General News WBC chased out of Moore, Oklahoma

Some of my faith in humanity has been restored. :icon_bigg
Kudos to Moore, Oklahoma!

 

Why not do what Canada does, ban them for hate speech.

 

I actually wouldn't mind if we censored hate speech. Bullying and other forms of harassment would go down dramatically. I'm just not sure that the US could actually do that responsibly, we tend to get carried away...

 

The wbc are getting boring now. They quote the bible but that doesn't make them Christians

 

I agree 100%. Much as I hate them I don't want to band their ridiculous form of Christianity. To say we banned it because it was hateful immediately opens the door for them to say gay pride parades could be offensive and hateful..ugh

I hate it sometimes but I love that we have free speech...even these tools get a voice I suppose

but yeah this video was cool...good for Moore

 

That was funny. I liked the way the police didn't seem all that concerned about protecting the so-called church members. But when you pour salt in the wounds of a town that lost dozens to a tornado, with many hundreds more injured, I feel the WBC got what they deserved. There's a point where human decency, respect and dignity are more important than those hateful, sign-waving kooks.

 

This being Oklahoma, I have to wonder how many people in the counter protest actually agreed with the core WBC message. It's not like it's a rare Christian belief that gay people are sinful, and our continued existence invites their deities wrath onto society. Hell, we get blamed for pretty much every natural disaster by some Christian crack pots out there.

The only difference between them and the WBC is that the WBC are attention whores who act in poor taste.

I'd love to look at the counter protest, and believe that all of the people who are standing out there are our allies. However, more likely a big chunk of them agree with the WBC's core message, but were angry over their tacky protest of the dead kids at their temporary school. Meanwhile, in the temporary school some gay kid is legitimately enduring hell because of his real or perceived sexual orientation.

In the end, the WBC will likely try to find a way to sue the town, because that's what they do - it's how they make their money.

 

I'm not a big fan of what happened at Moore, Oklahoma.

I really don't like Westboro at all...they're like the poster child of everything I hate about this world. Despite that, however, the single most important right we have in America is 'free speech'. Anyone who challenges free speech, or tries to silence it should be considered an enemy...it doesn't matter who says it or why.

The mentality now is "Thank goodness we shut these people I don't like up" but what happens if you condone this and latter are you're the person being shut up because no one likes what you have to say? =/

Also violence ( or threat of violence ) shouldn't be our go to choice to resolve our problems. Laughing or not...I imagine that big crowd closing in on their little crowd probably was perceived that way.

 

As a Christian this sort of thing just stumps me.

Where is your "God hates drunkards" sign?
"God hates adulterers" sign? Btw when you divorce outside of fornication it's considered adultery.
"God hates murderers" sign? Yet preachers still visit people on death row. Why? Because even at the point of death a person can be forgiven and be no less than any other, THAT is God's mercy, these people are unmerciful.
"God hates slanderers"
"God hates hypocrites"
"God hates liars"

Mixing a negative term such as hate, to a benevolent and merciful God seems to counter that stance.

Do people not realize that ALL are sinners, ALL fall short of the Glory of God? That ALL who have sinned ONCE are EQUALLY deserving of death?

These 'Christians' promote hate, not mercy, they promote prejudice, not acceptance.

God ate with and taught the outcasts, the sinners, because the LAW ABIDING Pharisees were full of dead men's bones. Self righteous, abiding in the law perfectly but failing to LOVE, they lost the whole point, and God taught AGAINST THEM.

God said judge not lest ye be judged, for WHAT MEASURE YOU use AGAINST your neighbour, will be measured BACK to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, but not see the 2x4 plank of wood in your own? Thou hypocrite!


These people need to read the Bible, ignoring their own wisdom and self righteousness. It would be better for them to stay silent than to actively protest, atleast they could say they never hated another person but let them be content.

These are cultist extremists, and they tarnish what was once a good name, Christian, they forget the cause, which was love, and they make the rest of us look bad.

Whats worse now is people will see this, and they'll help spread the circle of hate. People love getting even though, they get hated, and they hate back.

God said love your enemies, not hold up signs speaking for Him, to turn the other cheek, not to fulfill your own agenda under false pretenses.

 

...and this is exactly how WBC makes a big chunk of their money. Whenever they encounter these types of situations they file lawsuits, and of course they win for precisely the reasons you stated. So, in the end, all these foolish people did was put money into their pockets.

People have come up with creative, good, and legal ways to counter protest the WBC.

At the end of the day, they have a right to be there, and a right to say what they want to say. However, it isn't what they say that matters (because in the end it's just words), it's how we utilize that opportunity and respond. Which is something the people in that crowd don't seem to understand.

They didn't "win" anything by chasing them off. They lost. They just haven't realized it yet.

 

Agreed.

I love that we have counter-protests, but when people start misrepresenting themselves within them, all they are doing is painting themselves in a negative light. It's a backlash to their own cause and they don't realize it =/

 

I am in agreement that counter-protest and ignoring them is our best bet

 

I am so used to the westboro baptist church being on the news for protesting so many different things that by now I am used to them they are just another face in the crowd to me. I disagree with all their protests but at the same time they don't bother me since I am used to seeing them everywhere I just learn to ignore people like that. They got chased out and I think this is great but I am sure they will be back soon enough with a different protest somewhere else they just don't go away that easy.

 

Because apparently in the U.S giving people the freedom to make public hate speeches and the freedom to take other peoples right to a peaceful life away makes the country more "free".

Again, just another freedom that I really don't think makes you free. I'd rather not be allowed to say something hateful in public, than live in a country were I could, and could also hear hate speech in public.

The exact reason why the Westboro Baptist Church could not legally operate the way they do in Canada.

We have protests, and all, but they can't be against an entire group of people.

I cannot reiterate enough " FREE SPEECH" actually TAKES AWAY FREEDOMS, AND MAKES YOU LESS FREE. The U.S needs to rid themselves of this ridiculous notion that being able to say what you want, where you want, makes your life and your fellow countrymens lives better. It just doesn't.

 

Hate Speech ≠ Free Speech. This was not the Founding Fathers intention when they wrote the first amendment. We need Hate Speech laws like in Canada.

 

Who decides what counts as "Hate speech"?

In Russia "Hate Speech" would be anyone who was for gay marriage...

In the middle east 'Women's rights' is likely to be considered hate speech.

I prefer "Free speech" over someone else decided what I'm allowed to think and not think.

 

Supreme Court upholds Canada’s hate speech laws in case involving anti-gay crusader

Canada's Supreme Court opinion on this situation is a great guidance tool about this. The Russia and Middle East analogies aren't really that accurate, since those groups who are oppressing others are not having their rights taken away, and not being hateful won't kill them.