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I actually feel sorry for Fred Phelps

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by pirateninja, May 23, 2010.

  1. pirateninja

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    I know what many of you may think. I know many of you will probably barrage me with reasons why this man is hateful and awful and everything bad under the sun.

    HOWEVER, just watch this documentary I found on AtheistNation. Believe it or not, it explains the root behind why he hates gay people so much. Just trust me, I'm only on part 4 and already I feel like I understand the hatred of this man so much more. I can't and will never condone it, but I understand it.

    Part 1
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01886/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-1-11/

    Part 2
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01887/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-2-11/

    Part 3
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01888/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-3-11/

    Part 4
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01889/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-4-11/

    Part 5
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01890/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-5-11/

    Part 6
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01891/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-6-11/

    Part 7
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01892/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-7-11/

    Part 8
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01893/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-8-11/

    Part 9
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01894/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-9-11/

    Part 10
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01895/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-10-11/

    Part 11
    http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/01896/atheist/hatemongers-fred-phelps-11-11/


    If you don't feel like watching it, explanation here; at first, all he wanted to do was to stop men having homosexual sex in public parks. When a man tried to solicit his grandson in the park, Fred blew his top. He picketed the park (very tamely compared to how he does so now), just wanting to outlaw public homosexual sex in the park where his grandkids played. When public officials and citizens turned on him, the idea of homosexuality became synonymous with pedophilia, rape and public sex. That's when he brought religion into it and started his "war" against all homosexuals. If he had just met a gay person who wanted a monogamous, equal, with sex in their own room relationship, everything he and his church does now would not be. It's a sad but true fact.
     
  2. LostandFound

    LostandFound Guest

    Very interesting. Seems reasonable enough at the beginning, people shouldn't be having sex in a public park used by children. I think Phelps used to be a big civil rights campaigner as well.
     
  3. pirateninja

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    Yeah, he ran his own law firm and a staunch defender of black, disabled and women's civil rights.

    I guess how he turned out now is summed up in one sentence; the worst evil comes from those who believe they are doing good.
     
  4. Revan

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    Sad what can happen to this world because of stupid things that happened....
     
  5. LostandFound

    LostandFound Guest

    There's another good documentary on the 'church' by the BBC that's worth watching. I'm not sure what the above video goes into but the 'church' is really just an extended family with a very small number of non-family converts. You really feel sorry for the children who are being brainwashed with this crap because it definitly makes their lives horrible. In this documentary the children believe that they'll never get married because in their words "who would want to marry me?" because they know they are putting people off. Plus side though is that the 'church' probably won't grow.
     
  6. ANightDude

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    That's pretty interesting. He was a civil rights defense man, and now he is the exact opposite of that. I understand why he would be so upset a freaked out over that, and if you watch videos of him with actual homosexuals, he looks uncomfortable, but in a way his other family members don't seem to be. As if he thinks they're going to attack him or something... I can't accept how idiotic he is, but it does make sense as to where the hate comes from.
     
  7. pirateninja

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    Ah, you mean Louis Theroux's "Most Hated Family in America"? Yup, seen that too. :slight_smile: I liked that as it showed a very human side to the younger generation in the WBC, however it showed the adults in a very poor light. It's quite interesting how if you watch more and more about them, it builds up a picture of adults who dedicate their lives to a cause that they believe in because of their own fear, disgust and ill treatment caused by some stupid and thoroughly embarrassing homosexuals that they met at the time, and the children who have been raised believing they are hated, believing in all that has been told to them, and believing that pickets and "the fag agenda" is just another everyday part of life.

    Truly an unfortunate and pitiable family.
     
  8. Connor22

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    you know that's really quite an eye-opener and these guys really could do with a bit of psychiatric help, and the kids! jeepers someone get them into foster care quick before they start killing themselves, actually it might be worth doing by showing gods love for them by picketing their house with signs saying "we fogive you" and "we'ra here to help" instead of taking a really negative view on them all the time, cut these guys a break once in a while, it might do more good than bad
     
  9. Mogget

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    WBC fascinates me on several levels. I could write an essay on them. The two main things for me though are

    a) Phelps does not advocate violence. I was very surprised when the SPLC called WBC a hate group, as they have little interest in either changing our nation's laws or in harming LGBT people. Their sole interest is to berate the sinful world. They are far, far less damaging in that respect than the mainstream anti-LGBT groups that are seen as less extreme. This leads to point b.

    b) Outside of their Calvinistic worldview, WBC's beliefs are pretty mainstream for the nastier strains of conservative Christianity. They believe that God hates* gay people and will send them to Hell, they believe that God will punish nations that permit homosexuality, and they believe that they have a duty to berate the sinners that practice or tolerate homosexuality. These beliefs are completely inline with the views of Pat Robertson, Focus on the Family, etc.

    *"Hate," as defined by Phelps is "not an evil passion as it is with men, but is a fixed determination in the mind of God to send the unrepentant to Hell."