I'm sure you are all familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church, and if you aren't by now, then I suppose now is a good a time as anyway to be made aware.

They are a radical, anti-gay sect (or, more accurately, cult) of Christians who rival the KKK in terms of loathsome behavior. They have been known to openly protest homosexuality, going so far as to set up picket lines at funerals and memorial services. This is another case of that.

The Powell boys, ages 5 and 7, were assaulted by their father with a hatchet, and the three were killed in a gasoline-fueled house fire. The story is longer than that, but this isn't the main point.

I am not fully aware of the whole story, but it seems like WBC arbitrarily decided to use the publicity from the planned memorial service for the two boys as a way to protest the recent legalization of gay marriage in the state. Apparently, according to another article, Phelps (the leader of the church) states that "the protest is to 'remind' [Gov. Christine] Gregoire 'they died because of her rebellion,' a reference to her support of same-sex marriage."

As I understand it, they are blaming the deaths of the children on god's apparent collective wrath aimed at their state, intended as punishment for legalizing gay marriage. If I am horribly misunderstanding this, then that's my fault, but I really wouldn't put it passed the magnitude of utter stupidity the WBC continues to put forth in mass quantity.

As a disclaimer for anyone commenting on this, do not start an argument about Christianity, or any religion. The Westboro Baptist church is by no means a representation of Christianity - they are essentially the Christian response to Muslim terrorists, and should be treated as such.

References:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Anti-gay-church-to-protest-Powell-boys-memorial-service-139022314.html

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/02/anti-gay-westboro-church-to-protest-at-powell-boys-funeral/1?csp=34news

These guys piss me off so much. Leave the gays alone, they have as much right as you to get married. WBC seriously protests EVERYTHING. This isn't the first memorial service they've protested but I believe this is their stupidest reason yet.
Any Dollars in the area, could you make an appearance and possibly help if these guys show up?
>>1, I think you got everything right here.

Disgraceful...

man, screw the WBC. some people are still living in the dark ages, and it's alarming how much support they actually have :/

These people are total whackjobs, no need to elaborate on that.

"If you only take one thing from the Bible, it's not to love or respect other people, or offer kindness and sympathy in their time of need, it's that Jesus is squeamish about bum sex." -Paul McDermott, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Urej6SgnWY

God loves everyone gay, black, Muslim, whatever whoever. God loves you no matter what you are or what you believe in. Some people are so one minded.

They just need a good whack in the head with a 2x4

>>7 Or, you know, a steel girder?

This is sick. Im not athiest exactly but i dont believe in a god... Im fine with people having their religeon, but exploiting the death of two little boys to attempt to prove a ridiculous (even for religeon) statement is sick. Those people should be disguested with themselves.

*sigh* I've have sooooooooo much to say about this.....again....
What I want to do is to go up to them and convince them I'm an agent of god, give them a gun (with blanks) and have them shoot me, with their tiny mind sets, they'd be convinced that I am indeed legit, (And who's to say I'm not) and just..I dunno... nudge them in the right direction, and turn them on their own cult leader.

>>10 Thoughts of such severity are usually generated by flawed meditation. For example, if you were hellbent on hearing God speak to you and sat in silence for hours waiting for it to occur, chances are that in your fatigue you would begin thinking and interpret your own thoughts as those of God. From there you would likely go to the Bible for confirmation of this thought, but the Bible can easily validate even the most heinous action or belief when read and interpreted in small portions.

I have little doubt that this is what has occurred, but it's still absolutely appalling that not only one person reached this thought, but many even in their own ability to think against this still came to the same conclusion. The most awful part of all is that for every plan they make they receive publicity for it. They are being heard and so long as they are heard they will continue this kind of blasphemy.

>>9 I'm pretty sure that's called agnostic. Now you have a cool word to call yourself.

>>11, If only we could all band together and ignore them until we trick them into disappearing. Unfortunately there will always be groups like this. Small minded people who are easily manipulated will allow themselves to be twisted and follow groups like this.

