Westboro Baptist Church

[InnerUtopia]

Need I say more?

They completely misunderstand/abuse the Bible's teachings, use religion as an excuse to emotionally scar people every single day, and to be perfectly honest, I think they are the major reason why Christians have been given a bad name. I just finished watching an old documentary on Youtube ("The Most Hated Family in America"), and I feel a serious urge to hit something.

What are your thoughts on the Church and their methods/teachings?  

[Lord Alucard Ere Casanova]

I'm a bit split in my thoughts from your post, Melody, but at the same time I agree.

I don't think Westboro Baptist Church is the sole reason for Christians being given a bad name. There have been people misunderstanding and abusing the bible ever since the crusades. People see an opportunity to achieve power and respect from people, even if only a small group, and even if that means also receiving hatred and anger from thousands more they'll grab at it. Not everyone will, of course, but there's always one ambitious villain who will twist the truth for his own desires.

I despise the Westboro Baptist Church and getting people to use logic and reason rather than foolish prejudice when looking at Christians will probably require removing that church. Unfortunately doing so would probably only lead to another ambitious villain it its place.  

[Qyp]

I think they are a cult.

But then again, there is a fine line between a Cult and a Religion... Especially since they believe themselves to be the real Christians... like... Mormons.  

[Prince Darialan]

Honestly, I kind of hate myself for this, because we are not called to hate or judge a person, but only their actions. But I have a deeply rooted hate for these people. Not only do they bully gays and lesbians, neither of which I am, and not only do they picket funerals and praise god for the deaths of soldiers (The ones that are fighting, so they can say their bs), and not only do they mock the bible, but to worst thing 2nd only to misrepresenting their higher power, is that they make themselves look like complete illiterate morons. I mean seriously. How stupid can you be to read some passages and then ignore others. And when confronted with this fact, they make up a bunch of crap that isn't even there to defend their stupidity.

I realize censorship is a slippery slope, but hey they got kicked out of Canada for their speech, why can't we make the same laws the Canadians did?

Our country is founded on freedom of speech, but one cannot yell fire inside of a theater just to cause panic. We must put a limit somewhere!  

[Qyp]

Prince Darialan Love

Honestly, I kind of hate myself for this, because we are not called to hate or judge a person, but only their actions. But I have a deeply rooted hate for these people. Not only do they bully gays and lesbians, neither of which I am, and not only do they picket funerals and praise god for the deaths of soldiers (The ones that are fighting, so they can say their bs), and not only do they mock the bible, but to worst thing 2nd only to misrepresenting their higher power, is that they make themselves look like complete illiterate morons. I mean seriously. How stupid can you be to read some passages and then ignore others. And when confronted with this fact, they make up a bunch of crap that isn't even there to defend their stupidity.

I realize censorship is a slippery slope, but hey they got kicked out of Canada for their speech, why can't we make the same laws the Canadians did?

Our country is founded on freedom of speech, but one cannot yell fire inside of a theater just to cause panic. We must put a limit somewhere!

There is already a limiter that should get them arrested.

Quote:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

They are not peacefully assembling... they mean to cause disruption and harm to others through verbal abuse.  

[NutteSax]

To put it simply, I think they're just angry idiots. I mean, if you're content you wouldn't go bashing people, especially not on the degree they do. There's other factors at play when it comes to Westboro, but that'll take quite a while to type up.  

[RyuShikyo Yagari]

I don't "hate" Westboro, I feel sorry for them. They do all these things because they believe they are in the right, and we are in the wrong. They don't see God as loving, but just pure hatred.
If I look up to them in any way, it's how they have no fear when it comes to spreading the message (even if it may be hateful and wrong) They even want as far to get on TV, and to protest even though people shout at them, shun them, and such other things. But that's the only thing they are doing right. Sadly though their efforts are tainted in the end by the very message they try to preach.

tl;dr :
As fearless as they may be to spread the word, their message is off and that is why I feel pity for them.  

[Digital Fiend]

I definitely don't agree with their actions. And honestly, whenever I've caught that one woman speaking for them, I've always thought she was ugly. She gets uglier when she talks. I can't say I hate them, but I definitely get annoyed and angered by their actions.

Especially when it comes to when they disrupt grieving families.  

[Prince Darialan]

I kind of want to know what their point in living is. What's the point in living if you believe God hates us? What's the point in pointing at everyone and saying "I'm better than you?" Why would you want to worship a god that's like that? Heaven can't be so great if you have to pound people with your words and such to get there. They aren't living their life with their hearts free from pain. They're keeping their hearts in shackles.  

