43Z")
Okay, we’ve established that you could “just walk in off the street and attend a Sunday service there”. But could you _prance_ in? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/17 "2010-07-24T05:50:48Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Nitpick: I think that sign is a “God Hates America” sign … isn’t it? Yep, I just read the first two words and followed their mantra. But your right we’re all fag lovers so what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/18 "2010-07-24T13:11:06Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Okay, we’ve established that you could “just walk in off the street and attend a Sunday service there”. > > But could you _prance_ in? Quoting from their website (although I wonder if their definition of “kindness” is the same as the usual definition :D) > [@Westboro Baptist Church](#): > > What would you do if a homosexual attended your church? > > Regardless of any person’s private conduct, we would do unto them as we would have them do unto us. By a fear of God, we would declare the whole counsel of God to them, lest their blood should be on our hands. We would share the Gospel (good news) with them, and we would treat them like we would treat any other person on this earth. We would treat them with kindness, and follow those scriptural injunctions that require that we preach the gospel to every creature. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/19 "2010-07-24T13:25:36Z")
So what they’d have us do unto them is to troll their funerals, and block their way to doing anything they think important? Heck, trolling their services would be about the equivalent. Yeah, I wouldn’t take what they describe as kindness as being anywhere near the kind Jesus or Paul preached. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone” - Romans 12:18 (NIV). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721/20 "2010-07-24T14:09:48Z")
I wonder what they would do if busloads of gay Christians, Bibles in hand, came to the church. Every Sunday. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-attend-a-sunday-service-at-westboro-baptist-church/547721.md?page=2)