A Sickening Story

[HeyManThatsCool]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/31/32251/589


From Kos today


SICK

[TexasChick]

1. Dear HeyMan, yeah, I saw this posted on another thread in GD Forum.

Don't be surprised if this gets moved because it doesn't have anything to do with the election results.

But, this is the reason we Christians are getting a bad rap. This man is a psycho. He is not Christian. Good grief. I'm so sick of this. Thank the Lord that someone on Kos replied that there are Christian groups trying to fight nutcases like this.

BTW, I hope you don't think I'm trying to be mean or anything, but you might want to put a little summary or that picture of the ad in your post. It helps DUers decided if that want to go to Kos to read the diary or not. Just a suggestion. :hi:

[roenyc]

28. you should not take this as a reflection on you

we all know that most Christians are good people. there are just a handful that are trying to make force their lifestyle on others.

I am non practicing Christian. i dont know what i believe anymore. i know Jesus existed and I would like to lead my life as he led his and as Gandhi his. of course that would make me a good kind forgiving person without the need to hate anyone. because hate is not one of Jesus virtues.

So, these are not people of god or Jesus or Buddha. these are people interested in controlling others. this is your conservative Evangelical wing of the republican party. who are setting up the middle east for the second coming. and they dont care how many Muslims they have to kill before they kill all the Jews they planted there to make it happen.

like all religions there are many branches. Christians are no different. Hindus are different then Buddhist. and these nuts are different then you.

[TaleWgnDg]

64. Well. It's a given that Jesus doesn't exist . . .

Well. It's a given that Jesus doesn't exist as this crazy hate-filled fool thinks . . . Westboro Baptist Church led by Fred Phelps is a front for hate and more hate.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .http://slate.msn.com/id/2091054/

"Trained as a lawyer, Fred Phelps was disbarred in 1979 by the Kansas Supreme Court, which asserted that he had "little regard for the ethics of his profession." The formal complaint against Phelps charged that he misrepresented the truth in a motion for a new trial in a case he had brought, and that he held the defendant in the case up to "unnecessary public ridicule for which there is no basis in fact." Following his disbarment from Kansas State courts, Phelps continued to practice law in Federal courts. In 1985, nine Federal court judges filed a disciplinary complaint charging (Fred Phelps) and six of his family members, all attorneys, with making false accusations against them. The Phelpses fought the complaint but lost. In 1989, Fred Phelps agreed to surrender his license to practice law in Federal court in exchange for the Federal judges allowing the other members of his family to continue practicing in Federal court." (bold-face emphasis added by TaleWgnDg)
http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/default.asp


"TOPEKA, Kan. -- No one says that Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr., or his congregation at the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) are any friends of the Topeka police department. For years, police listened as complaints streamed in that WBC'S picketers, with signs reading "God Hates Fags" and "Fags Die/God Laughs," went beyond the bounds of free speech. . . . . For 10 years, Phelps and his Westboro Baptists — a congregation almost entirely composed of his extended family — have waged a battle against lesbians, gays and a whole host of other perceived enemies. . . . They have used daily pickets, an array of intimidating tactics, scores of lawsuits and a veritable flood of faxes that are so filled with slurs and sex that they rival the product of the most prolific professional pornographer."
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=231


"Fred Phelps Timeline

"1929
Fred Waldron Phelps is born on Nov. 13 in Meridian, Miss.

"1947
Phelps enrolls in but never graduates from Bob Jones University, a highly conservative religious school known for banning interracial dating (a policy changed only in 2000) and for attacking Catholicism.

"Ordained as a Baptist preacher at age 17, he spends the summer trying to convert Mormons.

"1952
After Phelps' California street ministry against dirty jokes and sexual petting is profiled by Time magazine, Fred and Marge Phelps meet and are married. Over the next 16 years, they will have 13 children. . . ."

. . . more . . .
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=184




edited to add: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.

[xultar]

2. I know 2 wrongs don't make a right...but in this case I'd gladly do

some wrong shit to the people who worship with that evil mutherfucker and the who leads'em mutherfucker.

[DeepGreen]

3. Insanity,,, pure Insanity ! I wonder what happened to these people

in their childhood ! Unfortunately, I fear the sickness is spreading!
:grr:

[spooked]

4. This is the church's website! www.godhatesfags.com

http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html

[mamalone]

5. As a Christian

I am absolutely sickened by this...that site is unbelievable. I just took a quick glance at the main page and that was enough. All I can say is this fellow must be seriously repressing...that's the only possible explanation for this insanity.

