How long until this guy endorses beating up puppies?
**Guinastasia, ** the rumors about the daughter are about the *second * oldest daughter, Margie, and her son Jacob. Ther oldest daughter is Kathy, who is my age, and who I was acquainted with in junior high. Kathy, last I heard, was not part of the family, at least not closely, as I heard she divorced.
About the Treasures of the Tsars exhibit several years ago, the whole clan did indeed picket, but not because of nay anti-Russian sentiments. It’s just that they knew that lots of people would be there, many from out of state, and they wanted to get their message out. I took pictures. That photo link in an earlier post appeared to be of Jonathon Phelps, who led the Tsars pickets, and whom I have several photos of.
Not sure if they are picketing the current Russian exhibit. It’s at a different site, and there are no public sidewalks or parking near the entrances.
Yes, Topekans see things that don’t always get out. The rector of one of our Episcopalian churches wrote a letter to the paper(not published) about how one of their women let her small boy urinate, from the sidewalk, onto church property, into a flower bed. But it was his word against what would presumably be their denial of the incident. The paper wouldn’t publish so the church put it in their newsletter. I remember on phrase “Dear God, they desecrated the daylilies” For some perverse reason I laughed at that.
Firstly, to how many stories are we overexposed that feature people who seem to derive almost orgasmic joy at proclaiming “God’s hate” at anyone and everyone? The only example I can think of that even comes close is coverage of ObL, and that can sometimes serve a purpose of educating the general public about some aspect of national security.
And then there’s the fact of the message that’s being sent both by him and the media. it doesn’t even take two functioning brain cells to see Phelps as evil. However, it’s evil that seems to be attracting people to watch their news or read their paper, so it’s making those companies reporting on it a buck.
So then you’re saying that perpetuating a message of hate is better than talking about a local link to the seven victims of the Columbia tragedy this past Sunday. And doesn’t the “tangential local link to one of the astronauts” have a point too, in that people in, say, Felch Michigan or Puget Sound, Washington St. are affected in a very real way by the disaster? It’s that whole “small world” idea.
And Philosophocles, if it got him followers or money or whatever, I think he’d probably endorse child-beating. It wouldn’t be a stretch of his “morals” at all, as any who have read the early chapters of the account of his children’s upbringing can tell you.
Heh, I reread this and I could just picture that being the tag line for a spoof of the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercials:
The sad thing is, he is desecrating a religion I hold very dear by directly contradicting its second and I’d be willing to bet its first commandment. I’d be willing to bet Phelps loves himself a lot more than God, although he wouldn’t admit it! He and the rest of the “Homosexuals are going to Hell!” crowd also drown out those of us Christians who disagree with them.
I don’t believe in condemning people to hell; it’s not my place to. I do believe we create our own heaven and hell, and Phelps is creating a lovely one for himself, filled with hatred, anger, and pain. The thing is, I wonder if he’ll recognize it. I can just hear the exchange:
“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
“Why have you forsaken Me?”
:Sigh: Guys like this make me wonder if the Wiccans are accepting recruits!
CJ
Damnit, Tuckerfan, I cannot be laughing like that at work when I’m pretending to be actually working! Stop that!
I agree of course that the message is repulsive. But at least it’s honest! The endless loops of newsreel the TV will show for weeks has nothing behind it except the notion that people will stay tuned to watch the next ad for astonishingly repulsive sweet fat bars.
What’s ObL?
I think if you have just a small amount of faith in humanity, they will recognize this pustule for what he is, and showing him on TV will also educate people about how not to think and behave.
Let’s not get into the ethics of the ‘news’ outlets that cover this ultra-maroon. It’s worse than ‘news’ coverage of Joe Millionaire on your local Fox evening news. Or ‘fastlane’.
I guess I think it’s the producers of the show that have only two brain cells. They think he’s entertaining, so they show him.
Whoa, nelly. I’m saying the news station and Phred are doing the same thing and that he may be less awful. Not that covering Phelps and covering the columbia are the same.
