Peter LaBarbera, the director of the notoriously anti-gay group Illinois Family Institute, has come out with a statement denouncing Fred Phelps’ protests of U.S. Service men. Phelps has been protesting military funerals because he says the U.S. is a “fag nation” and the military helps spread homosexuality.
LaBarbera, ever the wise Christian, said Phelps’ protests are misguided and it “fuels societal bigotry toward those who espouse genuine Biblical views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion.”
Yep, you read that right.
Phelps’ actions spread hate towards Christians. See he doesn’t enflame bigots against homos, he makes everyone else persecute the Christians. In fact, LaBabera wonders if perhaps ol’ Fred is actually a “gay plant”!
Now I can agree with his statement that “Picketing at funerals takes tackiness to a new level and is well beyond the boundaries of decency.” But I wonder where LaBarbera was when Phelps was picketing Matt’s funeral or Mr. Roger’s.
Sorry, Peter, Fred is one of yours. He may be more extreme, or honest, in expressing his hatred. But he’s on the same side as you. Pot. Kettle. Assholes.
The thing is, there are plenty of good-hearted tolerant Christians out there, and they too are being tainted by Phred. They’d do well to shut him up. Thing about Phred is (my theory), he’s not really anti-gay. He’s pro-chaos.
Peter LaBarbera is just the kinder gentler Phelps. The only difference is that Peter has said that homosexuals can repent their sinful ways and get into heaven. The underlying message from Mr. LaBarbera, as I see it, is still god hates fags. Just because he says it nicely doesn’t make it right.
He calls Phelps a caricature but a caricature is just a drawing that exagerates what’s already there.
I dunno, willow seems too sad to be representative of the gay folk I know. Perhaps a palm tree? Tall and handsome, well groomed…always out of reach*
Anywho, LaBarbera has a point. Most people (of the more liberal persuasion…wide brush? Me? Neva!) look at Phelps and feel he is representative of “them.” They might be the republicans, they might be the Bible Thumpers, but they are them none the less.
All Christians are not Phelps, but they are lumped in with his craziness. When Phelps wanted to protest my friend’s funeral, ALL of the churches here in town made a point of QUICKLY disassociating themselves with Phelp’s brand of Christianity.
*Spoken as a straight female. I know I can get an “Amen” that all the good ones are gay…at least the hot ones.
It’s tempting to make Phelps a straw man if you don’t know much about him, or for disingenuous rhetorical purposes, but the fact is the guy’s a certifiable psychopath. Anyone with half a brain should be able to figure out he’s batshit crazy, throughly malevolent, and not really comparable to much of anybody except other lunatics.
LaBarbera is obviously using him as a heat-deflecting foil, which is so lame. You don’t have to be crazy to be an asshole, and contrasting yourself with the nutjobs as a demonstration of your own virtue is nothing but a good indicator of what a douchebag you really are.
Fred violates just about any common-sense standard of human conduct, be it theistic or no. He’s a monster who happens to fixate on a particular religious tradition to give his malignancy some structure and ostensible significance. He’s not worth a critique by normal standards of decency or ethical code. Abnormal psychology is the only real yardstick to measure him by.
OH shit! If that really is the correct interpretation then a shitload of folks are gonna burn. I pretty much figure if god wants it done the bastard can damn well do it himself. Therefore everything ever done in gods name (which is a truck load of really stupid shit) has been done in vain.
