I try to stay away from politics in Courting; it’s usually more true confessions by Pia. However when I read something like the following I feel compelled to talk about it.
SMYRNA, Tenn. - Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq….The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays.
Granted it’s a small church, thankfully not part of a larger church. BUT I have been called unpatriotic, disloyal, and a staunch hater of the people in the military because I don’t support a war that I don’t understand.
I realize that most people will laugh at them, and their absurd idealogy. But they interrupted two funerals for service people, not I. They are the people spreading doctrines of hate, not I. They are the people who don’t support the military, not I.
I mean no disrespect to anybody who lives in Kansas; the title wrote itself.
We are a strong nation of people from diverse backgrounds. In the past decade, really more, people in this country have had a strong need to understand themselves and their problems through spirituality and religion. That’s great.
What’s not so great is the temptation to mix religion with politics, and then to be so sure of ones beliefs that a minister can take his congregation and interrupt servicemen’s funerals.
Can you imagine some of Bin Laden’s people interrupting the funerals of firemen in New York? Rudy G–who I don’t personally like but did respect for those first few weeks–would have kicked them on their asses.
Many people assume that I look at the seperation of Church and State from the perspective of a Jew. I do, but I also look at it from the perspective of every non-Christian in this country.
Now a new element has been added. Decent Christians against way sick Christians who have the unmititigated gall to interrupt a funeral.
Of course I hold Bush, Dobson, Frist, Rove and all the rest accountable. Dobson and Frist look at everything through a faith based angle; why shouldn’t that minister think if they can look at the world the way they want to and get the government to agree, why can’t he be allowed to interrupt funerals?
If Karl Rove can get away with committing treason why shouldn’t everybody think that they can get away with whatever they want to?
You think that I’m making too much of this? I don’t. This country is going down roads we’ve never traveled before. Why? So that our president can satisfy his overblown ego and stay in a war, more and more Americans disaprove of every day?
I’m scared that this minister’s actions are just the beginning.
Anybody who knows me knows that I’ll throw Rove into anything; and how dare the administration be so sure of itself, it lets Rove still work before the investigation really begins.
Crossposted at Bring it On!
Want to talk about weird… I wash just getting ready to blog roll you. I saw your site yesterday and loved the layout and wanted to follow up on you from time to time and then this morning I read the Smyrna, Tenn item that you posted. Wow… I posted on that not too long ago, thanks to http://bigorangemichael.blogspot.com. He is a blogging friend of mine and a member of that church.
That rabid whacko Phelps has been in and out of the news for years. He’s already gotten more publicity than he deserves, imho.
Belief’s or no belief’s, to interrupt a military service for men, or women, who died protecting our country is just plain wrong. Some people are sick.
Even conservative evangelical Christians disown Fred Phelps. The consider him a cult leader.
That is such horseshit. I find it so interesting that often the people who claim to be the most “holy” are some of the most heartless, judgemental people on the planet. I believe in God but I don’t pretend to know what he’s up to all the time.
Obviously as most of us know and the above commenter has pointed out religion has nothing to do with decency , or morlality for that matter. I didn’t see it but hopefully someone makes a very bad example out of him.
excellent point — i was thinking the same thing a few weeks ago when the first of phelp’s funeral ‘visits’ received little to no attention by the press, and sadly the government.
Phelps & co. recently protested at a funeral near me. The poor soldier had just enlisted to get health insurance for his two-year-old (he and his wife also have another child). He was universally liked and respected.
I think Phelps’ protest actually had a positive effect on the community. The soldier was African American, but all sectors of the community made a special effort to come out in solidarity with his family because of Phelps. A Marine organization that sends representatives to all Marine funerals also sent people. Phelps only had a few, and everyone except them was on their best behavior and full of decent patriotic respect and admiration without a lot of rah-rah pro-war b. s. Phelps looked bad and the soldier was properly honored.