Gay Group Hosts Fred Phelps

[paineinthearse]

Talk about strange bedfellows!

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/03/030805phelps.htm

Gay Group Hosts Fred Phelps
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: March 8, 2005 5:01 pm ET

(Fort Wayne, Indiana) The Equal Rights Coalition will play host to America's most notable homophobe in Fort Wayne on Sunday. The Rev. Fred Phelps, who runs the God Hates fags website and whose followers regularly demonstrate against LGBT rights has agreed to take part in a forum on gay rights. Members of Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas - most of whom are family members - gained national notoriety when they protested outside the 1998 funeral for Matthew Shepard, the gay college student beaten to death in Wyoming.

The murder led to the play "The Laramie Project" in which Phelps is depicted. The award winning play will run for four days beginning Thursday at the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne. Phelps and his followers plan to picket the museum and six area churches that he claims are tolerant of gays. The Equal Rights Coalition has scheduled the forum for 11 a.m. Sunday at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Rob Grayless, regional director of Indiana Equality said he hoped the forum would prevent a clash between the protesters and and counterprotests. "We could have people stand on the other side of the street and protest right back, but that doesn't solve anything," Grayless told the Associated Press. Phelps welcomed the invitation.
"We'll accommodate it if it's anywhere near reasonable," Phelps said. "It's just a wonderful way to show the contrast between the truth of God and the abomination of sin."

The minister of one of the churches being targeted by the Phelps group called the scheduled demonstration a perversion of Christianity. "One cannot hate in the name of God," said the Rev. Phil Emerson of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. "My great heartbreak is unchurched people in Fort Wayne will read this story and will say that's what it means to be Christian or that's what it means to be godly. There's nothing of God about this group, and I'm sorry they associate themselves with any Christian names."

more......

For more info on Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3221790

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Jews meet with Hitler

Rabbi Cohen says "I think it will be good for both sides to get together and find common ground".

Get a grip: Phelps wants to put homosexuals to death.

[solinvictus]

5. Well, actually..

in the early days of the regime, many prominent Zionists met with officials. The plan was a relocation of European Jews to Palestine and the SS/Interior Ministry had an office to deal with these Zionists with funding, aid, etc. I think an author named Leni Brenner wrote a book on the early collaboration between these parties.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. whole lot of good it did -

that is the point. We have to stop reaching out to meet intolerance half way.

[renaissanceguy]

14. I'd like him to go to International Male Leather Festival....

let him mess with those Leather Daddies... he'll be broken in two!

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[ruggerson]

16. I'm through with using the word "tolerance"

It's their word. I don't want anyone to tolerate me. I want full citizenship, acceptance and respect. Screw tolerance.

[MuseRider]

22. I agree with that.

It always made me think that someone was simply putting up with something, never accepting, but it has been used as being the best we could offer. Nope, you are right. It is their word and it is not enough.

[GiovanniC]

27. Congratulations

You have won the coveted honor of being the first and only DUer to have a quote immortalized in my signature line.

I don't believe I have ever been witness to a more well-said point as this one.

Bravo to you.

[Warren Stupidity]

39. even though I am obviously a genetic idiot

I do manage the ocaitonul one liner. Best to check my spelling though :-)

Thanks.

[madmark]

11. There were actually extensive discussions amongst nazis to

send european jewery to Madagascar of all places.

[MuseRider]

2. I don't know what possible good could

come of this. Fred will sit there and grin and spout off or shout if he needs to what he considers his laws as told to him by God. He is not reasonable, he will not debate, he does not listen respectfully. I just think it is a terrible waste of time. Maybe it will do everyone good for another community besides this one to have to listen to all of what he will say. I seriously doubt the coalition will come away feeling like they accomplished something. I hope otherwise but long experience with Phelps tells me this will not accomplish much of anything.

[atommom]

8. I agree. I can't see anything good coming of this. It won't be a

rational dialogue, just an opportunity for him to get attention for his hatefulness.

[TaleWgnDg]

3. wait . . . wait . . . wait . . .

.

"It's just a wonderful way to show the contrast between the truth of God and the abomination of sin," said Fred Phelps (depicted holding up the signs).

[atommom]

10. Dammit, someone make him take off that Jayhawk jacket!

Now I'm really pissed. :mad:

[Blue_Tires]

40. me too (alum) n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. I'm an alum too

and that picture makes me gag.

[GiovanniC]

28. I Agree Wholeheartedly With Him

The love, compassion and acceptance of Christ will stand in stark contrast to Phelps' sins of hatred, wrath, and pride.

[bushisanidiot]

4. Good. Let Freeper Phelps get plenty of publicity. It's very bad PR for

repukes. the more phelps and his ilk get airtime the more left AWOL bush will be forced to go on gay issues.

[atommom]

9. Sorry, he isn't a Republican, just an evil person.

[ruggerson]

17. So easy to confuse the two ain't it?

[bushisanidiot]

25. What makes you think he's not a republican? His followers are

AWOL Bush's base.

[atommom]

26. Because he's a registered Dem, believe it or not.

He has even run for office several times as a Dem. I don't know why he chose this party ... he must hate Republicans slightly more.

[tblue37]

30. He's a Dem

and he was <i>very</i> active campaigning against segregation and for civil rights during the civil rights movement. Odd, huh?