Ugh. Guys like these...
I mean, I'M a Christian, and I don't believe with what they say at all. They go against everything I've been taught (or have learned independently) about my faith, so I don't even call them Christians. I think it would be great if some Dollars in the area could somehow mess with their heads. Whackjobs.

>>13
Heads? They don't have heads. That thing above their torso is a disguised ball of hatred and narrowminded darkness that just likes to breed hatred and narrowmindedness. And stupidity.

And of course these guys aren't Christian, if anyone mistakes WBC for being legitimately Christian, I'll fuck em' up to hell (lol) and back for their derpherpityness. Foo Fighters got it right when they trolled WBC back in fall. That was classic.

Someone should show up and do that again.

Stories like this make me sick. Using the loss of two innocent children to further their own gains? It's just so sickening. They intrude on private, emotional matters that require peace&quiet in order to recover and turn it into a circus.

I'm a firm believer in free speech so I believe everyone has the right to own opinion. What you do with that opinion, though, is a different story. It's just nauseating to send so much hate towards a community and think that they're doing the work of God when, in actuality, they're just turning themselves into monsters.

>>12
Just as a little clarification, agnostic people basically believe that it's impossible to be certain about the existence of a god. o 3o You can be an agnostic atheist or agnostic theist.

What WBC does is so sickening to hear about, and their irrational logic disappoints me to no end on account of it actually getting publicity. Personally, I don't understand how any human can be so harsh to another. I get that it is part of human nature, and will always be happening, but to go to this extreme just shows that they have no regards to who they are protesting against.It displays their narrow-mindedness on anyone else's perspective except for their own, and it's quite pitiful.

If there are any Dollars in the area, they should somehow block WBC from getting there.

>>18
Yeah, like there is enough in your area, to block out a whole religious cult. Not going to happen. Sorry.

From what I've heard, they also are known to get violent, and also provoke others.

What they're doing is wrong. Going to funerals and memorals to protes same sex relationships. Like what they did with the gay soilders killed in Iraq say he deserved to die for being gay or some along those lines. If they really want to cha he something about this boat load of propaganda they show make petitions or go to court, even civil disobedience would have been better.

Legal restriction of retribution of a legal adult to strike a minor: traditionally 2 hits (in a single hit it can still be openly interpreted as an accident on behalf of the minor.)

Anyway, since this has hit the news I'm assuming there'll be some form of counter-protest, and as public as they are there has to be an obvious pitfall for the group. (aside from everyone else hating them, of course)

>>21 The major issue is, they are spearheaded by a family-owned legal firm. Much of the publicity, bad or not, actually helps them, and lawsuits filed against them further feed into their budget whenever they win a case. They have become good at manipulating systems like these to stay afloat, and that's really the only reason they sustain themselves.

Now, like I always say: I do not approve of Gay marriage. BUT, I believe that persecution is wrong. And what these bastards are doing is ANTI GOD! God loves them as much as he loves gays! What they are doing is a horrible thing. Especially since it is at two young boys' funeral!

>>7 YES.
>>14 Point taken. People should just mess them up then. Period.
>>19 You never know what's possible, if even a few people get enough motivation/inspiration to take action ^.~
>>23 This. God loves everyone, and everyone has their own issues. People like these desecrating peons need to understand that.

You have got to be f****ing kidding interrupting a time of peace and silence for publicity? I swear if I see another one of these stupid publicity stunts. I'm going to take a plane there and... F****ING BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THOSE BASTARDS! CAUSE NOW I'M REALLY REALLY F****ING PISSED OFF!

Update here.

The memorial already happened, WBC didn't show up. Disgusting reason for that, though. Not going to summarize here, article is short enough.

AT A FUNERAL!!!!!????? AND JUST FOR THE PUBICITY!!!!!????? I'D KILL THEM MYSELF IF I WAS IN THE AREA
With A Different Tone I Believe That Everyone Has The Same Rights Regardless Of The Gender Issues

>>27 should read >>26....

Good god, i hope this doesn't become another "Michigan Gay bullying law" thread...