I watched “The most hated family in America” last night – a Louis Theroux documentary about Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, mainly made up of the Phelps family. It was pretty offensive stuff as this church have made it their mission to proclaim God’s judgement on America as a whole and homosexuals and soldiers in particular by letting them know in no uncertain terms that God hates them. The church believes that apart from those in their congregation, everyone else is hated by God and are destined for hell. According to Pastor Fred Phelps, Billy Graham is going to “split hell wide open” when he eventually dies.
I think they have got it wrong. I don’t believe God hates anyone. Certainly he hates the things that I do, say and think that don’t meet his very high standards but in spite of those things I am convinced he loves me rather than hates me. God doesn’t hate fags or soldiers, he loves them – I also believe that his gracious love extends to the Phelps family and the members of Westboro Baptist Church.
April 5, 2007 at 5:18 am
Hi Tim, I did not see this program (something to do with being at the bottom of the world) but I would have like to ….. I hope that I would not have hated those involved …. but it would be difficult.
April 6, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I thought Louis was spot on when he said if Jesus was around today the family would be picketing him.
The notion that Jesus would be holding one of their disgusting placards is laughable. Jesus ate with and spent time with sinners and never spoke of God’s hate.
May 10, 2007 at 4:04 pm
As an American, I want to set this straight a bit. First, Fred Phelps has founded his own church, and most of the members of his church are from his own family.
I heard about this program from some friends in the UK, and I don’t want anyone to think that Phelps is representative of Christianity in the U.S.
June 9, 2008 at 3:20 am
If Jesus felt like using rather frightening signs, certainly would not have been out of character to do so (Matthew 4:17; 7:19; 8:12; 10:28; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30, 41; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:49; John 15:6).
Read the Bible.
June 9, 2008 at 3:21 am
Note that I’m not defending them. God hates them as much as He does that lying whore Billy Graham.
April 8, 2009 at 2:37 am
I am so glad that I did not see a bunch of hate mongers commenting on this. Thank god for tolerance. You should also watch Brother Micah if you want to have a good laugh at a radical pastor.