Westboro Baptist Church

Persuasive opinion paper God hates fags, Thank god for dead soldiers, Thank god for Hurricane Katrina, Pretty harsh right? These are all common phrases publically protested by a church called the Westboro Baptist church. You would think such comments should be illegal to chant out in public considering that gay marriage is now legal in some states and also that soldiers are out fighting for us, however members of the Westboro Baptist church feel differently. Westboro Baptist church was established in 1955. Located in Topeka, Kansas, Their goal is  to â€Å"preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation†. They take on such goals by publically protesting these horrendous phrases on street corners, gay festivals, and more shockingly the funerals of dead soldiers. Sounds illegal and disrespectful however according to the first amendment, which is freedom of speech, they are within the words of the law. I am personally against the actions of the Westboro Baptist church. In my opinion it is downright disrespectful and should not be allowed. However in a legal aspect such protesting and picketing are done carefully within the law. According to the The Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act, you must stand at least 500 feet away, which is exactly what they do. Shouting phrases and holding up signs that would make anyone’s jaw drop, they have no shame. Soldiers risk their lives for us each and every day so we can enjoy the freedom we have and also to make sure we are safe. The argument that the Westboro Baptist church members are using their right to freedom of speech is almost ironic because had it not been for the courageous acts of our soldiers, they would not be granted the ability to publically protest they do. They are taking advantage of a right that would not be in place if it weren’t for the fighting of our soldiers. They should be awarding them not protesting at their funerals. They believe god loves dead soldiers because soldiers are out fighting for and condoning many of our rights; one specific right is the ability to be married to a person of the same gender. Secondly, God hates fags? This phrase insults Americans all over the world that have chosen to be gay. Members of the Westboro Baptist church refer to the bible for the reasons they feel sodomy – which defined by dictionary. com is the oral copulation with a member of the same sex- is filthy. However I believe that it is all about the interpretation of the bible that makes this excuse invalid. Many religious people read the bible and every religion interprets the word of God differently. So for members of the Westboro Baptist church to publically express their interpretations and what they believe is the real meaning of what’s written In the bible is absurd and a stain on their faith. The final thing done by the Westboro Baptist church that catches the eye of many Americans is the upside down flying of the American flag. According to the members, the upside down flag is a sign of distress. They feel that the entire country is in mortal danger and the upside down flag is a symbol that represents that. The American flag has such a significant meaning here in the United States. We cross our right arms over our chest to honor and respect this symbol of our country, so for the members of this church to hang it upside down is such a slap in the face to what it truly stands for. At this point nothing can justify the actions of the Westboro Baptist church. They are set in their ways and believe that God hates fags, God hates dead soldiers and that the nation is doomed. The only way to â€Å"save ourselves† according to the Westboro Baptist church is to repent and hope there is still time. Everything they stand for and believe in is all disrespectful to our country and what the united states in known for. While mourning the death of a soldier, the last thing any person related to that soldier would want to see is a huge group of people basically praising their death. Also, the hatred they have toward gays should not be publically protested. On June 26th 2003 the Supreme Court ruled that they must respect sodomy. This caused an outrage and only caused more picketing and protesting. In conclusion I believe that the actions of the Westboro Baptist church should not be allowed. They should be banned and made illegal. Although in violation of the first amendment, where will the line be drawn? I Westboro Baptist â€Å"Church† The pseudo-religious â€Å"ministry† of Westboro Baptist Church has been in existence since 1955. Based on its own propaganda, this group is anti-homosexual, anti-american, and basically anti-everything. Subheadings on this site include â€Å"God Hates The World† and â€Å"America is Doomed†. This organization has used the method of protest and public assembly to get their message out. This message combines typical elements for fear mongering, scapegoating and unsubtle calls to action that are endemic to hate groups of all kinds. The site uses provocative language and obnoxious methodology (such as picketing funerals) to call attention to their efforts. That the group uses the vehicle of Christian religion to frame their nonsense is offensive not only to those who would abhor an anti-gay message in general, but also to those who espouse true religion and, while they may not condone or agree with certain lifestyles, understand that it is, according to all Judeo-Christian doctrine, not their place pass judgment. Since the early 1990s, this group has been attempting to spread their â€Å"message† through protests (they claim 34,000 to date) that take place at any public situation that is subject to media attention. This includes funerals of military personnel, and openly gay citizens. They carry signs with provocative, insulting language, and personify hate and ignorance wherever they go. Interestingly, the focus appears to be on criticizing those things they disagree with (Homosexuality, War, etc. ) yet they offer no remedy or hope of salvation. They claim that their Church is that hope, but make no attempt to suggest a course of action that would mitigate the perdition to which they seem to feel the world is doomed. In sum, this group seems to be nothing more than an organization dedicated to the preaching of hate and condemnation of all things American. As is typical, while criticizing the United States for its tolerance of differing viewpoints, Westboro unashamedly takes advantage of the First Amendment to protect their right to spew such hatred in public venues. The reactions of individuals to this group’s methodology and methods seem to be universally negative. Even those who might agree with the sentiments do not condone the manner in which they are expressed. Those who disapprove of this group’s message fall generally into two groups: those who don’t condemn the gay lifestyle or U. S. War in Iraq, and those who may or may not so condemn, but abhor the manner in which their religious beliefs and holy book are misused to promote this group’s agenda. Of the two, religious people seem to have the strongest reaction against Westboro. The reason for this reaction is very simple. The group not only misrepresents Christian doctrine, is besmirches the reputation of all Christianity by painting the religion and its God as vengeful, hate-filled, and mean-spirited. Most Christians believe that their faith is founded fundamentally upon love and forgiveness, to elements notably absent from Wesboro’s philosophy. In fact, the very name of their website invokes an attitude that is contradictory to the teachings of most Christian churches. The idea that â€Å"God Hates†¦Ã¢â‚¬  anyone or anything other than sin is laughably inconsistent with the scripture from which adherents to Westboro draw their â€Å"inspiration†. The â€Å"saving grace† of this entire organization is their apparent lack of any goal at all. Other than shouting about whom and what God hates, the group suggests no specific action. They do not directly advocate violence (although they rejoice in it), they do not ask for repentance, they simply carry signs and tell us who God hates today. This group is as pointless as it is obnoxious. Comparisons to the KKK and other hate organizations fall short fort the simple reason that these other groups, no matter how loathsome and despicable, at least seem to have some purpose to their work. The Westboro group seems intent on doing nothing more that yelling about how terrible everything is, and suggesting that we have all brought these conditions on ourselves one way or another. The twisted use of scripture that this group utilizes is equally troubling. The passages used are taken out of context, and distorted in order to express a viewpoint. As an example, the website uses Romans 9:13 as a justification for hatred, while ignoring the context of the entire letter (from Paul to the Romans), which is a dissertation on God’s mercy. The use of provocative language, cited by one of the â€Å"feelings† reactions has, as was pointed out, no value beyond shock and marketing. The language of hate targets those who feel hate and desire a venue by which they can shout it for all to hear without fearing judgment from their social peers. The fact that they use this terminology merely broadcasts the notion that this group is convinced of its own righteousness, and that no amount of rational discourse can be employed to change their minds. The short response to this group is simple: â€Å"Never argue with crazy people. † As Mark Twain put it, â€Å"Don’t try to teach a pig to read. It wastes your time and annoys the pig. † Nobody on either side of the real issues that this group prates about pays any attention to what they say. As such, they are reduced to background noise, and serve as a representative example that no bottom has yet to be found to the well of human stupidity. They are obnoxious, but harmless.