I'm amused by what Leonard Pitts, Jr. writes in his syndicated column. His article about FEMA and Michael Brown was funny. His article about his twelve year old son getting involved in an accident was touching. But this article takes the cake. It's all about Fred Phelps, the anti-gay crusader who makes Kansas look like a breeding ground for psychotic ultra-conservative Bible thumping bigots. Not that the State Board of Education has done this unwanted promotion for the state already with its science standards.
Anyways, back to Fred Phelps, the Baptist "pastor" (Calling him a "pastor" or any term of relgious leadership is an insult to religion. I can think of many other terms, but I doubt that they would be printed.) that claims that God invented IEDs to kill soldiers that protect the United States and it's immoral values. If it weren't for soldiers fighting for an "immoral country" in World War II, he most likely would be speaking German, singing Deuchland Uber Alles, and celebrating the anniversary of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. Though I have to admit, I can imagine Fred Phelps doing a Seig Heil to a picture of Hitler. Nazi Germany did send homosexuals to death camps and I think that Fred Phelps, in his hate-filled little world might advocate such actions if he had a chance. Yeah. I forgot to mention "free speech," a concept that the immoral United States has. It allows Fred Phelps and his "church" (if you take the term very loosely and pervert it to an extreme) to spout off his homophobic vitriol. Yes, there are certain restrictions like time-place-manner, the Brandenburg Rule, and so forth, but I think that the general idea, at this moment, is good enough. If Fred Phelps considers the United States immoral, I wonder when is he finally going to leave the US. I'm thinking that people in Kansas would gladly donate money to send him off to whatever country he thinks is less immoral than the US. I digress.
Anyways, Leonard Pitts wrote this article about what fuels Fred Phelps. His answer: Fred Phelps is gay. Yep, in Mr. Pitts' opinion, The Phelpster has climbed up Brokeback Mountain and rode a few cowboys and got some interior decorating tips. I'm not too sure about the interior decorating tips, as I'm sure Mr. Phelps hasn't gone beyond "Going to Hell Red" and white. If you've ever looked at his signs, they only use those colors. I digress again.
To quote from his article:
Not that it would make any difference in the behavior of Fred Phelps. He still will continue to be an ardent homophobic nutjob who protests at funerals until the day he dies and meets his maker, whoever that happens to be. In all likelyhood, I'm thinking it is Satan. You can't explain anyone who hates anybody that much by saying "God created them." The Bible does say "Let us create man in our image." This gives credence to the "God works in mysterious ways." I'd hate to think that.Well, I don't think he's as crazy as he seems. Heck, nobody could be. No, he's not disturbed. He's just gay.
Hear me out. How often have we seen public moralists railing against that which they themselves secretly indulge? Think Jimmy Swaggart with his prostitute. Think Dr. Laura's pose in the nude. And for goodness' sake, how many times have we seen homosexuality condemned by those who
turned out to be closeted themselves? There was Pat Robertson biographer-turned-gay-activist Mel White; Spokane Mayor James West, who spent his days opposing gay rights and his nights in gay chat rooms; and Gary Cooper and Michael Bussee, who founded a group that purported to cure people of homosexuality but gave it up when they fell in love with each other.
Thinking of Fred Phelps as the Spawn of Satan seems more satisfying. He's the wolf in sheep's clothing, but is doing a bad job at it. A person who can be filled with that much hate has to be devil-spawn. It might explain why he can spout off such hateful rhetoric. He twists the Bible to suit his own purposes and sadly enough, people believe him. It's quite common.
Shakespeare once said in The Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene 3:
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
Most Christians denounce Fred Phelps' teaching as unorthodox and inappropriate. Even the Southern Baptists, one of the more conservative Christian sects consider his teachings as hateful and incorrect. The following is from "ondem Sin - and sinner" by Robert Stacy McCain:
Finally, to quote from Reverend Dr. Byron E. Shafer's sermon delivered on February 29, 2004 at Rutgers Presbyterian Church:“The slogans that Fred Phelps and his group are promoting are unscriptural and very inappropriate,” says Dwayne Hastings, director of communications for the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics and religious-liberty commission. “Southern Baptists stand on the word of God in believing that homosexuality is wrong and that, as the Bible says, it’s an abomination to God. But God does not hate the homosexual…. To those who are unaware of the orthodox Christian view of homosexuality, Fred Phelps presents a distorted and, in fact, perverted view of God’s word in his message of hate.”
I think I smell some fire and brimstone coming from Westboro Baptist Church, whose website address reflects the Fred Phelps message. Ah, it must be a Gateway to Hell, just like the old Stull Church and Cemetery. Though the demons that lived inside were imaginary, but the ones over at Westboro Baptist are real.Certainly, the most dangerous of all the temptations that confront us are those buttressed by the devil’s ability to cite scripture in ways that cloak the falseness of evil and injustice in a goodly
appearance.
This Lent, as we are called upon to face down temptation, I pray that we may succeed in fulfilling an admonition given to us by the apostle Paul (I Cor. 16:13), one of those admonitions from scripture that Satan has never cited and will never cite. For it starts like this: “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.” And then it concludes with these memorable words: “Let all that you do be done in love.”
So this Lent—and indeed throughout your whole life—whenever you find yourself confused or tempted by Satan, I pray that it will be some words suggested by the Bible that come to your lips: “Let all that I do be done in love.”
Fred Phelps, if he stumbles upon this, or Mr. Pitts' article, will probably hate this. It's his right. Just like his right to spout off hate-speech. Just like my right to write this. We won't see things exactly the same way, but that's the great thing about America. Trying to get away with this stuff in China is a whole lot harder.
That's all for now.
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