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peregrinus_WA
Guest
Maybe we should go to their place and start protesting them. Of course, they will probably say it is not allowed and have us arrested. 
Westboro Baptist Church and the Pope's Visit to the United States
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PerryJ
Guest
I believe this Church is not truly associated with any Baptist organization. In addition the total number of people in this Church is around 150 people. Most are related to the pastor. You can see more detail in Wikipedia; however, I believe the most important action would be to pray for these people.
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krissy343
Guest
Totally agreed!!!
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ALLGIRLS
Guest
Ok, is it totally sick and twisted of me to hope that they end up protesting right next to the homosexual activists that also plan on “protesting” (screaming and throwing ashes at 
) His Holiness? The “culture clash” would be hilarious. Honestly, if the wackos from both ends hate us, we must be the true Church 
.
In Christ,
Ellen
) His Holiness? The “culture clash” would be hilarious. Honestly, if the wackos from both ends hate us, we must be the true Church .In Christ,
Ellen
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brandymmiller
Guest
Hate isn’t the primary motivator of Mr. Phelps and his “church”, money is. They make a ton of it off the attention they get. They aren’t even a real church, just Mr. Phelps and a bunch of his family members, most of whom are lawyers.
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sherrose
Guest
I heard or read that these hate-mongers were appealing the verdict and one judge was trying to say that they still had the right to protest anywhere.
People have to speak out and insist that there are laws protecting the families of our fallen military from the filth and hate of people like these. They are disrespectful to the deceased and to the grieving families.
May God touch their minds and hearts and change them.
God bless,
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GaryPeter
Guest
I question those who felt the need to add the link to THAT church in Kansas which proposes to protest the Pope’s visit. Was it to see the schedule? Was it to see how positively awful the WBC’s are? Was it because you agree, as they, that ‘fags’ have no place in this world and the WBC can state it for you and you can remain blameless? People in the US, as in most nations, including Italia, do protest and have that right, unless it incites to violence. However, these people in Kansas are not protesting anything, are putting forth an agenda against the Catholic Church, as much as the ‘fags.’ Unfortunately, it is my experience, as a ‘fag’, that many of my brethren Catholics hate me, us, as much as the WBC does. ‘We’ are not welcome to be outselves in any RC church that comes to mind, but one…Xavier Loyola in NY, where there is a mass that ‘fags’ are invited to, and come to, as themselves, along with apparently a very tolerant ‘normal’ congregation. BTW, the law pertaining to the WBC protesting at funerals is that they can, as long as they are 300’ away. Now there is a ‘Patriot Guard’ who, with their motorcycles, drowns out the chants pf the WBC and puts up a shield between protestors and those wo grieve. Jost for your information.
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sherrose
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I believe that the reason the link was posted was so those who wish to can see for themselves what kind of hate and filth these people try to spread. I know that when I receive an email or other info, I like to verify that the information is correct before I share it with someone else. Not that I’m going to check out their site, the name of it is offensive so say the least. Even though checking out a site doesn’t mean that you approve of it, I don’t want to give them even the slightest idea that I do.
I’m sorry that you have experienced hatred from other Catholics. I don’t hate gays. At the same time, I may accept gays, but it doesn’t mean that I agree with the lifestyle and do believe it is against Church teaching and dangerous for one’s soul. That doesn’t make me a homophobe, by the way. I have a friend that calls himself, one of the ‘happy’ people.
I can, also, say that I don’t know any perfect people, including myself. Everyone has something that they struggle with that keeps them from being that perfect person that God wants us to be. We are all God’s children and are supposed to be trying to follow God’s laws so we can go to heaven. It’s a struggle for all of us. We are called to correct others with love, not hate though.
BTW, my husband is a member of the Patriot Guard, so I am well aware of them and how they protect the families and mourners at the funerals of our fallen military members. I’ve been to several funerals where they have been and they are truly patriots.
The WBC believe that they have a ‘right’ to spew their hate to mourners at anytime and anywhere. Only when people speak out are laws passed that keep them from being any closer to the mourners. I don’t hate the WBC, but I do believe we need to pray for them.
God bless!
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sherrose
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Is that on youtube by any chance? I saw an interview on Foxnews a while back with a member of the WBC and the reporter started reading the riot act to the churchmember. The churchmember started calling the reporter, ‘a bimbo’ among other names. I guess when you have no defence, you resort to name-calling.
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kristie_m
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This is probably the most loving response I’ve ever seen on these forums. You stuck to your guns without resorting to finger pointing and name calling. We need more posts like yours!
