I Love Homosexuals. Does that mean I am going to Hell?

Please note: Even for the sake of this article, I myself cannot use the word "fag". I find it highly offensive. Also, know that I had to take two days to cool off before writing this blog...I was going mental at first and didn't think anyone wanted to read that much of a rant! Now, without further ado...

This weekend while visiting friends we watched a documentary on the BBC called The Most Hated Family in America. It is about the Westboro Baptist Church. Honestly, up until this point in my life, I had never heard of these people. I do recall a while back hearing about people picketing soldiers funerals and thinking to myself, "bastards", but that is all...I didn't realize it was a supposed "church" doing the picketing and I also did not realize the reason for the pickets.

This entire "church's" belief is based around homosexuals. It appears we are all going to hell because we are either homosexuals, homosexual enablers or homosexual lovers. Oh yes, and according to them, God hates homosexuals. These people believe they are the only people going to heaven and if there was another church out there teaching the "truth", they would have heard about it. They believe if you are killed (really thru anything...warfare, car accident, etc.) it means God has struck you down and you went to hell. Honestly, I have never heard anything more absurd or upsetting in my life. While watching this documentry, my insides were churing and I was getting so angry.

After having a couple days to ponder, I have figured out what disturbs me the most about this:

1. They use their children at their pickets. It isn't them teaching their children their beliefs that bothers me (after all, America is a nation with freedom of religion) and it isn't taking their children to the picktes that bothers me either. It is putting highly offensive posters in their childrens hands, posters their children don't even understand, and having them parade them around. I really feel like this shouldn't be allowed. No child should be allowed/subjected to anything of the sort until they themselves understand what they are holding in their hands (i.e.: signs that read "God hates Fags" or "Antichrist Obama"). During the documentry, they ask some of the children (we are talking kids 6 and 7 years old) what the signs mean, they didn't even know.

2. They are disrespectful. America isn't about everyone having the same beliefs. It isn't even about agreeing with each other. But, it is about having respect for other beliefs. And, I think picketing soldiers funerals, soldiers who are protecting you, for no reason other than their hatred of the American flag (yeah, apparently the American flag is super bad) and homosexuals is absolutely absurd and should not be allowed. A funeral is not a place to be disrespectful. Pick any other place, but allow these families to grieve in peace.

3. Their ignorance. I don't know if I have ever seen a more ignorant and self centered group of people. They don't even want to help others or convert them to their religion. They just want to be disrespectful and in people's faces. And, they don't have real reasons for doing this. As soon as they are questioned on anything, they get angry and rude. The reason? They don't actually have answers for why they believe what they believe.

I think the igonrance is the worst part. One of the ladies laughed about the documentary host going to hell. I don't even know how that is funny. And if you believe in heaven and hell, I don't know how you could find that funny in the least bit.

I realize that this church is a dieing church... it is small, it's old crazy leader is frail and people think they are crazy. But still, it is the fact that they are so blatently rude to others that gets to me. I don't know how people have been able to stand what they are doing. It shows there are much "bigger" people out there than me because if these crazies showed up at one of my family members funerals, I would not be keeping my cool.

Oh and the angrier people get at them, the more they think they are doing what is right...go figure! If you have some spare time...and want to get pissed off...it really is interesting checking out these people. Here are some links for your viewing pleasure:

• Westboro Baptist Church website
• Fred Phelps - leader's Wikipedia
  
• You Tube videos of their demonstrations
• Patriot Guard Riders - A group of bikers that tries to block protesters at soldiers funerals

I could go on and on about everything that bothers me, but I won't. I know you don't want to read twenty pages about it. But, I thought you would like to know about these crazies and get just as worked up as I did!