"God Hates Fags" church allowed to picket funerals in supreme court judgement.

Run_to_da_hills

"The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, ruled Wednesday that members of the renegade Westboro Baptist Church have a constitutionally protected right to protest military funerals, though their demonstrations are widely despised and deplor"

May be it is about time for people to start taking the law into their own hands.

Funerals are bad enough without this shower turning up.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/02/westboro-funeral-pickets-protected-speech-high-court-rules/

orourkeda

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

"The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision, ruled Wednesday that members of the renegade Westboro Baptist Church have a constitutionally protected right to protest military funerals, though their demonstrations are widely despised and deplor"

May be it is about time for people to start taking the law into their own hands.

Funerals are bad enough without this shower turning up.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/02/westboro-funeral-pickets-protected-speech-high-court-rules/

What is people taking the law into their own hands going to solve. Plays right into their hands and gives the churchgoers an element of justification.

PeterIanStaker

Fred Phelps - Pastor of Muppets. :cool:

Notorious97

There are arseholes in every country, this shower just proves it. they are protesting their own dead soldiers funerals, if America was invaded its the dead soldiers colleagues who would be defending these muppets.

Mena

While it is sickening, that's what the 1st Amendment is there for. Slippery slope and all that...

Overheal

I listened to the audio from the initial hearing on the matter and am willing to believe that the Supreme Court wouldn't idly protect their right to protest unless it was constitutionally protected. They say it is, so it is. How they choose to use that freedom is despicable, but it's theirs to use.

The WBC has been stopped using the same freedoms however in the past, such as recently with the Angel-Wing Protest.

Run_to_da_hills

orourkeda wrote: »

What is people taking the law into their own hands going to solve. Plays right into their hands and gives the churchgoers an element of justification.

There was one funeral a while back where a large number of a renowned back patch motorcycle club turned and kept them well out of sight from the congregation. Perhaps more of this. Numbers speak.

Rented Mule

I believe the idea behind the 1st Amendment was best summed up with the quote:

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

fontanalis

Rented Mule wrote: »

I believe the idea behind the 1st Amendment was best summed up with the quote:

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Yes basically the whole idea of rights is you're not meant to like other peoples and tolerance includes scum!

Monty Burnz

These morons are actually a huge asset for gay rights campaigners - long may they continue to drive people away from old fashioned attitudes and towards a more accepting worldview.

chin_grin

I think the best weapon against people like this is just to ignore them. They get off on the attention and the media hate-machine. Give them none (including news coverage) and I'm sure they'd think twice about getting "their word" out.

But yeah, they are idiots.

Dartz

You may have the freedom to stand on top of a mountain wearing a copper suit in a thunderstorm screaming "God's are bastards!".... but don't be surprised when you get struck by a lightning.

Someone's going to snap at them some day. They're pushing people at an emotionally tough time....

Rented Mule

Dartz wrote: »

Someone's going to snap at them some day. They're pushing people at an emotionally tough time....

That's exactly what they are hoping for.

These people are media parasites.

Orando Broom

chin_grin wrote: »

I think the best weapon against people like this is just to ignore them. They get off on the attention and the media hate-machine. Give them none (including news coverage) and I'm sure they'd think twice about getting "their word" out.

But yeah, they are idiots.

No the best weapon is to give these people a voice. The ordinary rational person will see right through their stupid ill thought out scatter gun invective and perhaps modify their own worldview.

Rabble Rabble

Good on the Supreme court. America has full absolutism on free speech.

KylieWyley

4chan will have a field day with this.

Craebear

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

May be it is about time for people to start taking the law into their own hands.

That is exactly what they want people to do. That's how they fund themselves. Everyone in the Phelps family is a lawyer and when someone loses the rag and attacks them or some police department tells them they can't protest then it's lawsuit time and they make a small fortune. I doubt they actually believe what they say, it's just a way to make money and it works.

Buceph

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

Good on the Supreme court. America has full absolutism on free speech.

It doesn't.

Overheal

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

Good on the Supreme court. America has full absolutism on free speech.

Buceph wrote: »

It doesn't.

It doesn't. The case brought forward to the Supreme Court was whether mourners at funerals have an expectation of privacy in a public setting. The soldier was, after all, buried at a public cemetery.

