I first came across the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in 2007. It was via a Louis Theroux documentary for the BBC called America’s Most Hated Family.
You’ll find it online, I urge you to watch it, it’s bizarre, wacky, sad, fascinating, near unreal.
I genuinely thought that this was an act, a performance for the cameras if you like. But no, sadly, these people are real.
Louis did another series in 2011 and 2019. All well worth watching, in order.
Fred Phelps founded the church in 1955, its headquarters is in Topeka Kansas, and it consists mainly of his immediate and extended family. Very few outsiders make it in, although some do.
Fred was the preacher and whipped up an immense amount of hatred. They follow, according to them, a “literal interpretation of the bible”.
Fred Phelps died in 2014. Enough said.
The “main man” these days is his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper. Go to YouTube and watch some video clips of Shirley at her protests. I challenge you to watch her and fail to come to the conclusion that this woman is totally deranged. In fact, I think she needs help.
You know, I’ve come across hate and prejudice in numerous countries the world over, be it Israel/Palestine or divided Belfast, but nothing – and I mean nothing – compares to the WBC, they really are in a league of their own.
The WBC are seen as an extreme Calvinist group, although it must be said they have been shunned by all main religions in America.
They have also been denounced by the Baptist World Alliance. They have no friends basically, and they don’t give a damn, in fact they take pride in it.
They are inflammatory, homophobic, preach hate against Muslims, Jews, other Christians, Mormons, Catholics, no one is safe from their bile. They even blamed gay people for 9/11.
They believe that God does not love everyone. They believe that God does not preach love, but that he is a vengeful god. They claim that God does not just hate the sin but also the sinner. And they quote numerous bible passages as their evidence to support this. Who knows, maybe they are the real deal? That terrifies me.
They burned the Holy Quran, then picketed a funeral of a Muslim man’s wife. They said that God had brought down his “righteous judgement on them”.
They labelled Barack Obama the antichrist. They said he was the beast from the Book of Revelation.
But without a doubt, their number one hatred is set aside for gay people.
One of their main events is to protest funerals, of dead soldiers, and gay people who have died of Aids or other complications.
They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year picketing whatever gets up their collective noses. They take no donations from the outside world and apparently fund it all themselves.
They have been sued numerous times, yet have often won, then going on to use the money received from lawsuits to further their cause.
But they are non-violent and make sure they have whatever permits are needed, therefore being careful to stay within the law.
They travel all over the States, but are currently banned in the UK, and classed as a hate group. They are also banned in Canada.
Can you imagine: your son, a soldier, has died, and his funeral is taking place, and right outside the church there they are with their placards saying “thank God for dead soldiers”.
Or your child has died of Aids, and outside the funeral is the WBC with signs condemning gay people.
“Thank God for dead soldiers… God is your enemy… Thank God for cancer… Planes crash – God laughs… Thank God for tsunamis… God hates you… Thank God for 9/11… Thank God for Covid 19… Aids is God’s curse… Canada is a filthy country… Thank God for IEDs” (explosives that kill and maim not just soldiers but innocent civilians). And possibly the sickest… “Thank God for shooters” (those we hear about on the news in America who kill people on the streets or in shopping malls or schools).
These are just some of the things they’ve written on placards over the years. Other sayings are too offensive for this column.
How do they get away with such speech? Simply put, America has very liberal laws over freedom of speech. But what the WBC do is not freedom of speech, this is hate speech. I can’t see how it is anything other than that.
Also, it’s worth pointing out here that many of the adults in the WBC are lawyers. They know they system, know how to play it.
According to the WBC, I am going to hell, you are going to hell. All Muslims are, so are Jews apart from 144,000 of them apparently, all Buddhists, all people of any other religion, all gay people, people who have sex outside of marriage, even other Christians if they don’t preach the way the WBC does.
My grandfather was a genuine gentleman. He was a Christian, read his bible, went to Church of Scotland every Sunday. Probably the kindest man I have ever met. But according to WBC, he is in hell. And as for my dad dying of cancer earlier this year…how can any sane person hold up a banner saying “thank God for cancer”?
But all is not well in the WBC, and numerous family members have left and since spoken out. They spoke about the brainwashing they received from a very young age, and are genuinely apologetic about the vile things they said for years.
But there’s no going back for them, as the remaining members have shunned them all. No communications are allowed with those who leave the WBC.
Brainwashing aside, allegations against Fred Phelps by his children/grandchildren who have since left include physical and mental abuse.
The WBC claim that since they take the bible literally, they are doing God’s work.
Maybe they are, they do quote from the bible after all. If they are doing God’s work, and this is what God preaches, I want no part of it.
They may well call themselves Christians. I prefer to call those in the WBC, utterly despicable and deranged. And if Shirly Phelps-Roper was stood outside the hospital where my dad had just died, with her “thank God for cancer” placard… I’d probably be arrested for assault.
What do you think of the WBC?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from Christian readers of my column. I’d love to hear your take on these “Christians”.
