Westboro Baptist Church Leader, Margie J. Phelps, Tweets Picket Of Steve Jobs Funeral From An iPhone

Steve Jobs' death has garnered a number of reactions, but none as bizarre as this.

Westboro Baptist Church leader Margie J. Phelps has announced that the group will picket the Apple co-founder's funeral, condemning him for "teaching his neighbors to sin." While their actual reasons for promoting the picket seem a bit unclear, how Phelps made the announcement is causing quite a stir (and garnering a few laughs).

She tweeted from an iPhone.

The tweet that has critics pointing out the irony says little more than "He is in hell." The controversial church seems to be sticking by their words, however, ignoring criticism of the method used to get out their message.

The first shocking tweet is below.

After a number of groups pointed out the irony, Phelps continued to tweet, typing, "Rebels mad cuz I used iPhone to tell you Steve Jobs is in hell.God created iPhone for that purpose!"

The church, which has become famous for its unofficial "God Hates Fags" slogan, has been at the center of many controversial pickets in recent years, including sending congregation members to protest at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards. The church also threatened to picket the funerals of those killed in the Arizona shootings, an act many found particularly distasteful. Those plans were later abandoned.

Comments

[MichaelRice]

05:36 PM on 11/29/2011

Westboro Baptist Church members are idol worshipers

http://michael-rice-4626399.newsvine.com/_news/2011/11/29/9094314-westboro-baptist-church-christians-or-are-they-worshiping-false-idols

[Bob Grace]

08:13 PM on 10/15/2011

These are wolves in sheeps clothing.

[dbrett480]

12:49 PM on 10/12/2011

I hope hundreds of thousands of people picket the funeral of Margie Phelps.

[TheEmptyMonty]

11:23 AM on 10/12/2011

Wherever Steve is, he's laughing his bum off at that woman. Plus, Steve was a Buddhist, so he doesn't believe in the christian myths of heaven and hell.

[zakerjah]

11:22 AM on 10/12/2011

i love when michael moore filled up a bus in san francisco, named it the sodomobile and drove around following the phelps clan. everywhere they were picketing, michael moore got these men to dance and shake their booties and grope each other. it was hilarious. youtube it!

[Stephen Krisel]

08:46 AM on 10/12/2011

This church puts a terrible light on how the public eye sees Christians. Our mission is not to condemn others and point out their failures. We all fall short compared to the perfection of God. Who are we to criticize others??? Our mission should be to spread the good word of God and who Jesus Christ is - thus, saving people or allowing people to save themselves. This "church" would be better off going back to reading the Bible and figuring out the real reason they became Christians. Let God handle the Justice part of things. We have enough work of our own to do on this Earth that we shouldn't be doing His work too. I am not saying that God would do what this "church" is doing. All I am saying is - Love your neighbor. RIP Mr. Jobs

[klgrider]

09:25 AM on 10/13/2011

I appreciate that you, as a Christian, are speaking out against this hideous caricature of a church. There is a lot more power in criticism that comes from closer to home. For you, rather than someone like me - a liberal agnostic lesbian - to condemn them is obviously much more meaningful.

The sad truth, however, is that this church is just a really disgusting, example of the attitudes that are promoted and perpetuated in most religions, and - at least in the circles I travel - most vehemently in the Christian religion.

So, while it is essential for all who are offended by hate to go and speak out against these extremists, it is no less important for us to bring the most subtle forms of religiously sanctioned hate and intolerance toward any group (including women) into the light of day.

It's not enough for Christians or Muslims, or any other religious people to simply defend themselves and their religion by saying, "but we're not all like that." Those who are truly offended should, like you, speak out against religiously-based hate from within, letting those who disparage others know that they are misrepresenting the faith in ways that are not acceptable to the flock.

As the reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

[zakerjah]

07:24 AM on 10/18/2011

I'm Christian, but I couldn't agree with you more.

[Andre Fabre]

06:44 AM on 10/12/2011

That so called church is full of stupid nuts!

[jffrymg]

11:35 PM on 10/11/2011

Sadly the line between religious fundamentalism and hate groups can get really fuzzy. Reminder that it should be all about love. If not, you are doing it wrong.

[zakerjah]

11:20 AM on 10/12/2011

mmm hmmm

[CASwisher]

11:29 PM on 10/11/2011

Irony, thy name is Fred?

[AllenFromAtlanta]

04:14 PM on 10/11/2011

I always wonder how much they do out of true conviction, and how much they do for attention?

[Kathleen Morse]

04:58 PM on 10/10/2011

We've got to start ignoring these people. They live for the spotlight. Not covering their actions, large or small would be akin to sending Margie Phelps and her minions straight to what would be the living hell for them of being anonymous. There could be no worse fate in their minds.

[Zelaway]

07:45 PM on 10/10/2011

I agree Kathy, we need to ignore these fools.

[agent314]

09:30 PM on 10/12/2011

Kathleen, you NAILED it....

[blueplano]

01:17 PM on 10/10/2011

I have an idea: don't cover them.

[realitycheck101a]

03:30 PM on 10/09/2011

These people are insane ! ! ! There must be some kind of legal action that can be taken to prevent them from picketing funerals. Heinous ! ! !

[haleymoss]

10:58 PM on 10/09/2011

seriously, it's nauseating that these people think they are doing the work of god. i don't believe in any god, but if i did, it'd be a forgiving god who "loves thy neighbor"

[NoElephants]

03:23 PM on 10/10/2011

Attempts at fighting them with legal action only serve to provide them with financing, as they are all attorneys, and defend themselves against attacks on their freedom of speech. The best possible way to make these disgusting excuses for humanity disappear would be to ignore them entirely, and to not sue them.

[vrndavan]

09:00 PM on 10/10/2011

...or just mock them.

[rosey7]

03:17 PM on 10/09/2011

Steve Jobs was a Buddhist. Their protest would mean nothing to him or his family.

[TheEmptyMonty]

11:24 AM on 10/12/2011

Exactly :)

[tidalwave4455]

02:53 PM on 10/09/2011

What next? A public gay sex play by the Westboro crazies to 'demonstrate the anti-Godliness of the homosexual life style'?

[libco]

01:37 AM on 10/12/2011

That would be awesome!