Fred Phelps of today is like the John Brown of the Civil war era

[greenbriar]

do you think?


all for publicity


heard this analogy today and have been pondering it all day...can't decide if they were serious or not

[Fearless]

1. Ahh... John Brown is largely considered to have been clinically insane!

[jonmiller74]

21. I'm sorry but that is not accurate

I'm working on a civil war project and one of our subject is John Brown. It is often misrepresented that he was insane. He was fanatical but based on the primary sources available he was not insane, that characterization seems to originate from southerners afraid of the power his martyrdom created. Remember at the time of his execution there were plans by his Northern collaborators for a rescue attempt. He believe his death would serve the purpose of his cause more than his escape. And religious yes but difference between phelps brand of southern/midwestern religion and Browns, is that Browns P.O.V was not supported by the religious establishment at of the time in the region.

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Well, let's see --

GOD HATES SLAVERY!

GOD HATES FAGS!

Yep. You're right. No difference at all.

[murielm99]

3. I'd rather not give Phelps the publicity. n/t

[juno jones]

4. John Brown at least had a noble cause. n/t

[jmowreader]

7. And what could be more noble than being a batshit-crazy bigot?

[juno jones]

24. He was trying to free the slaves.

Never heard he was a bigot.

edit to add: He appeared on the scene after slavery was set to spread into the western states.


Phelps is a bigot and far more dangerous than JB

[jmowreader]

26. Phelps is who I was referring to, not John Brown

[Dhalgren]

5. I think that the comparison is completely wrong and dumb.

John Brown may have been crazy, but he was on the side of the angels. He gave his life fighting against the horror of slavery. Phelps is just a mobile pile of shit who wants to take people's freedoms away. Phelps is a pustule, a boil, a repugnant imbecile who needs to be institutionalized and re-educated (if possible)...

[greenbriar]

6. I was like ...ummm well okay

and just kind of let it die a slow death

not really knowing what to say

[Ikonoklast]

17. John Brown had no problem murdering innocent people

As far as I know, Phelps never personally killed anyone. He tries to incite others to do it for him, all in the name of god.


Ringing endorsment for both, there.

Both are insane religious zealots.

[Dhalgren]

18. Phelps couldn't carry John Brown's soiled underwear...

[Bluerthanblue]

20. beg to differ-

I can't say I endorse the methods that John Brown employed, but it was the "murder of innocent people" that so incensed Mr. Brown that he felt his only recourse was to fight back against the monster of slavery with the monster of violence.

Proof that violence begets violence.

I do admire his commitment to end slavery- but not his method.

I don't admire anything about Phelps.

peace~

[mitchum]

8. I will accept that comparison...

once Phelps has danced on air

[ConsAreLiars]

9. So you believe that condemning slavery is comparable to condemning gays?

And you believe that Brown was a hate-filled self serving opportunist? Odd.

[greenbriar]

15. no I didn't say I believed it...I said I heard it

and didn't quite know what to say

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Interesting comparison

Both are religious zealots.

Both are media (attention) whores.

Both have family members involved and dedicated to their cause.

Both are from Kansas.

John Brown had a noble cause. Phelps does not.

John Brown engaged in criminal behavior (robbery, murder). Phelps is rude but not a criminal.

They do seem to have more in common than their differences.

[greenbriar]

14. brown wasn't from Kansas

he used kansas during the Bleeding Kansas era

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. He was here long enough for us to claim him

And he did make Kansas famous.

His picture is in the state capitol!

[Johonny]

25. yeah but

the differences are more significant than there similarities. What they do and why they do it or far more important than where they were born.

[clyrc]

11. I read a novel called Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks

about John Brown last year, and it was a really good book. I recommend it.

[Bluerthanblue]

23. "Lightning Time"

a novel my son read about JB- was also good.

My grade school history classes didn't offer anything other than the usual version of a crazy religious zealot.-

gonna check out Cloudsplitter- thanks for rec. it.

peace~

[hootinholler]

12. John Brown's body lies a moulding in the grave.

Well, probably spinning with that comparison.

They couldn't possibly be serious could they?

-Hoot

[MuseRider]

13. John Brown Opera

tomorrow night, front row seats! I guess I will learn more tomorrow night.

[Bluerthanblue]

19. not at all- terrible comparison-

John Brown resorted to violence to fight an inhumane social institution.

Fred Phelps uses 'religion' as cover for his hatred and bigotry towards people who are different than him.


You might be surprised at the facts behind the real "John Brown". There is much more to his story than most people realize.
My eighth grade son had to do a report on him, and what he discovered didn't jibe with much of the 'legend'.

peace~

[Marr]

22. John Brown was a hero, Phelps is a lunatic.

Plenty of Brown's letters survive, and he was in contact with a lot of the intellectuals of his day-- before and after his attempted uprising. He wasn't insane. He saw an injustice and knew it wasn't going to change by just asking nicely. He was a catalyst in the ending of slavery. Those kinds of heroes aren't treated kindly by the establishment. They don't even talk about MLK's real message, let alone someone like John Brown.

[Vidar]

27. John Brwn had tremendous physical courage, dying for his cause.

Phelps has naught but chutzpah.