God Is Your Enemy...at least according to Fred Phelps

I ran across a few articles today about the 11 million dollar ruling against Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church for picketing the funeral of a fallen soldier. The soldier's dad brought the lawsuit against Phelps and his clan in an attempt to send a message and hopefully spare other families the added heartache he endured because of the actions of this "church."

Albert Snyder of York, Pa., sued the church after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming that the soldiers are dying because the nation is too tolerant of homosexuality. They carry signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

This ABC News article goes into some of the particulars of the case...and includes some ironic quotes from the church leadership. The church mainly consists of people related to the Phelps...72 in all....counting a recent addition who is now 2 months old.

11 of Fred Phelps' 13 children are lawyers.....including his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper. After listening to a phone interview I found on the National Post website I find it hard to believe she ever made it through law school. She sounded just like a few belligerent drunks I've had to deal with in my days as a waitress....or the ravings and ramblings of someone who is mentally ill. Her harsh, crude way of speaking was even more noticeable because of the contrast with the interviewer...a Canadian women from Toronto with the melodic, sing song accent many Canadians have. (Remember, I am married to a Canadian and I mean no offense or slur against the charming accent of Canadian women.) Shirley sounded just plain ignorant. And rude. And hateful....something she denies in the ABC article.

"Hateful message? It's a kind message. It's the only kindness of this hour," she said. "And we do it on our own time and we do it from a pure heart and kindness."

Uh-huh...yeah...right. She provides a glimpse of this kindness when she goes on to say that parents mourning their children who died in war "did not do their duty to their child."

"Those people that are sitting around there with their crocodile tears … the Lord, God entrusted them with that tiny baby," she said. "They raised the child. There's only two ways to raise your child. You either raise them by the standards of God or you do, in fact, raise them for the devil."

And whose standards did Fred use when he raised his 13 children?

In the National Post interview she mentions that the trial provided an opportunity for them to do a bit of missionary outreach. "We have signs and we know how to carry them." she said in her course, grating voice.

"In his compassion, for the last 17 years, God has sent his servants — the apple of his eye — from this humble little church to warn you daily to flee from the wrath to come.” the church said in a statement.

I'm afraid that these people have no idea what compassion is and they are a million miles away from what Jesus meant when he declared, "if you had understood what this meant, I desire mercy not sacrifice you would not have condemned the innocent"