What drives the WBC?

[AyJaySimon]

Thank-you, that’s the point, it does not and the WBC is therefore going beyond what the Bible says, something which you denied at first.
Anyway, as for your question, here is the best answer I can give that is short: God loves everyone, meaning he desires what is best for them. Sexual activity which is by its nature closed to new life is sinful and leads people away from God. God therefore hates this kind of sexual activity. Those with the temptation to commit homosexual acts are not at fault of any sin. God loves them. Those who have committed any sins including this kind of sin God still loves but God does not love the sin. Those who repent will be forgiven.

The Scripture is God’s revelation but it is over the period of thousands of years in many languages by many authors from many different perspectives, writing styles, purposes, etc. It is an entire story of God reaching out to us. For this reason it needs to be interpreted by an authority. The Catholic Church is this authority. The Church does not and has not commanded the death penalty for active homosexuals. A lot of the OT is a gradual revelation of God from the Jew’s perspective emerging from paganism. Christ comes to fulfill and clarify the law. Through the Church, everything is presented to us today. The Church does not see that the Laws of Leviticus need be taken as literal and binding today…and as we see in St. John’s Gospel, Christ forgives the woman who was about to be executed, implying that the laws of Leviticus were no longer in effect.

More could be said. The point is this from a Catholic POV: Homosexual acts are sins. Those with same sex attraction are not committing sin. God loves all people because he wants all to go to heaven.

In other words, “True” - God does not hate Gay people. He just wants them killed for committing victimless, imaginary crimes. Thank you - that’s all I needed to hear.

And you’re correct - more can be said here. Like the fact that Jesus quite explicitly states that he came not to abolish the Old Law, but to fulfill it - every jot and tittle. And that whosoever should break the least of these commandments would be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

To repeat my point from earlier, I’m well aware that the Bible allows for many interpretations of the Christian message. But what it does not do is allow for many equally valid interpretations of the Christian message. Yes, the Catholic Church has long since installed and proclaimed itself as the central authority for interpreting this message on Earth. I’m simply saying that their interpretation of the Christian message (wrt to homosexuals) require a substantial amount more throat-clearing than does the WBC’s version. The Phelps family does not waste its time trying to convince people that murdering gay people for committing gay acts is just another version of Love, nor does it pretend that fulfilling every jot and tittle of the old law means that the commandments of Leviticus no longer apply.

 

[Lochias]

In other words, “True” - God does not hate Gay people. He just wants them killed for committing victimless, imaginary crimes. Thank you - that’s all I needed to hear.

And you’re correct - more can be said here. Like the fact that Jesus quite explicitly states that he came not to abolish the Old Law, but to fulfill it - every jot and tittle. And that whosoever should break the least of these commandments would be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

To repeat my point from earlier, I’m well aware that the Bible allows for many interpretations of the Christian message. But what it does not do is allow for many equally valid interpretations of the Christian message. Yes, the Catholic Church has long since installed and proclaimed itself as the central authority for interpreting this message on Earth. I’m simply saying that their interpretation of the Christian message (wrt to homosexuals) require a substantial amount more throat-clearing than does the WBC’s version. The Phelps family does not waste its time trying to convince people that murdering gay people for committing gay acts is just another version of Love, nor does it pretend that fulfilling every jot and tittle of the old law means that the commandments of Leviticus no longer apply.

Though this poster is banned, he/she could still surf the site and find this response:

Go back and catch up on your theology. You’ve got a lot of learning to do if you want to enter these conversations without looking completely ignorant. Your responses lack any working knowledge of history or theology, and it’s rather telling that you glom onto the WBC as having the "correct and honest " interpretation of the Bible while completely ignoring 2000+ years of teaching and instruction from Christians through the ages who did not think as the WBC does. That’s willful ignorance, and it’s laughable.

 

[Robin_des_Bois]

You might have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church.

They are a fringe Calvinist group that pickets the funerals of dead soldiers, celebrities and music stars, declares that “God Hates Fags” and hates literally every other religion apart from their own.

They say they do all their obnoxious nonsense because they are “warning America” so that we stop living hideously and thus stop God from burning our entire country to the ground.

Part of me thinks they are sincerely religious ( in a really warped way) and part of me thinks they are just crazy, disturbed people who are looking for an excuse to cause pain.

What do you think?

They need to see a psychiatrist.

 

[quantum_star22]

I have a message for WBC and that is this: SHUT YOUR MOUTHS; you’re lucky we put up with you.

Recently I discovered how this band of heretics(and hags) had the AUDACITY to go to the National Shrine and proclaim that the “Church is going down”. This was done right in front of the Shrine!!!

 

[WmJackP]

You might have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Part of me thinks they are sincerely religious ( in a really warped way) and part of me thinks they are just crazy, disturbed people who are looking for an excuse to cause pain.

What do you think?

I think it may be a matter of degree.

 

[ccmcmg]

Having seen them in action, I’m ashamed that they call themselves a church (of any kind), Christian, and Kansans. Explain to a 7 year old boy what those words on their signs mean, and exactly why they are in front of a innocuous graduation ceremony at a state university.

I will say that they have brought people together to stand united against them.

 

[scorpio1990]

Three things: money, anger and mental health problems.

I heard from watching interviews that Fred Phelps was abusive to his children and he probably just wants as many ways to vent his anger as possible. They want to be called a religious group for the tax benefits (I say they be classified as a hate group). And they are insane. I cannot offer a full coherent argument of it, but to carry around that much hatred in your veins and to be that judgmental and arrogant (Phelps believes himself to be some sort of prophet or something along those lines) does not indicate a high level of mental health.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Another example of how religion can go wrong.
And gets away with it.
Potential motivation or drive:
Ignorance and fear of others that do not see things the way the leader of WBC sees things.

 

[quantum_star22]

Having seen them in action, I’m ashamed that they call themselves a church (of any kind), Christian, and Kansans. Explain to a 7 year old boy what those words on their signs mean, and exactly why they are in front of a innocuous graduation ceremony at a state university.

I will say that they have brought people together to stand united against them.

They’re not Christians. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that they exist for the purpose of vilifying Christianity. It has been disclosed that most of them work for guess who??? None other than the federal government.

 

[quantum_star22]

After watching that one video on youtube, and seeing that one hag shoot her mouth off about how the “Church is going down” in front of the Shrine, all I can say is that I BETTER NOT find them outside a Catholic Church near me.