To the other followers of Jesus out there...Do you ever shake your head over these types of things and wonder how we could be reading the same Bible as these people? I think our Lord must be weeping...

[TexasChick]

7. mamalone, as a Christian myself, these people don't read the Bible.

That's the problem. They listen to soundbytes and people like Phelps, well, they are just in this for either the money, power or attention. Like the Chimp, they wouldn't know Christ from a rock on the ground. Believe me, Jesus has been weeping for a very long time for what has been done in his name.

And, this Phelps guy, well I hate to judge people, but from what I hear, everything that comes out of his mouth derides the gays. Now, IMHO, anyone who is this obsessed with gays are probably battling homosexual thoughts and tendencies themselves. Don't you think? You hate what you are until you just accept it. Of course, this is just my opinion.

[mamalone]

23. absolutely!

I agree totally with your comment about them battling homosexual tendencies themselves..serious repression methinks. The self hatred they obviously feel..so tragic. Christ came to free them from this poison and instead of receiving it they are spreading that hatred around. On a related note, don't you think Dobson might be dealing with this same type of thought process? He gets so riled up about gay rights, positively froths at the mouth at the idea of gay marriage. I remember once hearing him relate an incident from his childhood...He was about 3, and his mother put him in a frilly dress (for "fun"). He talked about how he loved the satin fabric...actually wore the dress out for a car ride, but was overcome with shame and embarrassment when he realized someone might actually see him in the dress. Hmmmmmmm....

[TexasChick]

25. Hmmm, I don't really know about Dobson, but I bet dollars to donuts

KKKarl Rove is. And, I'm not trying to be funny or hateful to Pillsbury Roveboy, but I do believe he is a closet homosexual. I can't help it, he acts the same way as Phelps sometimes.

[mamalone]

35. Actually..

I believe most of this striking out at gays from the religious right has an element of repression in it. I don't think that these folks are necessarily closet homosexuals, but I do think that they may be extremely threatened by the stray (or not so stray) homosexual impulse/urge/temptation that comes upon them. Let's face it, we live in such a sexually charged society, that the person who has never had a homosexual thought is a rarity indeed...no big deal, just move on..but perhaps they feel the need to strike out against them with ferocious energy, thereby "proving" to everyone how securely heterosexual they really are. My Dobson example wasn't meant to imply that he is secretly gay, but I do think it showed he has some serious shame issues when it comes to masculinity/sexuality. KWIM?

[TexasChick]

40. mamalone, I hope you don't think that I was implying that you thought

these Right Wingers, Dobson too, are closet homosexuals because that's not what I meant at all. Sorry. But, I do think Pillsbury Roveboy is though. And, yes, you are absolutely right by thinking these Right Wingers are feeling very threatened with homosexuality and having thoughts about it scaring them. And, also that they are having to show their security with being heterosexual by lashing out. BTW, what does KWIM mean? The link to the DU dictionary doesn't work anymore, or have they moved it? Thanks for your input!

[mamalone]

44. Not at all:-)

I think we are right on the same wavelength:toast: You must be very wise, LOL!

KWIM=know what I mean?

[TexasChick]

48. Oh, thanks!

Great minds think alike! :toast:

[roenyc]

60. call me crazy

ok, you will not be the first. tee hee. but an astro chart done on rove shows closet homosexual tendencies and get this: a strong worship type of love mano y mano for bush. oh yuck, just made myself ill.

[spooked]

38. Catholics are also "the enemy" to these "Christians"

This world is going to become a very dangerous place indeed.

[bardgal]

57. I can't get into the site - it won't load..... nt

[lonestarnot]

6. Now this Fred is a real inclusive dude... Fred the freak!

[TexasChick]

8. Or, how about "Freak Fred!" n/t

[lonestarnot]

9. Fucking Freaky Fred!

[TexasChick]

10. Or, "Fetid Freaky Fred!"

[lonestarnot]

11. Frigid Fucking Freak Fred!

How are you this morning? Never did figure out how to post a pic. Going to try this evening when have more time.

[TexasChick]

13. ROFL! That's one heck of a tongue twister you got there! LOL! Posting

a pic is quite simple. In fact, if the pic is on a site that doesn't require a password to see, it will show up in your message just fine. Let's do an exercise, okay?


