And I’m seriously considering driving out the 45 minutes or so to go talk with them. From what I can tell, there is a play at the local school with Matthew Shepard as the focus and they are picketing to prevent people from glorifying his “fag agenda”.
No, I have no plans of violence or humiliation. Unlike most peoples’ response to the Phelps, I legitimately have no anger towards them. Mostly just an intense curiosity as to how anybody could develop such a blatantly insane worldview. So is it a good idea to go out and attempt a civil conversation with them? Obviously I doubt exposure to a reasonable and unemotional (I like to think) atheist is likely to do the slightest bit of good for them but it could be a great learning experience for me. Any thoughts?
From what I’ve read in the past, they actually can speak rationally. I read an article by a writer for the Village Voice (maybe? it was a gay themed paper, anyway) who had ended up acquainted with Phelps’s daughter (I think). He said they would have perfectly rational conversations, but she firmly believed that he (the writer) was going to burn in hell for eternity. It seemed very odd to me - not at all what one would expect from a group that espouses such hatred.
I don’t think you’ll figure out or understand what makes them tick, but more power to you.
Eh, for one thing, they have developed a habit of saying they’re going to protest things and then not show up. So if you’re going to make the trek, make sure they’re really coming. As for your personal growth, well, they’re really not that interesting. They’re angry people who like to cause disruptions in order to validate their persecution complex. I really don’t think they got a whole lot going on in the brain area. If they came to where I lived, I’d probably just find a particularly hunky guy to make out with in their line of sight.
This is the impression I got from watching youtube interviews, etc… It only fuels my curiosity about what it would be like to talk to someone SO far out into delusional land and yet still able to hold a rational conversation.
This is disappointing to hear. Well, I did send a polite email asking for a few more details on what was going down so unless I get a reply I guess I’m not going.
Yeah, their goal is not so much to proselytize as be big fucking douches. If they tell everyone they’re going to be somewhere and then not go, they get to watch that group deal with the expense of added security and larger groups and then they save on airfare.
Nah, I wouldn’t bother going. You’ll be starting from two different assumptions: They’re assuming the Christian God exists and you assume no god exists. Thus, when they start quoting scripture to you, it won’t mean anything. If you were a Christian (as they claim to be) you might get something out of it, since you would believe in the same book they do.
If i remember correctly Fred’s offsprings are all lawyers… I was in KC when they got the idea to start picketing military funerals… They were’nt gettin any pub just harassing gay ones…
I use to tease my ex about them being lawyers and such…
Yeah, they’re all very up on the law and they’re very good at getting people riled up enough to push or shove them and then suing them in court. If you must give them attention, I really recommend the equivalent of a bowl of popcorn and a lawnchair. Oo, you could shout “Dance, monkeys, dance!”
That is pretty funny. I especially like “I’m tired” and “Build prisons on the Moon” I had actually thought of something along these lines earlier. My idea was “I hate everybody”. Not as good in retrospect.
E: Or how about “If you’re reading this, you’re going to hell”?
I think it’s safe to say the food they’re looking for is slightly more sustainable than a single grad student going out of his way to have a boring conversation where he doesn’t get angry, violent, or converted. But alas, I won’t be going. Partly because they didn’t get back to me and I’m worried about wasting three hours if Inner Stickler’s no-show prediction come true but also because I have a multitude of other non-related reasons to not go.
What really gets me riled up is that they include their children in their protests. You will drive by them and see a ten year old holding a sign saying “God hates you / God hates fags”. Pisses me off.
Pretty much. That said, I’ve been to a few of their protests (participating in counter-protests in college). The one cool thing I saw was a rant-a-thon that a student organization ran; they took donation pledges for the gay outreach on campus based on how long Fred and his gang kept their protest going. The longer it ran, the more money for gay youth.
I did actually approach the big man himself. He wasn’t willing to talk (except to the TV cameras), but I did talk to one of his daughters. I did not find her rational or pleasant at all – more rabid than anything. To this day I’m fairly certain that they aren’t interested in convincing anyone, just in feeling good about themselves and maintaining a steady living through lawsuits.
Lol, yeah, you can count me out of that category too. Although it is possible I’ve conceived of the scenario where after a five minute conversation with me, one of the girls realizes her whole life has been nothing but closed-minded hatred and irrationality, at which time we elope together and go live in a mountain cottage, blogging about science and rationality and watching star trek.
Only some of that was just now invented on the spot.
I had actually thought of something along these lines earlier. My idea was “I hate everybody”. Not as good in retrospect.