# I pit the Westboro Baptist Church **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 6, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151 "2005-06-06T16:50:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/1 "2005-06-06T16:50:04Z")
This Kansas “church” group has traveled all the way to Massachussetts to harrass kids and congregations up here. I’ve heard of these loons but for Christ’ sake, if you’re so upset about a kid writing an essay about Ellen Degeneres stay the hell home! Cite: [http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4573174/detail.html](http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/4573174/detail.html) On the local news last night, they showed one of these Baptists holding a “Thank God for 9/11” sign refusing to accept water from a member of a congregation. Her reason “I don’t know what that is or where you have been.” I wonder if she was worried if she’d catch the gay. :rolleyes: As an aside, I don’t really understand how 9/11 was connected to homosexuality. I can’t wait for the Rapture to sweep up these offensive morons. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/2 "2005-06-06T16:57:29Z")
Frankly, I love the idea that maybe there ain’t no afterlife and all these superpricks have completely wasted all their time here. Sweet, sweet irony. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/3 "2005-06-06T17:02:13Z")
I like this (parent’s ?) quote: > [@](#): > > “Look kids, this is what Bible-thumping morons look like. The genuine article, right here,” Dracut, Mass, resident Eddie Dyer said. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/4 "2005-06-06T17:07:15Z")
From the OP’s article: > [@](#): > > Police said that the group’s beliefs could insight violence. **INCITE**. There is NO gay lifestyle any more than there’s a HETERO lifestyle. LAZY FUCKING “JOURNALISTS”. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/5 "2005-06-06T17:09:26Z")
All this because one child wrote an award-winning essay? 😕 They must be very afraid of the power of this one student. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/6 "2005-06-06T17:12:36Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > Frankly, I love the idea that maybe there ain’t no afterlife and all these superpricks have completely wasted all their time here. Sweet, sweet irony. Irony? Isn’t that what Discordia uses to do her laundry with? fnord ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/7 "2005-06-06T17:14:52Z")
What pisses me off is the the amount of publicity and attention that these few wingnuts have managed to generate. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/8 "2005-06-06T17:17:34Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > From the OP’s article: > > > [@](#): > > > > Police said that the group’s beliefs could insight violence. > > **INCITE**. > > There is NO gay lifestyle any more than there’s a HETERO lifestyle. > > LAZY FUCKING “JOURNALISTS”. > [@The Linked article](#): > > “I had SWAT on standby. I had 30 units. I had 12 to 14 mountain bike officers, plus I had a compliment of 37 of my officers,” Dracut Police Department Chief Kevin Richardson said. **COMPLEMENT** Roger that on the “lazy journalists”. Although it could be lazy copy editors. I didn’t see the phrase “gay lifestyle” used in the article, though. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/9 "2005-06-06T17:21:24Z")
Instead of picking a Massachusetts school, why don’t they picket the Tony Awards. I would pay good money to see that. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/10 "2005-06-06T17:21:58Z")
Come on…Pitting Fred Phelps and his Westboro gang is like pitting misquitoes… It’s a given. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/11 "2005-06-06T17:23:23Z")
Pitting mosquitoes too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/12 "2005-06-06T17:30:32Z")
> [@AmericanMaid](#): > > “Thank God for 9/11” sign Who says no one ever blames God for the bad things? err… attributes the bad things to him, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/13 "2005-06-06T17:31:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > **COMPLEMENT** > > Roger that on the “lazy journalists”. Although it could be lazy copy editors. > > I didn’t see the phrase “gay lifestyle” used in the article, though. Look at the subheadline. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/14 "2005-06-06T17:42:44Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > There is NO gay lifestyle any more than there’s a HETERO lifestyle. > > LAZY FUCKING “JOURNALISTS”. In fairness, that is precisely what the Phelpsites are protesting. The fact that there is no “gay lifestyle” doesn’t alter that. I could protest the government putting mind-control chemicals into the water supply, and the fact that government is doing no such thing wouldn’t change the purpose of my protest one whit. Still, you’re probably right. That subtlety is most likely lost on whoever wrote the sub-headline. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/15 "2005-06-06T17:47:23Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > Frankly, I love the idea that maybe there ain’t no afterlife and all these superpricks have completely wasted all their time here. Sweet, sweet irony. The tragedy is that none of us will be around to see it. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/16 "2005-06-06T18:51:03Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > All this because one child wrote an award-winning essay? I’d be really proud if anything I ever did got Phelps to protest at my school. I think I’d consider whatever I did to be one of my more significant lifetime achievements, in fact… If you’re pissing off someone who would display a “Thank God for 9/11” sign, you must be doing something right. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/17 "2005-06-06T19:26:49Z")
> [@AmericanMaid](#): > > On the local news last night, they showed one of these Baptists holding a “Thank God for 9/11” sign refusing to accept water from a member of a congregation. _Self-described_ Baptists. Phelps and his cult are the only ones who consider themselves Baptists. Apparently, there’s nothing to stop you from forming an organization of any kind whatsoever and calling it a Baptist church, even if every Baptist in the world disapproves entirely of everything you do. NAMBLA could change their name to The Official Baptist Club For Guys Who Want To Diddle Little Boys and there wouldn’t be a hell of a lot anyone could do about it. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/18 "2005-06-06T19:37:57Z")
Those who are just hearing about Fred Phelps might find this [site](http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm) interesting, yet horrifying. Alternate link [here](http://www.10percent.org/exposephelps.html). Fred Phelps is insane in my opinion, as are his followers, which are his mostly children/family and their spouses. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/19 "2005-06-06T19:39:08Z")
In anticipation of protests against Bob Scene’s ponit, there is no No True Scotsman fallacy if the predicate contradicts the definition. For example, “No true vegetarian eats cows” is not a fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151/20 "2005-06-06T19:42:14Z")
> [@Bob Scene](#): > > _Self-described_ Baptists. Phelps and his cult are the only ones who consider themselves Baptists. Apparently, there’s nothing to stop you from forming an organization of any kind whatsoever and calling it a Baptist church, even if every Baptist in the world disapproves entirely of everything you do. NAMBLA could change their name to The Official Baptist Club For Guys Who Want To Diddle Little Boys and there wouldn’t be a hell of a lot anyone could do about it. Yeah no kidding, I asked Phelps to flash me the super secret Baptist sign and he held up 4 fingers instead of 3 in the 23rd step. Baptist my ass! (I’m just joking, I do agree with your point) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-westboro-baptist-church/307151.md?page=2)