Ok, I'm sure you all have heard of these jerkoffs by now (yes, I'm editorializing), but they're always in the news and definitely qualify as deviant. But in the case of the Westboro Baptist Church, what purpose does their deviance serve?
(From http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,324966,00.html)
A radical Baptist church in Kansas known for picketing the funerals of soldiers who perished in Iraq said it intends to protest Heath Ledger's memorial service with signs claiming the actor died and is in Hell because he played a gay character in “Brokeback Mountain.”
Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka said that she and other members will picket Ledger’s United States memorial services, not those held in his native Australia.
“You cannot live in defiance of God,” she said. “He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it’s OK to be gay.”
A press release circulated by the church references Leviticus 18:22 in the Bible, which states that “thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
“Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there,” the Westboro Baptist announcement says.
Started 1955, the Topeka, Kan.-based church has conducted over 34,000 peaceful demonstrations opposing the homosexual lifestyle, according to their Web site, GodHatesFags.com.
The organization runs various Web sites, including GodHatesAmerica.com and others that condemn lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Muslims, Roman Catholics and Jews as well as certain nationalities, according to Wikipedia.
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the church as a hate group and the organization is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League, according to its Wikipedia entry.
Phelps-Roper said the church group will also be picketing the Academy Awards this year.
Both the printed release and Phelps-Roper’s verbal diatribe about Ledger were rife with homophobic slurs. She said that those who call her and other members of Westboro Baptist Church bigots must also think God is a bigot.
“God hates fags,” she said. “The wrath of God has been revealed before the eyes of this nation with the death of Heath Ledger. … This nation worships the dead almost as much as they worship their filthy sex acts. America is doomed.”
------------------(As an aside, this picture I found on fark.com discussing this news story. I can't decide if it's so awful it's funny or just awful. But I think we can all appreciate the irony.)
31 comments:
I don't know much about the Westboro Baptist Church, but they seem like total assholes.
Anyone or any group who protests a funeral of any kind is absolutely ridiculous and extremely cruel. Heath Ledger was an actor whom played a homosexual character in one role ever. He seems like quite the stretch to be the poster boy for this homophobic campaign.
These people look like they are just after attention, and there whole purpose seems to be one of creating controversy and media uproar....or maybe they ordered too many t-shirts and need an event where they can sell some.
I think it is very disrespectful to protest any person's funeral at all. I think it is a time for their friends and family to mourn and they shouldn't have to worry about a person disrupting their service. I can't believe that a group such as this one would protest the funeral of an individual who wasn't even gay but just played a role as a gay person. It just seems crazy to me and I don't understand how people could do such a thing.
I too am extremely disturbed that the group is pretesting at funerals. As a Catholic Christian, I find it very interesting that although this group believes that God created all of man kind, and that the bible tells them to love and help all people, that it would promote such insensitive and cruel policies. To me it seems as though they are a bunch of extremely vain persons with nothing better to do than to hate. And hell, why not pick the classics like innocent homosexuals...
This "Church" is more of a hate group then an actual church. Churches are supposed to be places of acceptance and forgiveness but this church just discriminates. It is totally inappropriate to protest anyones funeral no matter what your personal opinion of them is. A funeral is a time for the families and friends to pay their respects and mourn and this group and taking away that from them. They should put more effort into actually issues in society.
Just about everything this church does is completely crazy and extremely disturbing. I know this isn't exactly from the article you posted but something I find interesting is the children are being controlled by the parents in this church, I saw an interview with the family that makes up most of this church and the kids didn't even know what the words "Fag" or "Jew" meant, just that they were something to the effect of "they are against God...I think..." I think that this is a form deviance by letting not only yourselves as parents be willfully ignorant but then to brainwash your child with that same ignorance and hatred.
I would also compare this church to things like Scientology, where the common perception is that people who belive that "God hates fags" or a science fiction writer knows the secrets of the world are seen by the mainstream as weird, crazy and therefore not a huge stretch to deviant. Even though most of what they do are not crimes.