Go to this link and do the following (you might want to open a new window and go to the address below, it will be easier to do.):



1) Hightlight, with your mouse, the complete address box on your browser that shows the URL (the web address);
2) After the URL is highlighted, right-click on with your mouse and choose "Copy";
3) Come back to DU and start a new message;
4) Right-click anywhere in the "Message" and choose paste;


When you click the "post message" button and your post shows up, the URL will automatically show the image, like this:




Now you try it.

[lonestarnot]

14. I did EVERYthing just like you said, but when I came back to DU to

paste the paste light out and it no workie! LOL Works in word, but can't get from word to DU or from copy to DU. Pisses me off. Must be something checked somewhere to deny me this ability. Firewall or something.

[TexasChick]

15. I don't understand what you mean, paste light? There shouldn't be a

paste light. :shrug:

[lonestarnot]

16. You know, when you copy something how copy sort of highlighted, the

paste is sort of highlighted after you copy. Paste never highlights on DU.

[TexasChick]

19. Which browser are you using? You might have to do some tweeking

in your "Options" menu to show graphics. Do you have graphics turned on in your browser?

[lonestarnot]

20. Microsoft Internet Explorer?

[TexasChick]

22. Do me a favor. Go to "Tools" at the top menu and choose

"Internet Options". Go to the "Advanced" (for right) tab and look under Multimedia. Is the "Show Images" option checked?

[lonestarnot]

26. Show pictures is checked.

[TexasChick]

29. Dang it! Hmmm, more troubleshooting here. Did you keep DU opened

and opened another window to copy and paste the URL? I'm thinking we can try it a different way.

Okay, let's try it this way, okay?

1) Open another window again and go to this URL - http://www.acclaimimages.com/search_terms/snowfall.html
2) Now, choose the first pic by right-clicking on it with your mouse button and choose "Properties" (very bottom). Now where it says Address (URL) there should be the complete URL for the picture. Just hightlight it (you should be able to) and press Ctrl +C (Copy) and close out the Properties window.
3) Come back here to DU and create a new message. In the message (be sure you are in the message box), right-click with your mouse and choose "Paste"
4) The URL should then paste. Choose the "post message" button and your pic should show up like this:

[lonestarnot]

30. Hey that worked!

[TexasChick]

32. Viola! You did it! Just remember, if you want to post a pic that's on

your hard drive at home, you must upload it to a site (there's lots of free pic hosting sites on the Net - just do a google) before we can see it! Congrats!

[lonestarnot]

33. Wooohooo thank you thank you thank you!

:loveya:

[lonestarnot]

36. Still didn't work because must be registered on this site... I will return

to your directions.

[TexasChick]

42. Just right-click on the picture and choose "Save Picture As" and save it

to your hard drive. Go http://photobucket.com/">here and sign up for free image hosting and upload the picture. Then go back and follow my instructions. It should work then.

[lonestarnot]

31. You are a SAINT and a STAR! Now I have to try with bushitler!

:pals:

[TexasChick]

34. Yes, please share that pic you were wanting to post before for the

Chimp's coronation.

[lonestarnot]

39. See if you can get it now.

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/g_13765566/__tn_Our+leader.jpg?bcWDY1BBg2dDV22N

If you can't maybe I can give you the address to the pics and you can get it with your skills.

[TexasChick]

43. The picture shows up fine for me. You should've been able to do it.

Here it is. But I can find a better one than that, if you'd like.

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/g_13765566/__tn_Our+leader.jpg?bcWDY1BBg2dDV22N

[lonestarnot]

45. Wooohooo. I thought it may show up because I am registered @ the

site.

[TexasChick]

49. No, the pic doesn't show up right when you paste the URL in the message

box. Let me go find a better one, okay? Give me a sec and I'll find our fearless leader, smirky-smirk!

[TexasChick]

46. Shoot, I see what you mean. This pic doesn't post like a pic because

of the weird URL. Let me go find one that's bigger and better, okay?

[lonestarnot]

50. Excellent! I am very frustrated with this pic; like he aiming personally

at my unsuccessful post!

[TexasChick]

51. These are the best ones I can come up with right now. I'm having a hard

time trying to find the interview one. A lot of sites have the actual video, but not a high resolution still from the video. See, it needs to be sort of big and "dark" so when people print it out, it will be big enough to see on their shirts. If you want, take these two pics I have found so far and create another thread suggesting that DUers can wear these on the back of their shirts at the coronation or just find your already started thread and edit it and give it a kick back to the top with the new pics showing.

