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The family says they're not going to have any funeral. Rumors abound, consequently.
Do you guys suppose this is a fag protesting?
SourceOkay, so now check out the context:
...Over the weekend, we learned that Phelps was reportedly "on the edge of death."
In a statement on his Facebook page, Nathan Phelps, who has been estranged from his father for 30 years, said the senior Phelps was dying in hospice care in Topeka, Kan., and that he had been ex-communicated from his own church in August of 2013.
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Later in the day, Westboro Baptist Church tweeted this message, which included a link to its statement regarding Phelps' death.
[the photo above, with the picket sign, belongs here]
Westboro Baptist Church thanks God for Fred Phelps Sr.’s passing:
http://bit.ly/OEHxrh 10:32 AM - 20 Mar 2014
In their commentary, they said:
God forbid, if every little soul at the Westboro Baptist Church were to die at this instant, or to turn from serving the true and living God, it would not change one thing about the judgments of God that await this deeply corrupted nation and world. That is the pinnacle of your hopes, and by far the most vain. Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, or the power of God.
Click here to read the whole commentary
Phelps' granddaughter Megan Phelps-Roper sent several tweets about her grandfather's passing:
Megan Phelps-Roper @meganphelps
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"One way or another, he's at peace. There's only Heaven or peaceful nothingness. That's what I think." RIP, Gramps. I love you forever.
9:28 AM - 20 Mar 2014
Megan Phelps-Roper @meganphelps
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I'm so sorry for the harm he caused. That we all caused. But he could be so kind and wonderful. I wish you all could have seen that, too.
9:28 AM - 20 Mar 2014
Megan Phelps-Roper @meganphelps
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I understand those who don't mourn his loss, but I'm thankful for those who see that "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."
9:29 AM - 20 Mar 2014
Megan Phelps-Roper @meganphelps
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Love and peace to all. The world needs more of both. That's the part of Gramps I'll keep and share with others.
9:35 AM - 20 Mar 2014
Topekans had mixed reactions to the news of Phelps' passing and many flocked to the site of the church to take pictures of it and in front of the rainbow-decorated Equality House across the street.
Equality House is a project by the tolerance group Planting Peace. Director of Operations Davis Hammet told 13 News the group has been in the house for a year now. Hammet said they wanted to spin a bad situation into a positive one.
"We're all saddened by [Fred's] passing. It's another human life gone, he's a family man and it's unfortunate. Although we have stark disagreements with the foundations of WBC, it's still unfortunate that they lost a loved one."
Hammet said the best reaction to Phelps' death is love.
"Even if we have disagreements we have to get over it and see the higher purpose of respecting each other."
Topeka resident Linda Bierley brought pins that displayed an X'd out "Fred" on them to pass out.
"Fred has been around for a long time and he has just been such an evil-spirited man and caused so much harm and pain to families that didn't deserve it."
Roger Laubengαyer came to the Equality House with his family. His daughter, Rebecca is visiting from California and she wanted to see the house.
"Maybe we can move on and Topeka can be known for something else besides Fred Phelps. It was kind of a circus, the whole thing, not sure how seriously some people took it, but anything we can do to promote more love and understanding would be great."
Rebecca and her partner are getting married soon, and Roger said he just wants them to feel comfortable in Topeka.
"Westboro Baptist Church was different for me because I support my daughter and I want her to feel comfortable here and their program didn't make her feel comfortable."
Rebecca said that people in California know the Phelpses. They've seen them and their pickets, and Rebecca said he is generally unliked there because Californians are more liberal and don't like his message.
"I feel bad for his family. We have to remember he was a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather first. Some people do crazy things and just because they do crazy things doesn't make them less human."
Topeka Mayor Larry Wolgast released the following statement:
“I believe we should respect the Phelps family’s right to mourn their loss at this time. Topeka is a strong and vibrant city that will continue to move forward, past destructive hate and intolerance, as a city of compassion and acceptance. We must continue to respect and value each individual.”
Posted by Greg Palmer and Nick Viviani
Some blog comments:
dhunt81 • 10 hours ago
I in no way condone this man's and family's behavior, especially being a gαy man myself, however, I think we should show them humility and compassion in their time of loss. We should show them what love and acceptance are instead of
portraying and partaking in the same reprehensible behavior they decided to show toward their fellow humans.125
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ThatGuy dhunt81 • 10 hours ago
I don't think that will teach them any sort of lesson. They're too thick for that to occur to them.
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AJ ThatGuy • 9 hours ago
It's not about teaching the WBC a lesson. It's about being decent human beings ourselves, showing that even in the face of hatred we can show compassion and caring for those who will miss him.
Children of monsters still grieve for their parents, and still need support. His children and grandchildren who left the church because they disagreed with the values will still miss him, and they don't deserve to have to put up with hatred from the rest of the world.
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ssparks123 AJ • 9 hours ago
Yeah, I just disagree with this approach, except insofar as we are talking about the children who actually left the church. To the extent they left the church and have completely disavowed the abhorrent beliefs and practices of their father, I suppose some measure of compassion is appropriate.
But as for those children who remained faithful to their father and their so-called "church," I have nothing nice to say to those people. Fred Phelps was a horrible, horrible human being. He did nothing but spread hatred and spew bigotry at every opportunity. I do not feel the least bit of compassion toward those of his children who remained committed to their father and his beliefs through his lifetime. They are equally terrible human beings. 37
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eLements ssparks123 • 8 hours ago
I think it bears considering just how fornicated up things must have been for his children, and by extension their children as well. I hope that his passing may be a weight off the shoulders of his surviving family and give them a chance to look at how they have treated both each other, and the world in general.
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ThatGuy AJ • 9 hours ago
Okay, I get your point, but considering how many thousands of people die every minute of every day, I'm sure there are better candidates for sympathy. Phelps and his family (who, by the way, I'm sure condoned his repugnant behavior) aren't exactly a priority for me. Just because he was a public figure (notoriously, for all the wrong reasons) doesn't mean he DESERVES anything.
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dcx_2 AJ • 3 hours ago
I would argue that WBC got the lesson loud and clear. That's why they aren't having a funeral for him. They're terrified that they might taste their own medicine.
And rightfully so. Actions have consequences. This man went out of his way to make others who had done nothing to him miserable. He deserves no sympathy whatsoever.
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KA AJ • 38 minutes ago
Lets then see those who HAVE left the "church" stand up, publicly and disavow everything they did and their members did and apologize to every single family member of funerals they picketed at. Saying you are sorry and doing something about it are two separate things.
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dhunt81 ThatGuy • 8 hours ago
I don't necessarily think there is really any lesson to be taught here, especially if they don't want to learn. I think this is more about the respect for a family that lost someone they cared deeply about. I would want the same from anyone else, regardless of how I lived my life and if they agreed with it. I know he and his group did not have the same respect toward many others in the nation, but
I would like to think I am a better person than the people at the WBC. 5
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Angie Mathes ThatGuy • 9 hours ago
You are probably correct, but that's not the point. Just because a pupil refuses to learn, doesn't mean you can't keep trying to teach them. Maybe in the process you will teach others.
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