[atommom]

31. I think his mental illness got a lot worse in the following years.

[formerrepuke]

35. Many Democrats were pro-segregation in the 1950s

...and Topeka, Kansas was the 'birthplace' of Brown vs. Board of Education. Its worth remembering that prior to the 1960s-1970s, the Democratic party was highly schizophrenic- indluding not only progressive "coastal" types, but also the so-called "Dixiecrats"..most of them bigoted, racist blowhards.

[bushisanidiot]

33. Doesn't matter what he's registered as. He is a repuke.

if it walks like a repuke, talks like a repuke, wears a sheet like a repuke.. it's a repuke.

it's not rocket science.

[atommom]

36. Unfortunately, not everyone we despise is a Republican, even if

they are thoroughly despicable.

[American Tragedy]

7. Great, I hope this guy gets as much publicity and exposure as possible.

Reminds me of when Howard Stern would have Daniel Carver of the KKK on all the time.

It's long past time to force people to confront raw, ugly bigotry and fanaticism, and I can't imagine a better poster child for it than Fred Phelps.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. You may be right...

Those who actually listen to his jibber-jabber are not people who will be swayed from their preoccupation with hate.

But those who are sane need a good look at who these people are...a look that's close enough to inspire them to do something about bigotry.

[atommom]

24. The thing is, he and his group are so excited and energized by

public attention that even attention that would seem negative and embarrassing to us is very satisfying to them. That's why the local press doesn't give them as much attention these days ... and it's one more reason for them to travel elsewhere and attract attention by being as outrageous as possible. They don't have any ties to other religious groups (the WBC being mostly comprised of Fred's descendents), so there's no hope that pressure from other churches will help either.

[Toucano]

13. The only way to "solve anything" with Phelps

is for him to "meet his maker", as he would put it.

[renaissanceguy]

15. No, he'll just call God a fag. n/t

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14741250

[Toucano]

18. Since God is a lesbian, that would be most upsetting to her! n/t

[Azathoth]

19. Phelps is a buffoon, but inviting him to speak at the forum is a mistake

Phelps is going to want to debate religion, not GLBT rights. Unless there are other religious scholars there to challenge him -- people who know as much about the Bible as Fred does -- its going to be a one-sided debate that isn't going to accomplish anything except getting Fred and his merry band of misanthropes a little more publicity. Next time, they should just leave Fred and his family to waive their signs and make fools of themselves outside on the sidewalk.

[Sunny_Sunshine]

32. Having other biblical scholars doesn't help either

He makes up books of the Bible that say what he wants them to say.

[lies and propaganda]

20. This shows who is the bigger people....

but i would still punch that heartless sonofabitch in the face.

These people can truly blame every negative event of gays. Florida Hurricanes, 9-11, the list does not end.

[hippywife]

21. I would buy tickets to see this

Fred and his clan make such raging fools out of themselves, they actually have the opposite effect in a community than they intend. They still haven't figured this out yet.

[DS1]

23. To put it in a language Bush can understand

Fred Phelps needs a killin'

[athenap]

29. Why not do like that bar in Chicago...

...or Cleveland (can't remember) that had a fund drive, asking people to pledge a certain amount of money for every minute Phelps and his wingnuts protested, all funds to go to some sort of aid program for Gay and Lesbian youth.

Here in Cincinnati, Stonewall Cincy had a canned-food drive going on for as long as Phelps protested, a few years back when he foamed about P&G offering domestic partner benefits regardless of sexual orientation. They did a street party and everything.

[paineinthearse]

37. I like that.......do something positive

And the key is publicity. Personally contact assignment desk editors. Send news releases to US Newswire. Have people make video recordings, convert to AVI files and upload to the internet.

[slackmaster]

34. Sounds like a good idea

Nice to see somebody with the courage to face the enemy and to try something new. Phelps will surely sink himself.

[Tansy_Gold]

38. What Phelps says the Bible says and what Phelps does. . .

Now it seems to me that there's a disconnect here.

Jael Phelps, the old man's grand-spawn, while running for Topeka city council, said that gays are an abomination and the Bible calls for their deaths. The Phelps clan has gone on record as saying 9/11 was a good thing for killing all those wicked heathens and gays and assorted other sinners. And they claim "God" hates fags.

But how many of these wicked heathens and sinners has the Phelps clan personally put to death? If they haven't killed any, then aren't they disobeying their own God's orders? And wouldn't that then mean that God hates Fred Phelps?

I certainly don't want to put any murderous thoughts into the old cretin's half-rotted brain, but I'm pretty sure he's already thought of it anyway. And that's why I think he's just another hypocritical chicken-shithawk. He likes the attention, he likes the publicity, and he probably likes the money he's rakin' in from all them other gay-hatin' troglodytes, but he sure ain't gonna risk goin' to jail or maybe gettin' offed hisself.

So is he really after doin' the Lord's work? The Lord's work as Rev. Fred Phelps himself defines it? Not on your life.

I hope someone at this Fort Wayne event calls him on it and lets him know that God doesn't HATE ANYONE. God loves even poisoned little fruitcakes like Fred Phelps, and she certainly loves gay folks cuz she made so blessed many of 'em!

Not that I believe in god or anything,

Tansy Gold

[Blue_Tires]

41. am i the only one that thinks phelps is capable

of taping a bomb to himself and blowing up the entire conference?