[lonestarnot]

52. Yes the second will be great. Don't want to exploit poor Barney!

Thanks Texas Chic! We tried.:-)

[TexasChick]

53. Here's to us:

:toast:

[lonestarnot]

54. Here's to waiting, hoping and blogging and pic sharing!

:toast:

[TexasChick]

56. Have you also noticed something really strange? Everytime I try to reply

to your message, it posts like I replied to my message from before! So weird!

I just hought of something too. A ton of DUers here had big pictures of that when the video first surfaced. Perhaps you can create a new message in the GD forum and ask DUers if they have a picture of that to share. I'm sure someone can give you one, that's if you still want to pursue this.

[mordarlar]

58. i saw this one today

“”

[Kansas Wyatt]

12. Actually Fred kind of torched himself...

For most people, it was sort of like having to listen to the Grand Wizard of the KKK rant about a bunch of crap. He got a lot of local media coverage for his antics and because his whole family were lawyers, but he was his own worst enemy with his extremism.

Perhaps we should give all of these nut-jobs all the media coverage that they crave, so they can sound like Grand Wizards also.

[lonestarnot]

17. Probably kind of touched himself too!

:o

[lonestarnot]

18. In fact think he's touched!

:wow:

[femme.democratique]

21. Homo-fascist Sweden? Wow....these people are on the edge of sanity... eom

[smartvoter]

24. Speechless. nt

[kitkat65]

27. Isn't Phelps the one who stood outside Matthew Shepards funeral

with the "God Hates Fags" posters?

Honestly, I've never seen anything so hateful in my life.

At the risk of sounding like I have an "I don't see you therefore you don't exist" mentality, I think we give these people more attention than they deserve. I mean, do we really need to show up to their rallies to counter demonstrate when our time and energy could be spent more effectively elsewhere?

I have faith that most Christians find his behavior repugnant and all the attention towards this guys actions just gets him stoked to want to do more. Any Christian that believes in the love of Christ knows that Phelps's kind of behavior isn't what their religion is about.

But it cracks me up that their "HOMO FASCIST SWEDEN" sign looks like some kind of road sign pedestrian porn.

[renaissanceguy]

37. Yes, that's him

I agree that the MSM gives him too much attention, but at the same time, I don't think we should let him get away with his hateful words and actions. He erected an anti-Matthew Shepard monument on public property, for heaven's sake! If we allow him to get away with this, soon more right-wingers will start killing off "fags," saying they are doing "God'd work."

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744882

[roenyc]

62. He came to NYC

to protest the opening of the first all gay high school here. had little kids holding signs that read god hates fags. no one else protested but this nut job needs to fly in to NYC and of course it made the news. wonder how he financed his little trip?

[vj68]

41. Addicted to Hate

http://www.worldzone.net/family/johnanderson/indexz27.shtml

Addicted to Hate: The Fred Phelps Story

Chapter Two: Daddy's Hands

Fred Phelps'son Mark Phelps feels nauseated whenever he remembers that night. He was hit over 60 times and his brother, Nate, over 200 with a mattock handle. Nate went into shock. Mark didn't. A boy who became a compulsive counter to handle the stress, Mark counted every stroke. His and Nate's. While their father screamed obscenities and his brother screamed in pain. Every 20 strokes, their mother wiped their faces off in the tub. Nate passed out anyway. That was Christmas Day.

"No. He just kept beating Nate. It went on and on and on. I remember the sharp sound of the blows and how finally my brother stopped screaming... "It was very quiet. All I could think of was would he do that to me now. I could see my brother lying there in shock, and I knew in a moment it would be my turn. "I can't describe the basic animal fear you have in your gut at a time like that. Where someone has complete power over you. And they're hurting you. And there is no escape. No way out. If your mom couldn't help you...I can't explain it to anyone except perhaps a survivor from a POW camp." Last year, Nate Phelps, sixth of Pastor Phelps' 13 children, accused his father of child abuse in the national media. The information was presented as a footnote to the larger story of Fred Phelps' anti-gay campaign. But the deep currents that lie beneath the apparent apple-cheeks of the Phelps' clan were stirring. A series of interviews with Nate resulted in an eyewitness account of life growing up in the Phelps camp. These reports contained allegations of persistent and poisonous child abuse, wife-beating, drug addiction, kidnapping, terrorism, wholesale tax fraud, and business fraud. In addition, Nate described the cult-like disassembly of young adult identities into shadow-souls, using physical and emotional coercion- coercion which may have been a leading factor in the suicide of an emotionally troubled teenage girl.