To protest the death of soliders is a complete attorcity. If it we not for soliders in the first place we would not have the current freedoms we do in this country.
Just think, the soliders are fighting for the rights of those back at home, and all they can do is take advantage of that and piss, whine, moan and complain.
I would say it's safe to venture that the majority of those protesting never served a day in the military and have no clue what it's like to follow the directives of others, wheather you want to or not.
Regarding the death of Heath Ledger and his part in Brokback Mountain, it was just a movie, that's all. I agree with ajs blog post and that all these people want is attention and contoversy. Apparently they have nothing better to do with their time then complain, maybe if they had positive outlets in their life, they wouldn't spend so much time watching others actions.
Well for starters I don't agree with what this group does or saids. In no way shape or form is it right to protest a persons death or funeral. Second, I could see where this group is coming from, I guess its against their religion and its what they believe in and every group and every body has the right to silently protest. It doesn't mean that you necessarily have to agree with it. And thrid I agree with what matt w. saids about the parents brainwashing the kids. If you ask me I would just keep the kids out of it. But that is what life is, every kid follows what their parents tell them until they are old enough to make their own decisions. Thats how kids are, you tell them something is bad and thats all they know. It doesn't mean necessarily that they know the true meaning of things.
Before reading this article, I had no idea that the Westboro Baptist Church ever existed; and I almost wish it had stayed that way. I found Shirley Phelps-Roper’s comments to be very ignorant and hateful. It’s disheartening to know that there are actually people in this world who would take something, such as the bible, and twist it around so that it suits their own fanatical purposes. The fact that Roper would even place herself and the members of her church on the same level as God is not only outrageous, but laughable. I was very pleased to learn that this organization is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League because it is nothing more than a hate group that makes unfounded claims in the name of God.
To take the Bible as literal to call Heath Ledger a liar and say that he is burning in hell seems to be taking it a bit too far. To protest the funerals of soilders and the funeral of Heath Ledger is one of the most disrespectful things immaginable. These soilders , of whom these people protest against, were overseas protecting and serving for those very rights, the rights to protest, the freedom of speech. You are entitled to opinion , but as said in other posts - don't drag the children into it , they don't understand it at this point. I think that every group uses the Bible as a resource to just grab something that fits their case, because of realtive ease. This group should be asked to read Samuel 1:26 where it says : I grieve for you my brother Johnathon How dear you were to me.........How wonderful your love was to me, better than the love of any women.....
Pages separate two differant feelings, but they only consider half of it, and thus it proves their weakness in the argument
Identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “general hate” group, the Westboro Baptist Church has somewhere between 70 and 150 members. The vast majority of members are in some way related to leader Fred Phelps. Also, members are prohibited from marrying anyone from outside the church, and with so few genetic lines (as very few families joined the church), most members are related to each other. Their targets, beyond Heath Ledger, have included those from Benazir Bhutto to Jerry Falwell to Coretta Scott King. It seems as though they insist on embodying the ridiculous.
This group protests every kind of so-called “deviance” they see, and yet they are perceived by others to be deviant. They dub themselves a Baptist church, but are not in line with the beliefs of the Baptist church. I find it abhorrent to protest anyone’s funeral, as would most other people, itself a deviant act. They even use the Bible (Leviticus 18:22) to justify their actions, and yet those actions seem unjustifiable. The group is protesting the funeral of a man who portrayed a gay character, the stupidity and smallness of that action cannot be overstated.
Its actually scary to me that people like the Wesboro Baptist Church members actually exsist. I do believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should be able to protest those ideas but i will be the first to say that this is taking it way too far. If these are the beliefs these people have, then thats fine however, protests like this and t-shirts on young children exclaiming profanity just make these people look ignorant, insensetive and just plain evil. Regardless of the message these people wish to convey, they need to seriously step back and re-evalute the way that they are attempting to do so. What the Baptist church did at this talented, well respected actors funeral where people are trying to mourn, is disgraceful.
