Westboro Baptist Church Responds To Congress: 'Let's See Where God Takes This, K?'

Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church protests a soldier's funeral in Hyattsville, Md., in March 2011.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church were quick to react on Twitter, in their typical, hate-filled language, to the news that Congress passed a bill that would limit the group's activities. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 includes a measure that bans the picketing of military funerals two hours before or after a service. It was a response to a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that said the church's activities were protected by the First Amendment.

Church member Margie Phelps responded directly to HuffPost's report:

Smile. Let's see where God takes this, k? #FagsStillDoomNationsMT @huffpostpol: Congress delivers blow to Westboro huff.to/NM6cIo

— MargiePhelps (@MargieJPhelps) August 2, 2012

Fred Phelps Jr. tweeted what he saw as the silver lining: He assumes the measure would ban the "human walls" that have sprouted up as counter-protests in places like Texas and Missouri. He also said that lawsuits would be inevitable:

Hey HuffPost, this law will stop the " walls.".#watchforlegalchallenge!huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012…

— Fred Phelps Jr (@WBCFredJr) August 2, 2012

Rebekah Phelps-Roper also tweeted about the "walls," with some added snark:

Walls. Target Audience. Potato. Potawto. #Mourn4Sinslatimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/…Wall of support planned for funeral, Westboro protestVia @latimes

— Rebekah Phelps-Roper (@WBCVideo) August 2, 2012

In a separate tweet, Margie Phelps used one of her favorite words -- one that's offensive to many -- to describe not only Congress but the entire country:

They speak for whole nation.#FagsDoomNationsMT @maxinemagazine: Congress Gives Middle Finger To Godgoo.gl/VrxLH via @instinctmag

— MargiePhelps (@MargieJPhelps) August 2, 2012

Twitter is a favorite medium of the church's members, who use the popular service to rapidly respond to press coverage, frequently using offensive language. They also take to the service to announce new protests.

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow

• 97Gal

• Madison Benedict

• Kelsey Rae Dickson

Comments

[Celeste Keenan]

01:24 AM on 12/30/2012

I think the Patriot Gaurd Riders deserve a nobel peace prize. :)

[tnm1776]

02:41 AM on 09/17/2012

The Westboro Baptist Church and The Muslim Brotherhood are Allies. So beware and be affirad and Stand up for America (as the Minutemen of 1775) against these two neo-barbarian allies

[emeraldcircle]

02:55 AM on 08/10/2012

Westboro Baptist Church makes a lot of excellent points about our society.

[emeraldcircle]

02:52 AM on 08/10/2012

If it ain't Westboro Baptist then it ain't s**t.

[wbthacker]

04:31 PM on 08/07/2012

A question for the author:

WHY DO YOU NEED TO AMPLIFY WBC'S MESSAGE?

We've heard their message and we understand it for hate speech. We don't want to hear any more. That's why people support blocking their protests, it's why human walls show up to counter them, and it's why WE DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR TWITTER FEED.

Afraid we'll miss out on being offended, you've re-posted their bleats here. Gee, thanks. Just what they needed, a louder megaphone. You even included their "f*gs* slur (which I can't even quote because it would get my posting censored).

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" The answer: "Yes. And if it's a sound nobody wants to hear, Huffington Post will report it"

[Tyler Tegoseak]

01:43 PM on 08/07/2012

It won't ban the human walls, granted they have permission from the mourning families to be there.

[guitarfitch]

12:02 PM on 08/07/2012

Maybe start a petition that asks to strip this organization of their tax-free church status. I have no idea how that would work, just wishful thinking...

[keelhaulrose]

04:28 PM on 08/06/2012

Nope, the walls will just have to back up, same as everyone else. No one is going to stop blocking these guys whenever they show up, their message is tired.

[Tim Young]

10:05 AM on 08/06/2012

Church is an overused term with them. They are literally a tiny compound comprised of the one big hateful family.

[ChazAtlas]

05:28 AM on 08/06/2012

I hate to see violence but it will be interesting to see what happens when Westboro Church protests the funeral of a fallen soldier whose family and friends are the right-wing, Southern, Tea-Party, gun packing type.

[wbthacker]

06:23 PM on 08/07/2012

Given the demographics of military enlistment, I'm sure WBC has already insulted a lot of people like that.

Which means those right-wing, Southern, Tea-Party gun packing types aren't as violent and uncivilized as you imagine.

[candoor]

01:08 AM on 08/06/2012

Westboro Baptist is an example of religion gone wild. Baptists are diminished to a radical fringe group by their actions. Christians, by association (same bible), are diminished by their actions. They would be stopped if enough so called good people stood against them, but perhaps they speak for more Christians than Christians would like to admit.

[Tim Young]

10:03 AM on 08/06/2012

They aren't a religion gone wild...they are a compound full of inbreds gone wild.

[guitarfitch]

11:59 AM on 08/07/2012

what happens when cousins mate...

[DaniMrynn]

01:50 AM on 08/07/2012

Southern [White] Baptists, honey. It's a denomination within a denomination. A true Baptist congregation anywhere else is not going to be this whackadoo, believe me!

