…this morning, before the early service, we had the Phelp’s Klan picketing us for the third week in a row!
See, they’ve picketed us a number of times in the past, along with many other congregations here in Topeka, but in recent months they haven’t been showing. I think “where did we go wrong, did we do something to hurt their feelings?”
It was really only the C team today, not the varsity. Couple of adults, two or three kids. Not the whole WBC tribe that lets you know you really rank up there with the important heathens.
Still, I thought I should go out and offer them coffee or hot tea. It was pretty cold in Topeka this morning. Snerk
We are Episcopalians, and everyone knows how awful we are. Why, we have a woman as Presiding Bishop, and ol’ Fred once said on TV that woman can’t be clergy!:eek:
Actually, here in Topeka the WBC pickets, mostly, churches with a formal, liturgical style, like the Catholics, Lutherans, and Episcopalians.
Way back in the early nineties, when they started their picketing gigs, I was part of a group that organized a rally to counter picket them. We invited all local churches to join us, sent them letters and everything, but only three congregations sent members. One of them was St. David’s(I wasn’t Episcopal then) and they wore shirts identifying themselves. That started the WBC picketing them and other churches, when up to then they’d only been on prominent street corners, particularly 10th and Gage.
Well, they have 4 churches in Kentucky to hit this weekend, so they really can’t spare more than the C team for the hometown crowd. It’s nothing personal, they’re just busy, busy little bees right now.
There was a thread in GQ about it; IIRC the WBC claimed that Anonymous took down their website, and Anon said ‘nope, sorry.’ Some are thinking they’re trying to get attention and really just yanked down their own website.
This was the article that appeared in our local paper, then there was a short report that Anon denied the activity. The WBC has been quiet about it since then.
The Patriot Guard is very active here. I ride with them. WBC sometimes threatens to show up. I’ve never seen them. I have, however seen people who would not attend a funeral for a random Veteran and hold flags before the WBC started to get media attention…so I’m thinking that those batshit crazy folks are good for something.
My Church has never been picketed by anyone. In our defense, though, about once every two years we get pamphlets decrying the Pope as the Antichrist and a number of other things. One year, I was at the parish across town, and they actually warranted paperback books of the same vein (I’m assuming the same people are doing it).
Their “literature” vaguely resembled the stuff circulated by Seventh Day Adventists, and I am a Catholic. (Yes, I am gay. Yes, I am aware of the contradiction. No, I do not partake in the Eucharist.)
I’ll admit to my ignorance of the Phelps whole “thing,” just that they picket legitimate people doing legitimate things that aren’t of the Phelps philosophy or whatever.
I knew about the funerals, (for which IMO they should be arrested or at least limited to 100 yds from cemetery property or something) but I didn’t realize about just picketing regular churches during churching hours.
So that leaves me the question: Do they have their own church services? Are these services on every day except Sunday? I mean, if there are picketers outside regular churches all day Sunday, doesn’t that mean the picketers aren’t going to church? Isn’t is odd that they’re so busy picketing regular church folk that they forgo their own Sunday worship?
I’m confused, but don’t care enough to try to look it up, plus can’t be soused to load websites with Phelps information on them, it might burn my computer circuits or something. I’m far more interested in what Dopers have to say, plus it sounds like some are from areas with first hand experience of which I’d love to hear more.
Well, yeah, isn’t there a “Thee Shalt Not Picket on Sunday” commandment? Maybe it doesn’t count because they reuse the signs (which were not made on a Sunday) and get driven there in a cab?