There's a lot to be said about any church that is considered a "hate group" and that is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League. This group hides behind the Bible to justify their feelings on gays, lesbians, homosexuals, etc which has been done by others however, having read the Bible a few times myself I don't recall anything in there in support of picketing funerals which is one of the most disrespectful acts any church going citizen could participate in.
It's ironic that a group who is against all deviant acts are labeled deviant by others.
Correct me if im worng...but i thought that god was supposed to love all equally. I thought that the curch was supposed to accept all equally as well. The church originally supported homosexuallity until recent history when it was found to be less benificial. i find it pretty rediculous that anyone would protest at a funeral in the first place. Some people are just desperate for attention and i think this group has found their attention calling..however thier methods are a bit uncommon and are not very likely to gain support
I haven't heard of this group until now, but it seems to me that they are more of a radical hate group than they are a peaceful protesting group. They hate Catholics, Jews, homosexuals, and pretty much any other person that isn't apart of their church. I don’t understand how they could benefit from protesting against the funerals of soldiers because nowhere in the bible does it say that God is against what those soldiers are trying to do. Nor does it say anywhere that portraying a homosexual in a movie is against God’s will. I feel as though this group of extremists is trying to conform everyone not following their idealist views and we all know where this form of thinking leads.
The motivation behind the church's protest appears to be aimed for media attention and personal phobia against a certain typology of persons. Protests and campaigning can have many positive influences, but the demeanor of this group’s rallies is inexcusable and I would imagine pretty offensive and hurtful to many people. This group is "boarder line" of facing charges. It is clearly a deviant act protesting not only against certain people but in a site of burial.
This church may be the most ideal case of counterproductive work I have yet to hear about. How is a church going to protest anything along these lines? Houses of worship are there to provide an unbiased outsource of coping and relief. I am myself a Roman Catholic and I completely disagree with how we as an institution deal with predatory sexual offenders, including homosexuals amongst our own congregation. Priests suspected of child molestation and the like are sent to homes (I know of a specific one in Florida) where they can essentially "fix the problem" before it is brought to a legal level.
I feel bad for the kids in this photo, who are brainwashed by extremists who give religion and faith in God, a bad name. To say that Heath Ledger is going to burn in hell because he "acted" as a gay man in film is absolutely outrageous. He was an ACTOR; he acts, that's what he does. The church has the right to feel the way they do but the have the audacity to outrightly interupt or protest at someone's funeral is disgusting.
I think this article demonstrates how ignorant some people can be. Whether you are against or for homosexuality, I dont understand why this group would picket heath ledgers memorial. He played a gay character in a movie, but in his personal life he is a straight man. He does not live a homosexual life style. I think this is a matter of hate and homophobia. It demostrates how small minded people can be. I cant believe that this group, that they call a religion, would picket and cause so much problems. I think it is cruel and rediculious.... On a lighter note, i like the irony in the picture...lol
I would almost equate this "church" with a cult. The members are brainwashed into thinking certain things. It's awful that these people even think that they are doing the right thing. What if one of them died and every other church protested at their funeral? It probably wouldn't be so right then, would it? These are the same people who protest at soldier's funerals, when it's because of these soldiers that they are even allowed to do and say what they do. They're just looking for someone to blame, and it's sad that they don't point that finger inward.
I can't believe anyone would ever picket at a funeral. Everyone has the right to free speech given to us by the first amendment. But there is something that's called "Time, Place, and Manner." Westboro Batist Church will of course have their own views about the way one should live but to demonstrate their perspective at Heath Ledgers funeral is just ridiculous. Heath Ledger only portrayed a gay character in his movie. It is just completely preposterous that this group who seems to be a hate group would protest his acting.
I'm all for people having their opinions and expressing them. But this to me seems just outrageous, which I guess means that they achieved their intended purpose. To put those T-shirts on the kids is poor taste, and only invites them to ask questions and forms their judgemental opinions. Protesting a funeral for attention is mind blowing to me, in light of the fact that, the man who died wasn't gay himself, he was playing a role, as a part of his job. I think that there should be some class and tact in expressing views against gays, none of which the group decided to do.