For perusal, this is the original audio and transcripts:

http://www.oyez.org/search/apachesolr_search/westboro

Dave_Kilkenny

Im surprised there community just doesn't simply boycott them.

Overheal

Dave_Kilkenny wrote: »

Im surprised there community just doesn't simply boycott them.

They're a community unto themselves. Being hated by the rest of Topeka Kansas (and just the vast majority of people in general) doesn't really put a bee in their bonnet.

Dave_Kilkenny

Overheal wrote: »

They're a community unto themselves. Being hated by the rest of Topeka Kansas (and just the vast majority of people in general) doesn't really put a bee in their bonnet.

But I'm referring to petrol, shopping, food, plumbers etc.

johnmcdnl

why can't God Hate Fags be done for inciting hate or something along that lines

isn't there laws like that in America??? or is that just reserved for Muslims extremists

Cookie_Monster

If God did exist I'm sure he would hate fags anyway...

them death sticks will give ya cancer you know

Ghost Buster

johnmcdnl wrote: »

why can't God Hate Fags be done for inciting hate or something along that lines

isn't there laws like that in America??? or is that just reserved for Muslims extremists

How do any of the Christians here feel about one little issue concerning WBC.
The issue being that all of their justifications for their actions are contained in the Old Testament, the prequel to The Bible?

Taidgh19

i watched this story on msnbc and some guy posted that this is what happens when you have sissy liberal in the government and the supreme court..i didnt know where to start correcting him so i didnt. i think an amendment should be made to the 1st amendment which grants freedom of speech BUT in certain situations common sense should be applied..then again i see that easily being corrupted by politicians in the US

Overheal

Dave_Kilkenny wrote: »

But I'm referring to petrol, shopping, food, plumbers etc.

You're presuming that the WBC is limited in where it can purchase these goods anyway. Thats just not practical. For one thing with Petrol you never even need to come within 20 feet of an attendant to purchase gas. Pay at the pump with a bank card. Simples. Further, basic supplies like groceries, you are not going to be refused service at places like walmart, publix, safeway, etc. because these places simply do not have those type of policies. Similarly, even if they did, the WBC can always delegate to less public figures in the church to go get supplies. I doubt you'd often run into Fred Phelps at the Deli Counter. As for the rest of it you underestimate that people in general are political enough that they will refuse to take money from the church for installing - plumbing? An oddball one. I somehow doubt a plumber will walk off such a job but at any rate, they can always be paid more by the WBC which is not short of money and has its own legal department.

They are not a piecemeal operation. Boycotting is completely impractical. I have no doubt that at one time or another someone has refused them service but I doubt that it has prevented them from getting the good or service in the end. Furthermore I strongly doubt it would have any impact on them or cause them to reconsider what they were doing.

R0ot

Free speech isn't Free, yo. :pac:

Sonovagun

Kevin Smiths latest movie Red State is insired by the Phelps!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_State_%282011_film%29

jill_valentine

Craebear wrote: »

That is exactly what they want people to do. That's how they fund themselves. Everyone in the Phelps family is a lawyer and when someone loses the rag and attacks them or some police department tells them they can't protest then it's lawsuit time and they make a small fortune. I doubt they actually believe what they say, it's just a way to make money and it works.

I've heard this suggestion before, and it makes sense, but an American chum pointed out that such lawsuits are few and far between.

the purple tin

chin_grin wrote: »

I think the best weapon against people like this is just to ignore them. They get off on the attention and the media hate-machine. Give them none (including news coverage) and I'm sure they'd think twice about getting "their word" out.

But yeah, they are idiots.

Don't feed the trolls .

fudgie101

Why is this, i am not sure, it was a nice day!

johnmcdnl

Ghost Buster wrote: »

How do any of the Christians here feel about one little issue concerning WBC.
The issue being that all of their justifications for their actions are contained in the Old Testament, the prequel to The Bible?

something similar to how the muslims are allowed bomb america because it says they have to do everything they can to expand the word of allah and the jihad part where they must be willing to die to save muslim countries and such...

isn't this sort of thing illegal in america - why shouldn't being homophobic due to religious incitement be any different

Dangerous Man

Enjoy hell fag-enablers.

indough

Sonovagun wrote: »

Kevin Smiths latest movie Red State is insired by the Phelps!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_State_%282011_film%29

ha! bit of a coincidence that the talk of whether or not plumbers should/would work for them reminded me of that conversation in clerks (the one about the politics of building contractors working on the death star), then you drop this bomb!

