Church Ordered to Pay Up After Protests
Wednesday October 31, 2007
While not really Pagan or Wiccan news in the true sense of things, I thought I'd pass this along because it (a) makes me smile and (b) concerns the repulsive individual that is Fred Phelps. You may recall Phelps, who calls himself a "warrior of Christ", for his protests and hate-filled tirades against gays, Pagans, Wiccans, Roman Catholics, transgendered individuals, Jews, producers of Broadway plays, and pretty much anyone else who doesn't fit into his fundamentalist world view. In March 2006, Phelps and his gaggle of clucking cronies from Westboro Baptist Church protested at a funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, a soldier killed in Iraq.
Phelps' particular flavor of protest involved signs at the funeral saying "God Hates Fags", and loud proclaimations that Snyder's death was because America tolerates homosexuality. Snyder's father, Albert, filed a lawsuit against Phelps' group holding them liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress, and has been awarded over $10 million by a Maryland court. Many states have laws against protesting at funerals, and Congress has passed a law making protests illegal in a federal cemetery.
Of note, attorneys pointed out the the size of the award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants". Good. I can't think of too many people I'd rather see bankrupt than a guy who preys on grieving families to further his own hate-filled agenda. Thankfully, most Christians I know are quick to point out that he represents only a small minority of their population.
Phelps' particular flavor of protest involved signs at the funeral saying "God Hates Fags", and loud proclaimations that Snyder's death was because America tolerates homosexuality. Snyder's father, Albert, filed a lawsuit against Phelps' group holding them liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress, and has been awarded over $10 million by a Maryland court. Many states have laws against protesting at funerals, and Congress has passed a law making protests illegal in a federal cemetery.
Of note, attorneys pointed out the the size of the award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants". Good. I can't think of too many people I'd rather see bankrupt than a guy who preys on grieving families to further his own hate-filled agenda. Thankfully, most Christians I know are quick to point out that he represents only a small minority of their population.
Comments
Samhain Blessings!
Thanks for sharing this post. I hadn’t heard an update about that creep and am very glad he got put in his place. He and those that follow him are such haters!
Barbara
Blessings to all!
Although I agree that seeing them bankrupt is a wonderful sight, I’m afraid it will not stop him or his followers from trying to spread more hate. I also know that him and his followers are a small minority, but as the saying goes - the squeaky wheel gets the grease - and in this case that is true. Hiding behind freedom of relegion, freedom of speech or any other constitutional right is cowardly and should not be condoned or permitted, but the law is the law. We can’t stop them without hurting everyone else that truly is being oppressed. Some day maybe we can all manage to get along.
Happy Samhaim to all.
I have monitored Phelps and his kin for a number of years. Perhaps this example of karmic kickback will serve as a warning to others who spread hate, especially hate disguised as religion.
wow thats karma bigtime messages of hate are essentially wrong to hate is to deny our most noble aspects our deepest wants and our love for humanity and all who share the blood that is human. but we must respect these peoples right to free speech but remember to not condone or show support for these hatful indiviuals.
Why hasen’t anyone tortured that sick f*** to death yet?! I think a couple of glowing hot ice picks through his eyeballs would be a nice start. Then finish with some nice meat work, with a lil’ surgical dismemberment in between. Someone with some skill could keep him alive for a couple of weeks at that. Then feed his filthy remains to pigs, leaving the pig sh** on his familys door step wrapped as a Christmas present. That’d make the 10′clock news.
Thank you for posting this. I had heard he was being sued but hadn’t followed up on it. As the mother of an infantry soldier I can tell you there is nothing more disturbing or upsetting than the thought of this man and his crones shouting hate-riddled slurs at a young soldier’s funeral. It is because of this man and his followers that a group of bikers called the PGR…Patriot Guard Riders…was formed. They are most typically vets and own bikes (although you don’t have to have a motorcyle to join…see their link here:http://www.patriotguard.org/) and they attend soldier’s funerals and keep these kinds of people away using any means and they usually have the support of the local law enforcement as well. Hopefully with the law suit, the new laws regarding protesting at funerals (can you believe we even have to have them?!), and the PGR we should be seeing the last of these morons!
Good news. It takes a VERY sick person to do a hate demo ata funeral!!! Is his view of Christianity molesting a grieving family?? What would Jesus do? Kick his ass out of the church!!! Luckily mostChristians aren’t like him.
I live in the same town as the Phelp’s family. The majority of the city ignores the Westboro “church” because for them any publicity is good publicity. While I appreciate the interest in this case and the verdict. I don’t believe mentioning him or his followers is a smart thing to do…the group has bullied our community for too long. We say NOT TODAY FRED! They have the right to free speach so I say let them speak and we can ignore. That is OUR constitutional right. If you can imagine the children holding signs with crude sayings and graphic imagery then you will understand this goes beyond HATE. It is hate on a level that is bred into the members of this group. Please don’t let hate fill your heart!
These people aren’t Christian in any sense of the word. I know Christians and the majority of them only have love in their hearts. I can’t believe someone would parade hate around under the banner of Christ!
I’m so happy that Albert Snyder had the courage to challenge them. I know that his son would applaud his decision (and the outcome) and hopefully it has set a positive precedent for other families to follow. No one deserves to have their funeral picketed by hatemongers.