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GaryPeter
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In response to those who may interpret my message regarding the WBC sharing dogma with the Catholic Church, as a member of the Catholic Church, this is surely not what I want to state and I apologize if it was interpreted, thusly. I truly am very touched by your prose, most sincerely. Indeed, to anyone who ‘tolerates’ or embraces me, for being, me, I am indebted to. I believe that my touchiness regarding ‘fags’ and the Church goes back to a period several years ago when I was walking home one night with my partner in a very safe area of LA. When my partner came to my assitance, he was shot and killed. He died in my arms several moments later. When I think of that moment in my mind I am reminded of ‘La Pieta’ the statue in San Pietro, at the entrance. I went to a RC church a few days later and was told to go away. This left me a bit bitter, even now, when I think about it. I am confused whether this was priest or Dogma. I know that the priest gave me many excuses as far as his not being ‘shriven’ before death but he just would not hear that it is difficult to confess when one’s head is across the street. My partner was a devout Catholic. Even now, right now as I type, I become so upset at how ‘we’ were treated by the priest, ergo, by the Church.
I am very aware of the flaws that all of us have as I have many. However, most of us are not pigeon holed by fanatics or extremists or whomever, for our flaws, as I was, am, every day. I believe, and now the AMA is 99.9% there, too, that homosexuality is not a chosen affect one picks, although perhaps some do, but something we are born with and if I am born with it, then am I not, is it not natural? I have not ‘acted out’ since my partner’s murder, but not out of want of desire but more out of respect to him. I do not like being this way, as my heart if full and ready to give love to someone, but, as some say, the spirit is unwilling. I have marched in parades as an example of what is done to people like me, when ideals get in the way of compassion and sense. At these parades, there are always people from the Catholic League screaming at us and holding up signs that we are doomed. Also not endearing. I know the ‘love the sinner hate the sin’ idea, which is good, as long as people know that I did not chose this. Who would? Estrangement and ostracization from youth to murder in your 20’s? I think I treat everyone equally and as long as what they do does not hurt me or mine, then I keep silent. The WBC is a horrible group, whom I actually have kept in my computer to see what they are saying, today and how they mix scriptures to further their agenda. I read it to see if they will be near enough to me so I can protest them being there, and have done so. I write to them to point out their errors in text and Scripture. I was a theology major at Fordham University, so I think I know somewhat of what I speak. I have completely gone off course, here, but I felt the need to thank you for your response to my posting, somewhat, and to state that I admire, greatly the ‘Patriot Guards’ that protect those in shock from the WBC.
I would end by stating that to be a friend to someone who is ‘happy’ (never heard that term, to be frank), should neither be the exception nor the norm but just something ‘that is.’ One does not get respect with a title, but through their acts and what they do with that title. I hope most heartily that the Pope has a pleasant and productive visit here and that he need not be exposed to the people like those in the WBC. Time will tell about how I feel about Pope Benedictus, but I can state that although I do not agree with all that JPII stated, I surely respect him for what he tried, so diligently, to do during his tenure as Pope, especially given the impediments put before him in this world that is so full of hate and violence and blood and disdain!
Peace!
Please excuse my typing errors as it is not, for a writer, one of my high points.
I am very aware of the flaws that all of us have as I have many. However, most of us are not pigeon holed by fanatics or extremists or whomever, for our flaws, as I was, am, every day. I believe, and now the AMA is 99.9% there, too, that homosexuality is not a chosen affect one picks, although perhaps some do, but something we are born with and if I am born with it, then am I not, is it not natural? I have not ‘acted out’ since my partner’s murder, but not out of want of desire but more out of respect to him. I do not like being this way, as my heart if full and ready to give love to someone, but, as some say, the spirit is unwilling. I have marched in parades as an example of what is done to people like me, when ideals get in the way of compassion and sense. At these parades, there are always people from the Catholic League screaming at us and holding up signs that we are doomed. Also not endearing. I know the ‘love the sinner hate the sin’ idea, which is good, as long as people know that I did not chose this. Who would? Estrangement and ostracization from youth to murder in your 20’s? I think I treat everyone equally and as long as what they do does not hurt me or mine, then I keep silent. The WBC is a horrible group, whom I actually have kept in my computer to see what they are saying, today and how they mix scriptures to further their agenda. I read it to see if they will be near enough to me so I can protest them being there, and have done so. I write to them to point out their errors in text and Scripture. I was a theology major at Fordham University, so I think I know somewhat of what I speak. I have completely gone off course, here, but I felt the need to thank you for your response to my posting, somewhat, and to state that I admire, greatly the ‘Patriot Guards’ that protect those in shock from the WBC.
I would end by stating that to be a friend to someone who is ‘happy’ (never heard that term, to be frank), should neither be the exception nor the norm but just something ‘that is.’ One does not get respect with a title, but through their acts and what they do with that title. I hope most heartily that the Pope has a pleasant and productive visit here and that he need not be exposed to the people like those in the WBC. Time will tell about how I feel about Pope Benedictus, but I can state that although I do not agree with all that JPII stated, I surely respect him for what he tried, so diligently, to do during his tenure as Pope, especially given the impediments put before him in this world that is so full of hate and violence and blood and disdain!
