The Westboro Baptist Church - Hate Group or?
 

The signs say "God Hates Fags" or "Adam and Eve - Not Adam and Steve!" and now they have turned their attention on Constance McMillen, the Etiwamba High School Senior who wanted to attend Prom with her girlfriend and was subsequently blackballed by parents and other students, being sent to a fake prom.

The Westboro Baptist Church is now planning to picket at Constance's High School Graduation.

I am sitting here wondering if other people see the Westboro Church as a Hate Group, akin to the KKK?

Yes, hate group. Southern Proverty Law Center (SPLC) has listed them under the "general hate" category (http://www.splcenter.org/node/105/activegroups -- see Kansas at the bottom)

They have their own twisted logic. They are a joke. Even your moderate homophobes won't touch Westboro with a 10ft pole. Arguing with them does no good. THey love publicity. They know what envelope to push and they know what can get them into legal trouble and what can't. Best thing is to ignore them. THey want attention, they want argument, and they want the media at their pickets. Collectively ignoring them takes away any power they think they might wield. Are they akin to the KKK. Yes, they are in a way. They focus their collective hatred on one group. But I don't see them as physically dangerous. Nor do they have any power or any influence. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like there is a collective eye roll when Phelps and his family show up. Most towns don't want them around. But you know....freedom of speech and freedom to peaceably assemble and all......I'm more worried about the Arizona "show me your papers" law than Phelps.


Rufus

I have no idea what to think about people so filled with hate. I have heard it is all one family?

Seriously, they seem to go way farther than other Hate groups to see publicity, which makes me think that you all are right and it is all about the publicity and nothing else.

UGH.

This is the part where I censor myself from making some comment about them being "inbred". :nailbitin:

Yeah, sorry, I did hear that though?

I don't know that I see them as being as dangerous as some other hate groups, though. Hurtful and grody, yes....but dangerous? I don't know. They don't go around under a cloak of secrecy like some groups do, and to my knowledge they've not (yet) been physically violent or broken the law outright.

Oh I did too! And something about how the church isnt as big as it looks and that they put a lot of energy into their website and publicity-drawing ventures.

It's just...EWW.

I think if he were to get killed like that he would become a martyr and it would be worse.

Ya know.. what gets me is where the hell these folks get all the money to travel and show their asses from??? I am surprised some secret squirrel queer IRS agent hasn't gone after them. We are everywhere ya know.. heh

More food for the removal of non-profit status from organized churches. Let their asses pay taxes on what they raise from their little charity plates before they fill up their tanks to go harass good people.

Yeah, they totally need to pay taxes.

yes I think they are a hate group.

Its that twisted logic at work. According to Phelps and gang, God hates American's tolerance of gays, therefore God is punishing America, therefore 9/11 is God punishing America for tolerating Gays ....I guess America is supposed to lock us up, or declare us illegal or something.

It freaks me out that so many people actually do think we don't even deserve to be alive.

I agree. It freaks me out to consider all the anti-gay laws around the world which result in murder and torture for people who just want to be who they are. This group feels dangerous because they are so overt in their hatred, although I think it's true that the most dangerous people are the ones planning in secret. But, then again, how many more people think it's OK to express this hate openly when this group has made it so acceptable and proven that their freedom of speech will be upheld over the wellbeing and safety of others?