A very real way? How? Not more than the death of a mid-level executive by heart failure, surely? But the ‘news’ plays up one and ignores the other. So they can sell us.
Under normal circumstances, no. (Most covens are exclusive, not inclusive.)
However, the Unitarian Universalists would be happy if you’d like to come over. You don’t even have to give up Christianity.
Actually, I do have some connections to a coven in Maine where I know I’d be welcome and one in Ohio where I probably would be. I was just amused by the image. Thanks, but I think I’ll stay Episcopalian for now – this way I get to bask in Polycarp’s reflected glory (or is that just him blushing!)
CJ
Osama Bin Laden.
When last heard from, Fred was going to picket the Topeka Federal Courthouse at noon yesterday, to protest America’s toleration of sodomy. So I go over to the Topeka Capitol-Journal Online, to see if they’re featuring it, I type “phelps” into their Search box, and glory be if they don’t have an entire PAGE devoted to Fred Phelps, with video clips and all kinds of archival stuff.
http://cjonline.com/webindepth/phelps/
The latest article in their “Phelps Archive” is dated October 2001. Looks to me like he’s history as far as the editors of the C-J are concerned. No more free publicity from the C-J for Ol’ Fred, looks like.
But ne’mind all that, he’s moving on, to Nashville on February 18.
http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/02/28488447.shtml?Element_ID=28488447
I like that, “…has incensed opponents of the proposal, too.” “Please don’t help us, Fred…”
And I like the mental image of a Nashville Axis of Evil. Wonder how God feels about C & W music…? 
Quoting Pres. Bush: “The crew of the space shuttle Columbia did not return to Earth. Yet we can pray that all are safely home.”
Paraphrasing from memory a minister at a friend’s mom’s memorial just yesterday: “(quotes statement above, then launches into commentary): [The deceased] knew God and has gone home. But those who don’t know God [making clear that the seven are included in this category] don’t get to go home.”
I can’t speak for all who attended, but I know I could have done without this part.
I’ll take that bet. Lunacy like this doesn’t stem from self-love, it stems from deep self-hatred.
Why, oh why do I feel sorry for the guy?
Oh wait – I don’t.
Hmmm…what were his kids like in high school? The candy crusades and the fiance who committed suicide?
That whole family is nuts.
No, not all of them are nuts Guinastasia. Two sons and one daughter live seperate lives, and maybe Kathy, the one I once knew, too. The one daughter, Dortha, went so far as to change her surname so whe wouldn’t be automatically associated with her family.
Oh, yeah, I remember. I just mean, it seems like they’ve all been so damaged by Fred himself. It’s so sad.
You don’t have to join a coven to be a Wiccan. You can be a solitary.
Phelps is a parody. In his singleminded zeal to proclaim his version of Christianity, he is alienating people from Christianity. I know I’d much rather go to Polycarp’s heaven than Phelps’.
I find it interesting his congregation is made up mostly of his family.
I’d rather go to Phelps’ hell than spend a minute with his psychotic asshole of a deity - I refuse to consider something worthy of respect, obeisance or worship simply because it wields the biggest stick.
But I think it’s more likely that Phelps is a sockpuppet for the other guy.
Elenfair, I certainly DO approve…
Personally, I wouldn’t send Fred Phelps to (the Judeo-Christian) Hell. Outside of the fact that it’s not my place—and in any case he’s doing a grand job of it all by hisself—I see two problems: first, not even Hell deserves Fred Phelps; and second, Satan probably doesn’t want someone around who’s a bigger demon than he (He?) is.
No, I think Oblivion is a better destiny.
In any case, I consider him (Fred) a good argument for retroactive birth control.
I was on another discussion list at a time when Ben Phelps (the grandson) and a fellow Westboroid were wreaking havoc there. At one point Ben P. commented that he hoped that God would let him help torment all us sinners in Hell when we all died.
I remember thinking how sad it was that, even assuming he got to Heaven, he would choose to spend eternity in Hell anyway. That’s not a sign of a mind attuned to that of God, IMO.