[Wolf Ookami Woof]

I don't like the wbc as a church. I don't like their actions. I love them as people, but I think that their actions further the thought that Christians are bigots or whatever. Though there are more churches like them unfortunately. One I know is trying to let a witch hunter into this country. However. She is not this supposed witch hunter. She is a child killer. She kills children with help in horrible ways on the basis of them being a witch. Yet, some how this church supporting her has escaped the lime light in the media for the most part. Which I'm kind of glad. I mean we certainly don't need anymore bat attention because of people who call themselves christian.

Although I have to find the wbc's case particularly sad. They protest against the very people that protect their rights to protest.  

[LinyBeany]

WBC is not the sole reason why Christianity has a bad reputation. Christianity has a long history of ingnorance, hateful actions, slaughter, brainwashing, torture, and down right evil that was committed by it's "followers." Don't get me wrong. I know that there are despicable people in all walks of life. The reason why the resentment is so bad for Christianity is because it became a world power and had strong influence in the shaping of western civilization and for hundreds of years supported these atrocities for "the greater good" in a vastly widespread manner. I don't think that there weren't people who disagreed but sadly in those times you would have been persecuted as a heretic or accused of witchcraft and/or conspiracy and then often tortured and killed. America itself is a rather new country and even after it's founding medieval torture devices were still used as methods of justice.

WBC is a good example of the corrupt and non Christ-like thinking that has long crippled the name of Christinity by trying to take things to an extreme. Luckily, their beliefs and actions are now viewed as those of an extremist and are no longer considered normal or socially acceptible. However, ingnorance towards people and other religions and the need to control those around them still has a huge stronghold in those who proclaim themselves Christian. Not to mention a good amount of arrogance and the age old excuse that it's "for the greater good." (and superstition) These things are the bane of humanity, not Christianity, not wiccans, not atheists... Not any religion or belief and when people act against their fellow man because of these things it goes against the teachings of MANY religions and sayings of the wise. It makes the people who group themselves with the same belief title look like hypocrites, which is a line of thinking just as ignorant as the offender's. Sadly, the more this is done by one particular "group" the more others will judge or disassociate from them. Christianity has done a lot of good but because of the hatred, arrogance, and ignorance of the humans that follow it, much evil and bloodshed has also occured in it's name and it will take the efforts of many to overcome this.

I tried to write this in an honest, historically correct, but also in a non hateful/bashing manner. I think I succeeded but if it seemed slightly offensive, that was not my aim. I do not hate Christianity or any other religion.  

[2ToneYoshi]

LinyBeany

WBC is not the sole reason why Christianity has a bad reputation. Christianity has a long history of ingnorance, hateful actions, slaughter, brainwashing, torture, and down right evil that was committed by it's "followers." Don't get me wrong. I know that there are despicable people in all walks of life. The reason why the resentment is so bad for Christianity is because it became a world power and had strong influence in the shaping of western civilization and for hundreds of years supported these atrocities for "the greater good" in a vastly widespread manner. I don't think that there weren't people who disagreed but sadly in those times you would have been persecuted as a heretic or accused of witchcraft and/or conspiracy and then often tortured and killed. America itself is a rather new country and even after it's founding medieval torture devices were still used as methods of justice.

WBC is a good example of the corrupt and non Christ-like thinking that has long crippled the name of Christinity by trying to take things to an extreme. Luckily, their beliefs and actions are now viewed as those of an extremist and are no longer considered normal or socially acceptible. However, ingnorance towards people and other religions and the need to control those around them still has a huge stronghold in those who proclaim themselves Christian. Not to mention a good amount of arrogance and the age old excuse that it's "for the greater good." (and superstition) These things are the bane of humanity, not Christianity, not wiccans, not atheists... Not any religion or belief and when people act against their fellow man because of these things it goes against the teachings of MANY religions and sayings of the wise. It makes the people who group themselves with the same belief title look like hypocrites, which is a line of thinking just as ignorant as the offender's. Sadly, the more this is done by one particular "group" the more others will judge or disassociate from them. Christianity has done a lot of good but because of the hatred, arrogance, and ignorance of the humans that follow it, much evil and bloodshed has also occured in it's name and it will take the efforts of many to overcome this.

I tried to write this in an honest, historically correct, but also in a non hateful/bashing manner. I think I succeeded but if it seemed slightly offensive, that was not my aim. I do not hate Christianity or any other religion.

