Westboro Baptist Church To Picket Funerals Of Arizona Shooting Victims

Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka church known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests, plans to picket the funerals of the six people gunned down in Arizona on Saturday.

In a flier posted on its web site, the controversial church writes, "THANK GOD FOR THE SHOOTER -- 6 DEAD!" The message continues:

God appointed this rod for your sins! God sent the shooter! This hateful nation unleashed violent veterans on the servants of God at WBC--hoping to silence our kind warning to obey God and flee the wrath to come.

The flier claims that the shooting of both a House member and a federal judge -- the latter of whom was killed -- is god's punishment for judicial and Congressional action against the WBC. "God sent the shooter to shoot you! And He's sitting in Heaven laughing at you!" the announcement reads.

In graphic language, it continues:

Your federal judge is dead and your (fag-promoting, baby-killing, proud-sinner) Congresswoman fights for her life. God is avenging Himself on this rebellious house! WBC prays for your destruction--more shooters, more dead carcasses piling up, young, old, leader and commoner--all. Your doom is upon you!

In December, Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards. The group is known to display signs that say "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God For Dead Soldiers."

Scroll down to see the full poster, or click here for a PDF.

Comments

[Heleni Smith]

09:07 AM on 03/09/2011

Burying your dead with dignity is a an ancient universal human right. This is sad!

[JBaker]

11:15 AM on 03/08/2011

They look like exhibitionists. Their 'art form' is shock.

The real creepy factor is that they drag their children into these exhibitions of lunacy and
force them to hold up sign of sheer hate. I wonder how those children will develop....

[mxytsplyk]

05:12 PM on 03/08/2011

Exactly like you fear they will, I suspect. Most of them are related so this acting out could present the type of mental defects commonly associated with in-breeding. Not trying to be sarcastic here, either.

[shelshock22nd]

06:11 PM on 03/07/2011

Stop giving them all this attention! Don't let them make headlines. Stop taking pics and publishing them. That's the only way to stop them, cut them off from any press.

[mpk1028]

12:58 PM on 03/06/2011

Westboro Baptist, this is class and sanity. Class and sanity, this is Westboro Baptist. I dont believe you two have met before.

[SaburoHakaida]

12:00 PM on 03/06/2011

You heard em boys. Counter their protests with counter protests.

Remember. The First Amendment is a double edged sword and goes both ways.

[Biblebelt Socialist]

06:06 PM on 03/04/2011

Why haven't Veterans groups started marching in front of the WBC with signs of their own? I know they aren't afraid of these guys, and they surely must be offended by them. That First amendment works both ways. If the WBC is going to hide behind it, they have to face it too.

[Joe Bagz]

09:09 PM on 03/05/2011

We do, all the time. The Patriot Guard, American Legion, Nam Knights and others regularly assemble to honor the sacrifice of the deceased and to support the bereaved family. We perform this mission whether WBC shows up or not. Our attendance is only contingent on approval of the family of the deceased. The Patriot Guard Riders were started for this very purpose in August of 2005. I have had the honor of riding with the PGR since March of 2006. We do not confront the protesters but form flag lines between the protestors, the family and the services for the deceased.

[SILVANUS]

04:37 PM on 03/04/2011

One would think the Baptist Convention would be concerned that Westboro is creating a bad PR thing for Baptists. But the SBC has been screwed up so long....

[RealConservativeAmerican]

03:31 PM on 03/04/2011

After feeling so much shock and hatred towards Westboro Baptist, I've now decided that if they were protesting the funeral of someone I loved, I would thank them for coming, offer them some cookies or coffee and politely go about my business without taking any offense to their crazy antics. It wouldn't serve me or my family to expect anything like respect from the Phelps family and it would be futile to hope for it. They're a little screwy, they have no credibility, and they're hard to take seriously so I say defuse them by NOT taking them seriously. DON'T be offended or filled with hatred because of them. It won't effect them in the least. It'll only hurt yourself to feel that way.

[Kevin Ortizo]

02:35 PM on 03/04/2011

So why doesn't the Baptist church do something about this, obviously, insane branch?