[Eniena]

11:47 PM on 08/05/2012

I've recently had this ongoing scene going on in my head of Westboro baptist church member after dying. After death, strangely enough, their spirits find themselves walking around a cloudy landscape with lights beaming all around them. This is undoubtedly heaven. Eventually they'll meet a number of different people who are the spirits of those long deceased. Everything seems to be going alright until the start encountering more reconizable faces such as Vlad the Impaler, Marquis de Sade, Pot Pol and, of course Adolf Hitler.

Stunned that these people are in heaven, the members will ask a nearby heavenly denizen what they're doing here considering their horrendous sins. Suddenly the person they ask removes his mask revealing a set of jagged horns and a sinister smile. The smell of smoke starts to invade the Westboro people's noses and the clouds burst into fire.

"April fools," yells the unmasked individual.

[ChuckWillsWidow]

11:29 PM on 08/05/2012

Christian here, but cannot understand this slogan "Thank God for dead soldiers".
While I don't support the gay life style as normal any soldier that defends this country and died for our freedom deserves to be buried with respect.

[John DeKraai]

12:35 PM on 08/07/2012

what is normal? If normal is what the majority does, anything a minority group does must be abnormal. Will you never accept the fact that some people are different than you and that's okay?

[ChuckWillsWidow]

01:34 PM on 08/07/2012

Sure it's OK as long as it's not shoved into my face on a daily basis and that I MUST accept something I feel isn't morally correct as normal.
If you and others do that's fine too, we all have a freedom of CHOICE and let's keep it that way.

[wbthacker]

06:06 PM on 08/07/2012

I don't defend their message, but I can explain it.

Fred Phelps of WBC sees himself as an Old Testament prophet, like Isaiah. He's God's chosen messenger, and his duty it is to shout dire warnings to sinners, though he knows he'll be ignored. He's said he doesn't *care* if anyone heeds his warnings; God told him to preach, not to save. So he's just looking forward to saying, "I told you so" to millions of damned souls when God delivers his promised punishment to America.

He thanks God for dead soldiers (and 9/11) because these events prove Phelps is right. "God *is* punishing us, see? I told you so." These tragedies reassure Phelps the way an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on a water town comforts Catholics.

This is why I don't support the Christian lifestyle. Phelps' reasoning is wrong, but his conclusion is scriptural.

1 Thessalonians 5:18: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

You can't swing a stick without hitting a Christian who says this means to thank God even for bad things, because all events serve His will. Who are you to judge God?

So a Christian SHOULD thank God for dead soldiers, and for 9/11. And I applaud your failure to live down to Biblical standards on this. You're another example of how most Christians are more moral than the god they worship.

[ChuckWillsWidow]

05:31 PM on 08/08/2012

God is love and Jesus IMO really helps prove this.
One of the coolest things he has done was show the fine art of compassion with the woman many wanted to stone for her misdeed/s.
"He who is without sin cast the first stone",
One by one all who were really to stone her dropped the stones and walked away.
"Go and sin no more he told her."

Maybe Westboro needs to re read this before condeming others like dead soldiers?
Whether gay, straight, Christian, Atheist, etc., if anyone died fighting for our freedom/s I will at least offer each deep heartfelt thanks for their sacrafice made.

[tal jan]

11:15 PM on 08/05/2012

Why is any reliable, worthy or genuine newspaper printing ANY thing they say. Their opinion is not cared by anyone who has a brain or feelings besides, hate towards others.
I am NOT g going to read about them anymore, I want to take a shower now

[jca488]

05:47 PM on 08/06/2012

sign this, https://www.change.org/petitions/all-media-from-independant-newspapers-to-conglomorate-news-networks-stop-all-mention-of-westboro-baptist-church

[Keith Latham]

10:52 PM on 08/05/2012

The "walls" are an Honor Guard not a picket, Mr. Phelps, the laws won't stop them.

Hopefully God has found a way to block your evil, Satan inspired, activities by inspiring this otherwise dysfunctional Congress to pass this law.

May you join your horned master in the pits where you belong very soon, sir.

[keelhaulrose]

04:30 PM on 08/06/2012

The way around that would be to invite the members of the wall to the funeral. They can stand as close or as far as needed, and will easily be able to block out these 'church' members.

[wbthacker]

06:18 PM on 08/07/2012

"Hopefully God has found a way to block your evil, Satan inspired, activities by inspiring this otherwise dysfunctional Congress to pass this law."

Really? God is so impotent that he has to rely on CONGRESS to get something done?

Couldn't he just smite Phelps? Give him leprosy or something?

Seriously... you're better off leaving God out of this. He's going to look bad no matter what you say.

I think your best apologetic would be to say, "God allows Phelps to do evil because that causes good people to do wonderful things like form human walls around them. Thus, Phelps' evil is turned into goodwill, praise Jesus and His Redeeming Blood!"

And this way, Congress, by stopping Phelps, is actually trying to deny God his victory. The whole story makes more sense if Congress is on Satan's side (as most people already suspected).

(But of course, you can't use that argument because an atheist suggested it. I'm probably trying to trick you.)