"My father," says the 39 year-old, now a parent himself, "is addicted to hate. Why? I can't say. But I know he has to let it out. As rage. In doing so, he has violated the sacred trust of a parent and a pastor. "I'm not trying to hurt my father. And I'm not trying to save him. I'm going to tell what happened because I've decided it's the only way I can overcome my past: to drag it into the light and break its chains."

[mzmolly]

47. I'm speechless!

:wow:

Ya know at least their OUT with their hatred. Many of the so called Christians I know feel the same but are "in the closet."

My goodness, where they get this kind of hate from the "Prince Of Peace" I'll never know.

[mordarlar]

55. If this is "moral" thank God i am "immoral". Article made me ill...

Worse than any murderer, thief and adulterer in my mind are those that feel no compassion, and claim it is the name of God. People who behave this way had better hope they are right. If anyone spoke for me in this manner against my OWN CHILDREN, I would be INCREDIBLY ANGRY!

[bardgal]

59. Seriously - I can't get the godhatesfags.com to load - says it doesn't

exist..... hoax? taken down in the last hour?

[Wabbajack]

61. Is that true about Ake Green?

Was he just preeching homosexuality is wrong or was he advocating violence or something?

[Moloch]

63. My take on Phelps:

I just moved this over from the 2004 Election Results forum, I think it would be better suited to be over here.

Let Fred Phelps march, in fact, If I had money I would send the man a donation.

The Gay rights movement has a GIFT in Phelps, the man is so ridiculous and hate filled that people see him and say "I don't want to be associated with this asshole" and Phelps, in turn, makes homophobia seem ridiculous and hate filled.

I hope he suceeds in getting his "Matt Shepard in Hell" monument erected in Wyoming, I hope he is given a forum on the news to preach his "gospel." EVERY time this man speaks, homophobia is diminished in America. Even Jerry Falwell thinks this guy is a crazy nut.

[kweerwolf]

65. Hey! Freddie's my neighbor! (bleeeeech!)

Freddie and his (ahem) "congregation" - perhaps "family" would be a better word for it since the church is composed largely of the Phelps clan, spouses and children - live about 45 minutes away in Topeka and early in his career as a professional homophobe he'd pack up his roadshow of sideshow freaks and come here to Kansas City. My first occasion to meet this pillar of compassion and reason (dang! I *knew* I couldn't type that without snickering!) was when he came to town to protest at a funeral for a person who had died of AIDS way back in '93.

Freddie got plenty of media attention for his early visits. It seems to be what he thrives on. Now that the local media pretty much ignores him, he focuses on taking his show on the road elsewhere. But while he was bringing his inbred little family to Kansas City, we were in the middle of trying to get an LGBT-inclusive human rights ordinance passed. Once the city council got a look at Freddie, the ordinance pass unanimously.

That's the positive side of Fred Phelps. He can open the eyes of straight people who don't otherwise give a lot of thought to gay issues a view of the type of homophobia is out there.

But there's a flip side to that coin. By being so outrageously homophobic, he makes Falwell, Dobson, etc., etc., look positively moderate by comparison. That makes it possible for Falwell to mouth words about having sympathy for poor, misguided gays and lesbians while railing against same-sex marriage, domestic partners, and anything else he wants to include under the banner of "promoting homosexuality." The sheep who follow Falwell, Dobson, et al. can claim they are being compassionate Christians simply because they aren't out holding "God hates fags" signs like Phelps.

[kweerwolf]

66. An interesting look at Phelps

If anyone is interested in more details about Phelps ... (FYI: He was a civil rights lawyer who moved to Topeka in the wake of the Supreme Court's desegregation ruling and is a lifelong Democrat) ... there's an interesting unpublished manuscript on the Web. The document was written by a former Topeka newspaper reporter who covered Phelps and the book he was writing got tied up in litigation. But since it's a court document and subject to public records laws it can be viewed online at:

http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/kansas/phelps/1994/addicted.to.hate-06.02.94