While there is no such thing as bad PR (did you know Britney’s new album was the second highest selling album in the country this last week?) the only form of legal retribution we have at this point is monetary… especially since President Bush vetoed the bill that would’ve made “sexual orientation” one of the classes protected against discrimination (like age, sex, race, etc). That would have made what Phelps did a clear-cut crime, instead of a first amendment allowed display of hatred. I wonder if the appeal process will lower the fine enough to allow the church to keep functioning as a financial entity? I cringe to think that they might get enough donations to keep themselves afloat…
It’s a damn shame there are people in this world like this despicable man and his despicable church. The most tragic part of it are those poor kids, being brought up filled with hate.
Hurrah! This is good news indeed! I’ve watched this idiot for a few years now and I am so glad to see him get his come-uppance! The man is an atrocious excuse for a human being and deserves everything he gets! I’m with you, Patti. I can’t think of anyone who deserves bankruptcy more, although he’s already morally bankrupt as a human being, anyway.
AutumnWytch
If it is illegal, why can’t they prosecute it in criminal court (also.)
There is no way for anyone to inforce a monetary judgment for damages given in a civil case. No one is going to get a dime off that guy, and it’s doubtful he even has any money to pay even a fraction of the judgment. This guy is a hate-monger. What about the hate-crime charge added to an offense? The locals courts are getting way too “tolerant” and supportive of the wrong side–allowing bigotry to escalate. This only encourages all the bigots to come back out into the open and challenge the laws. It’s disgusting.
If I remember right Phelps has over 50 grandchildren. If one out of ten people are gay then god hates 5 of Phelps grandkids. How nice. Go now to www.godhatesfags.com to get an old-timey heaping helping of the Reverends preachings. Please do remember that these people are using tax-exempt property to launch their bigotry from.
Do attend the Baptist Landover Church when you get the time.
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/
Please honor constitutional separation of church and state and insist that property is taxed fairly, with laws neither for or against religion. Mega-churches can pay mega-taxes.
It will be interesting to see if they can collect. No doubt the church property is protected by some shell corporation that won’t assume liability for Phelp’s actions. His own daughter is a “Christian” lawyer who can tie up any court proceedings with endless jive. You can bet the church property is shielded well.
Please get religion out of government. The religioso elected Jesus and God as president and vice-president, and our nation has suffered greatly since they took office.
“The queerest of bedfellows is a preacher and a politician orally servicing each other” - pr0f f33st3r.
What is worse, a preaching politician or a politicking preacher?
Dennis Radner BTK (Bind Torture Kill)
President Dubya BTK (Bomb Torture Kill)
Spirituality is a matter of the heart and soul.
Yes there are many Christians who are good-hearted people. Religion does not give anything to people that they didn’t have in the first place. Those same people would be that way regardless of their religion. Organized Religion attempts to take what we already own so that it can sell it back to us. “I will gladly pay you in the afterlife for a hamburger today,” Pope Wimpus the Furstus. That there are people like Phelps proves that religion cannot make people good.
I’m gonna start my own religion, like Joey Smith did. I’m gonna have a whole choir full of Gothic Chick Babes clad in Heavenly Robes created by Fredericks of Hollywood. I’m gonna ride around in giant tax-exempt Lime-Green Limousines with a full-time staff to cater to my every whim. I’ll start a university of WitchCraft, paid for at government expense, like Falwell did with his Christian University. Be the first on your block to book us for your funeral, with rock’n'roll music loud enough to wake the dead! Wowsers! I won’t rest until every person in the United States, right down to the last shoe-shine boy, is a More-Perfect Pagan(tm) . Be sure to watch for our IPO. (Initial Public (stock) Offering. Die in service of my church and you will get 144 virgins when you get to heaven! That is twice as many virgins as Brand X promises you! How can you go wrong!?! Only one-tenth of your gross income for the rest of your life will buy you a lovely bit of real-estate based on cloud vapor, with all the pie-in-the-sky you can eat! Hurry now to get in on the ground floor of this exciting investment opportunity!
The Most Righteous and Radically Religious Reverend Dr. RaTsTaR, CEO of Varmints Inc.
Spirituality is a matter of the heart and soul.
As a side-note, one of the Phelps clan is also in court on charges of child abuse for making her children walk a sign on the picket line. I live not too far from these idiots and have seen how they use their children to do their dirty work for them. It’s really sad.
Blessed be to all. This is a small step in the fight against hate. I don’t know about you but things like this always fill my heart with a deep sorrow, however it makes me more conciencious about how I treat people. I hope you all can forgive the tresspasses people make against you, for that is the path of the Goddess. That hateful man will be judged and found wanting, but if we have the good grace to allow the divine to do their job our souls will remain pure and good. I guess what Im trying to say is that hate breeds hate and be carefull of being infected with it. Blessed Be.
Dr RaTsTaR,
I don’t think anyone could have said it better than you. You rock!
So the fines “far exceed” the net worth of them and/or their church? Doggone, too bad we don’t have debtors’ prisons any more…..
I’d like to see more families standing up to this so called “man of God”. I won’t be surprised one day a grieving family member or friend puts a few caps in his butt to silence him for good.