[SILVANUS]

04:38 PM on 03/04/2011

Because far too many Baptists ARE insane. I was raised one. I know. T H E Y A R E I N S A N E. (and some are angels, yes, but few)

[treytrey418]

10:39 PM on 03/02/2011

wow these people are DISGUSTING!!!!!!!! how can you actually believe that God sent someone to MURDER people...and included in those people was a little girl!!! I suppose you also believe that the terrorists were sent from God too? cause that's what they believe. i can't believe people actuslly think that this stuff is ok...1 of the 12 commandments is THOU SHALL NOT KILL...how can that be if God "sent the shooter"? it doesn't make any sense at all

[Brain-Dead Americans]

03:21 AM on 03/03/2011

How can they believe god sent someone to murder people ? Did I hear that correctly ? Apparently you never read your bible story of Sodom and Gomorrah have you ? You know the one where god sent people to kill everyone in the entire city...but god doesn't send people to kill other people...what a joke...go read your bible you obviously have never read...and oh, there are only 10 commandments genius...

[Biblebelt Socialist]

03:51 PM on 03/04/2011

Ok, I'm an atheist and have to say you have the S&G story wrong, he didn't send people (in this instance) to kill anyone, he sent a couple of angels to poke around but otherwise did the dirty work himself. The Battle of Jericho would make a better example.

As for the 10 Commandments, sit down with a critical eye and a copy of the King James Bible (not anything like the new re-worded, Southern Baptist approved stuff that people pass off now) and you'll... learn a thing or two.

[madeinusa]

07:32 PM on 03/04/2011

So you really believe there is a god? Interesting name you have there.lol

[madeinusa]

07:30 PM on 03/04/2011

These people just use words.The mega-rich in this country take the food out of millions of mouths in this country.the government kill innocent people worldwide.where's the outrage?Banksters steal from everyone and bring the country to its knees,while they are bailed out and are allowed to profit.where's the outrage? The republican puppets of the rich are eliminating the middle-class and the unions that brought americans liveable wages,where's the outrage?Focus on what's really wrong with america right now.The corporate-owned media loves when they can deflect the attention off of their agenda,which is to have ALL the money and to turn everyone else into their peasants.Wake up people! Geeeez

[imtheman]

09:34 PM on 02/28/2011

It is saddening that a body from a church goes out and does things like this. That wasn't God calling down judgment on the victims, that was all Satan's work carried out through a mentally disabled person. I don't know what Bible they read at that church but the one we read at our church talks about God's love. They have no idea what judgment is all about but they will see God's true judgment when their time comes.

[ShawnRay]

11:05 PM on 02/27/2011

This would be a good place for an Arizona shooting

[atomic]

11:42 PM on 02/26/2011

I wonder if this church is funded by the right wing ... the reason I am wondering is that I never saw a poster that said GOD HATES BUSH from them ... but they have one that says GOD HATES OBAMA. Could this group be receiving funds from the right?

[Biblebelt Socialist]

05:37 PM on 03/04/2011

I think this group is part of what funds the Right.

[AbeMartin]

09:41 AM on 02/26/2011

Reverend Fred Phelps, Sr. and his baker's dozen of children should be cast as the embodiment of Rob Zombie's Firefly Family in a sequel of the cult classic, "The Devil's Rejects."  The working title is "The Acceptance of Evil: The Devil's Rejects Return" and the cast might include:  

Fred "Captain Spaulding" Phelps
Margie "Mama Firefly" Phelps
Margie "Baby Firefly" Phelps
Jonathon "Tiny Firefly" Phelps
Fred "Rufus T. Firefly" Phelps
Shirley "Otis Driftwood" Phelps-Roper

The other characters in this uhh, Christian Family,
Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Elizabeth Phelps
Rachel Phelps Hockenbarger
Abigail Phelps' roles still need further development, as the original Firefly Family only had six members.

[Hawkwind420]

03:23 PM on 02/25/2011

I'm all for Freedom of Speech and Religion, but THESE PEOPLE ARE @#$% WHACKED!!! What on earth is wrong with these "Christians" (...hmmmmmm, what WOULD Jesus do...???)(Probably not THAT!) Man! If God is THAT hateful/spiteful/vengeful, I don't stand a snowball's chance in Hell!

[greylox]

03:33 PM on 03/04/2011

**How do you like the fact that this "church" has tax-exempt status?

[Biblebelt Socialist]

05:50 PM on 03/04/2011

I don't like that ANY Church has tax exempt status... but at this point they could just become an Ohio based Corporation and achieve the same ends money wise.