I agree that it is very disrespectful to protest funerals. Without even going into the Westboro Baptist Churches views they are obviously a group of people with no respect or consideration for others. Its really an issue of having no common decency. I don't know how they can call themselves a baptist church when they seem more unchristian than anything and more like a hate group or cult.I don't know I guess no matter how strong my views were on something I wouldn't go and protest or picket at someones funeral. I would find better ways to spread my message, ways that people would actually be receptive to listening to.
I think the only purpose the deviance of this church serves is to give them the public eye and their 15 minutes of fame. Maybe they will get some new members out of the whole deal. Either way. It's pretty disgusting and unfortunate that these people honestly think its okay to particpate in protests at the funerals of people who died defending the US whether or not they think the war is wrong. I especially think they are doing it for the publicity at Heath Ledger's funeral since he was such a well known actor. I'm actually really disgusted.
Caitlyn C
You have to love how blindly ignorant people are. It amazes me. This group definitely deviates from the norm of American culture and possibly could develop into a cult. I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion but these people are particularly distaste to picket a funeral. A family and the friends of a deceased person are trying to cope with the death and nobody should have the right to be causing a distasteful scene outside. They are obviously some what retarded because they could target people that would be more effective for their goals. Heath Ledger is hardly the best target to demonize homosexuality. Although the shirts are pretty good propaganda for their cause but why are the two young boys holding hands. I hope their parents don't catch them. God Bless the South.
-Eric Spaulding
This is a great example of why some people do not believe in an organized religion. I personally im a bit religious to a point, but I do not follow it completely. How can a group that is "so close to God" be so evil against humanity. Homosexuals are people as well, and deserve equal respect. In regards to Heath Ledger's case, I dont think he is gay at all. he was just doing his job, which required him to act like a homosexual.
This completely infuriates me seeing something like this. To protest at someones funeral just makes me believe that these people have no souls. By all means I am for first amendment rights and speaking what you want, but there is a line that someone just shouldn't cross. These people have no respect, and I would never treat them with any since that is the case.
There isn't much to say that hasn't already been about this group and their behavior. While I would like to say that they are a hate group masquerading as a church, I am afraid to say that they probably entirely believe every word that they publish. The scary part is that they legitimately interpret religion this way. These people should not even get the media exposure they claim through shock value.
I will admit that I am Christian, but I would never support individuals protesting at anyone's funeral. Ironically, Christians are supposed to be about peace, love, and forgiveness ,and yes there are commandments listed in the bible that parallel sentiments that condemn homosexuality, but I feel that it is no man's place to pass such strict judgment (in the bible, God makes the call not man). In addition, I'm pretty sure God wouldn't approve of formulating "hate groups" to carry out his will. Now that's ironic...
This is my main complaint with organized religion. Bigots like the people affiliated with the Westboro Baptist Church are sad that they really have nothing better to do in life than to preach bullshit. There are many famous actors who have portrayed gay or lesbian characters, and it is sad that their contributions to society could be mocked in such a way as this. What a waste of free speech.
I can't understand what could possess someone to be such a piece of crap that they'd have the audacity to protest at someone's funeral. It's terrible for them to want to protest at Heath Ledger's funeral but it bothers me more that these jackasses would protest at funerals for fallen military personel. Since the founding of our country, members of the armed forces have sacrificed their freedom to protect ours. Those who are unforunately lost in combat deserve to be respectfully buried, as well as appreciated by all for their sacrifice. I find it sickening that there are people who would dishonor their memory in such a way
This is one of the worst things i ever heard. People are really going to protest at the funeral ceremony of the death of an actor who played a character that was gay. This is rediculous, he is trying to make money by acting. He is not advocating that being gay is right thing to do. He is an "actor" and that is what actors do they act. I also think it is very disrespectful to be protesting at his fuuneral.
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