Peace!
Please excuse my typing errors as it is not, for a writer, one of my high points.
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sherrose
Guest
kristie_m, thank you for your kind words. 
It was from the heart.
As you say, ‘I’m a work in progress.’
It was from the heart.
As you say, ‘I’m a work in progress.’
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bpbasilphx
Guest
I wonder why they are so obsessed with homosexuality to the point of being fixated on it.
Hmmmmmmm???
Think about it.
Hmmmmmmm???
Think about it.
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NewUlm1976_2000
Guest
They protest anything and everything.
Just let them do their thing, ignore them and nothing will happen. They get their funding by suing people who choose to have a conflict of some type with them.
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Nohome
Guest
Yes, it is on you tube. It illustrates both how hateful the WBC is and how wacked this church looks to the media.
Nohome
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sherrose
Guest
I am glad that you don’t think WBC and the Catholic Church share dogma.
I admire you for keeping up with WBC to the extent that you are willing to protest them when possible and to point out their errors in text and scripture. Planting seeds! Maybe some will take root.I truly am sorry for the tragedy that you faced with your friend’s death. And on behalf of the Church and Catholics, I ask for your forgiveness for any unloving words or actions that you received from any priests or any other Catholic.
We may not agree on some issues, but we are all children of God and all things should be done with love, even or especially when we disagree. I’ve seen yelling and angry words and actions from both sides. It’s disturbing to people on both sides of the issues.
Perhaps we can discuss this further under another topic or privately.
I remember years ago that someone told me that instead of saying that you have a “----”(fill with a different race, disability, etc.) friend, it should be that you have a friend who happens to be"----", etc.
Thank you for your kind words about the Patriot Guard. I was privileged and honored to be a small part of their missions and witness such patriotism in action.
God bless!
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brandymmiller
Guest
My brother you are not hated by me and, while I will not pretend to discount your experiences or to attempt to turn a blind eye to those who do hate, I know you are not hated by the Catholic Church. Having homosexual feelings is not in and of itself sinful. It is the act which is a sin, just as being aroused by a woman who is married is not sinful but the mental action of entertaining fantasies about her or the physical action of having relations with her is. You are certainly welcome to be yourself, just as those who have committed fornication or adultery are welcome, as we recognize that all who come are sinners in some way. You are not unique in having sinned, but Christ does call you to “go and sin no more”. This isn’t hatred, indeed the greatest love calls us to be our very best selves and to sacrifice everything in pursuit of that goal.
I know that sometimes it is difficult to separate your behavior and your feelings from who you are, but these things can be changed and are temporary. I once struggled with sexual fantasies of rape. I had carried these fantasies from childhood, and they were an offshoot of the problems that came when my stepfather molested me. I had trouble forming normal relationships with men, another side effect. These things were NOT me, though at the time I thought they were and had carried these feelings from the time I was very little (4 years old - the same age the abuse began). When I was able to see clearly that these things were not me but were introduced to me by the evil that had been done, and to pray for help in dealing with the problems, I was gradually able to be healed of these burdens and have gradually began to be able to put together the pieces of myself which were shattered by that abuse. I now can have normal relationships with men. I can feel sexual pleasure without humiliation accompanying it. In short, I am more fully able to live the gift of my sexuality now than I ever was when I was oppressed by the burdens my stepfather left in his wake.
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ac_claire
Guest
I was working in downtown Seattle a few years ago and they were there, protesting something or other. They seemed kind of rag-tag and not very passionate about what they were promoting. The slogans on their signs were awful, just unrepeatable. I’ve seen a few repeated already on this thread; you can imagine the others. But I had no idea they were the famous Westboro Baptist Church crazies until later. I agree with whoever said they seem to have been made out to be more than they are. It appears to mostly be for the attention. The people I saw holding signs could have actors, they were that disinterested.
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Ne_OrangeKnight
Guest
Not too long ago, I saw a BBC report where a reporter spent a couple weeks with the WBC folks. They seem genuine in their beliefs, and rather blasé about it. It was rather eye-opening, and very saddening. As has been said already, let us all pray for them, especially the children who, through no fault of their own, are brought up in such an environment.
Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
Sam, the Neon Orange Knight
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Nullasalus
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I agree with all of the teachings of the church, but hate no person on basis of their orientation. I think the subject is vastly more nuanced and complicated than it tends to be reduced to.
As for WBC, I’m glad they’re protesting the pope. I’ll take the modest annoyance they’ll display, in exchange for highlighting the vast gulf of difference between WBC and Catholic belief.
As for WBC, I’m glad they’re protesting the pope. I’ll take the modest annoyance they’ll display, in exchange for highlighting the vast gulf of difference between WBC and Catholic belief.
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