Yep! I agree. You know what they say, "There is always 1 bad apple that spoils the bunch."  

[Qyp]

2ToneYoshi

LinyBeany

WBC is not the sole reason why Christianity has a bad reputation. Christianity has a long history of ingnorance, hateful actions, slaughter, brainwashing, torture, and down right evil that was committed by it's "followers." Don't get me wrong. I know that there are despicable people in all walks of life. The reason why the resentment is so bad for Christianity is because it became a world power and had strong influence in the shaping of western civilization and for hundreds of years supported these atrocities for "the greater good" in a vastly widespread manner. I don't think that there weren't people who disagreed but sadly in those times you would have been persecuted as a heretic or accused of witchcraft and/or conspiracy and then often tortured and killed. America itself is a rather new country and even after it's founding medieval torture devices were still used as methods of justice.

WBC is a good example of the corrupt and non Christ-like thinking that has long crippled the name of Christinity by trying to take things to an extreme. Luckily, their beliefs and actions are now viewed as those of an extremist and are no longer considered normal or socially acceptible. However, ingnorance towards people and other religions and the need to control those around them still has a huge stronghold in those who proclaim themselves Christian. Not to mention a good amount of arrogance and the age old excuse that it's "for the greater good." (and superstition) These things are the bane of humanity, not Christianity, not wiccans, not atheists... Not any religion or belief and when people act against their fellow man because of these things it goes against the teachings of MANY religions and sayings of the wise. It makes the people who group themselves with the same belief title look like hypocrites, which is a line of thinking just as ignorant as the offender's. Sadly, the more this is done by one particular "group" the more others will judge or disassociate from them. Christianity has done a lot of good but because of the hatred, arrogance, and ignorance of the humans that follow it, much evil and bloodshed has also occured in it's name and it will take the efforts of many to overcome this.

I tried to write this in an honest, historically correct, but also in a non hateful/bashing manner. I think I succeeded but if it seemed slightly offensive, that was not my aim. I do not hate Christianity or any other religion.

Yep! I agree. You know what they say, "There is always 1 bad apple that spoils the bunch."

WHY DID YOU NECRO THIS? WHY? WHY?  

[LinyBeany]

Qyp

2ToneYoshi

LinyBeany

WBC is not the sole reason why Christianity has a bad reputation. Christianity has a long history of ingnorance, hateful actions, slaughter, brainwashing, torture, and down right evil that was committed by it's "followers." Don't get me wrong. I know that there are despicable people in all walks of life. The reason why the resentment is so bad for Christianity is because it became a world power and had strong influence in the shaping of western civilization and for hundreds of years supported these atrocities for "the greater good" in a vastly widespread manner. I don't think that there weren't people who disagreed but sadly in those times you would have been persecuted as a heretic or accused of witchcraft and/or conspiracy and then often tortured and killed. America itself is a rather new country and even after it's founding medieval torture devices were still used as methods of justice.

WBC is a good example of the corrupt and non Christ-like thinking that has long crippled the name of Christinity by trying to take things to an extreme. Luckily, their beliefs and actions are now viewed as those of an extremist and are no longer considered normal or socially acceptible. However, ingnorance towards people and other religions and the need to control those around them still has a huge stronghold in those who proclaim themselves Christian. Not to mention a good amount of arrogance and the age old excuse that it's "for the greater good." (and superstition) These things are the bane of humanity, not Christianity, not wiccans, not atheists... Not any religion or belief and when people act against their fellow man because of these things it goes against the teachings of MANY religions and sayings of the wise. It makes the people who group themselves with the same belief title look like hypocrites, which is a line of thinking just as ignorant as the offender's. Sadly, the more this is done by one particular "group" the more others will judge or disassociate from them. Christianity has done a lot of good but because of the hatred, arrogance, and ignorance of the humans that follow it, much evil and bloodshed has also occured in it's name and it will take the efforts of many to overcome this.

I tried to write this in an honest, historically correct, but also in a non hateful/bashing manner. I think I succeeded but if it seemed slightly offensive, that was not my aim. I do not hate Christianity or any other religion.

Yep! I agree. You know what they say, "There is always 1 bad apple that spoils the bunch."

WHY DID YOU NECRO THIS? WHY? WHY?

I'd say that it's probably the same reason why I'll drive 2mph down a street while throwing candy at hobos, but, more than likely, it's not.