JerryHandbag

http://www.godhatesfredphelps.com/
Edit: Jaysus that site is a bit bare bones

jill_valentine

Honestly, if the Phelps are going to heaven, I'll take my chances in boozy sexy hell any day.

Ghost Buster

johnmcdnl wrote: »

something similar to how the muslims are allowed bomb america because it says they have to do everything they can to expand the word of allah and the jihad part where they must be willing to die to save muslim countries and such...

isn't this sort of thing illegal in america - why shouldn't being homophobic due to religious incitement be any different

I suspect that because America is officially unofficially officially very very (but not officially) Christian they may be a little bit more tolerant of Christian bigotry and border line criminality than that of other religions.
Just a hunch.

sbsquarepants

I don't get it.
If god really hates fags, why wouldn't he just stop making them?
If you're a god, do you really need hillbillies to do the dirty work for you?

Monty Burnz

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I don't get it.
If god really hates fags, why wouldn't he just stop making them?
If you're a god, do you really need hillbillies to do the dirty work for you?

...blah blah mysterious ways blah blah...

sbsquarepants

Monty Burnz wrote: »

...blah blah mysterious ways blah blah...

Oh yeah, i forgot the whole, there IS a plan, we're just not privy to it bullshít. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, it's a fúcking stupid plan!
There, i said it;)

Bottle_of_Smoke

Are there any conspiracy theories on them? Like that some group is keeping them going with a view to removing the right to free speech being protected.

Ghost Buster

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Are there any conspiracy theories on them? Like that some group is keeping them going with a view to removing the right to free speech being protected.

Louis Theroux (?) and keith Allen have both done one of those "Living with..." type programmes with them and and Poppa Phelps was profiled pretty much as a domineering, abusive and controlling patriarch with serious hang ups on homosexuality . Almost as is he is well........ join the dots.:)
Also his eldest Daughter (I think). The most public spokes person has a "bastard son' which she is keen to keep secret.

maximoose

Ghost Buster wrote: »

Louis Theroux (?) and keith Allen have both done one of those "Living with..." type programmes with them and and Poppa Phelps was profiled pretty much as a domineering, abusive and controlling patriarch with serious hang ups on homosexuality . Almost as is he is well........ join the dots.:)
Also his eldest Daughter (I think). The most public spokes person has a "bastard son' which she is keen to keep secret.

The Louis Theroux documentary on this family was great. Made me feel so sorry for the children indoctrined into the hate they spew, not having a fecking clue whats going on.

Bottle_of_Smoke

maximoose wrote: »

The Louis Theroux documentary on this family was great. Made me feel so sorry for the children indoctrined into the hate they spew, not having a fecking clue whats going on.

Yeah it was pretty sad. Aside from the anti-gay stuff they seemed like really nice kids

Ghost Buster

maximoose wrote: »

The Louis Theroux documentary on this family was great. Made me feel so sorry for the children indoctrined into the hate they spew, not having a fecking clue whats going on.

Maybe we could get him to do a show on Irish schools:D

gargleblaster

teaching children to hate should be considered child abuse.

Monty Burnz

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Yeah it was pretty sad. Aside from the anti-gay stuff they seemed like really nice kids

There was even a suggestion that they didn't really believe in it themselves, and I believe one or more of the children had broken away from the group and had been shunned since. That's the choice they face.

Mike 1972

gargleblaster wrote: »

teaching children to hate should be considered child abuse.

Phelps has been accused of exactly that by some estranged family members although not on those specific grounds.

Daegerty

Maybe it is really the case that God hates cigarettes. Maybe he had a hard time giving them up or something, maybe they are just the most vile thing he ever tasted.

But whey anyone would want to make that point at a funeral is beyond me

Ghost Buster

Daegerty wrote: »

Maybe it is really the case that God hates cigarettes. Maybe he had a hard time giving them up or something, maybe they are just the most vile thing he ever tasted.

But whey anyone would want to make that point at a funeral is beyond me

Holy smoke. Should they be at the funerals of lung cancer victims then?