Westboro Watch
[August, 2009] Nothing quite defines nonsense like the Westboro Babtist Church. Lets take a look at the latest press release in which the WBC are announcing a scheduled picketing of a soldier's funeral. From godhatesfags.com...
God Hates America, and God is killing our troops in His wrath. Thank God for IEDs.[does he have the patent?]
Just to get the non-believers up to speed: God, according to the WBC, hates America in general and homosexuals in particular. They usually take an obscure bit of bible scripture and shoehorn it into whatever point they are trying to make. They also enjoy picketing the funerals of fallen soldiers and claim that each soldiers death is proof of Gods wrath.
I haven't completely figured out the whole America-Fags-Troop connection, nor do I understand why the Supreme Being is throwing together rudimentary explosives and leaving them in garbage cans in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Lord works in mysterious ways!
Back to the press release....
These soldiers are dying for the homosexual [which one?] and other sins of America. Gos is now America's enemy [huh?], and God Himself is fighting against America.
We are SKA-RUDE! Let's refer to the good book and find where exactly the WBC is finding their inspiration....
"Except the Lord build the house, They labor in vain that build it;
Except the Lord keep the city, The watchmen waketh but in vain."
Psa. 127:1
Oh. That makes sense.
This morning I watched Washington Journal on CSpan. The lawyer for the church was there answering phone in questions. The lawyer who had written a brief in support of the father suing the church. It was amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe church's lawyer is smart. If she could stick to the First Ammendment issues, she would seem even more so. Most callers were for the church not beling allowed to protest at funerals of our dead soldiers.
I believe the First Ammendment gives the church the right to protest peacefully standing on any public land. The church should receive the eventual consequences of this because at some point what they are doing is hate speech. That is the line. They have crossed it repeatedly. Of course they deny it, but that doesn't change the fact.
Charlene - Again, is a subjective definition of "hate speech" enough to undermine the 1st amendment?
ReplyDeleteShould a black man be able to stand on a corner and yell "honkey" or "cracker"? Should a white man be able to stand on a street corner and yell "nigger" or "jew"?
Both, I say, but, for some reason, we have, as a society, placed a weight on each of these words that is incongruent with the first amendment.
The legal definition of hate speech is the encitement of violence. When a person writes something the encites others to do violent things or stands in a biker bar and calls the bikers pussies, it incites violence.
ReplyDeleteIf there has been no violence from the other sice, it's because of the morality of he family and friends at the funeral.
And I think that the justices may be looking at it in that light.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, the restraint from the other side has been superhuman.
I suppose its just the term "hate speech" that makes me uncomfortable. Inciting a riot is one thing. Telling me what I am feeling and motivates me is a slippery and dangerous slope.
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ReplyDeleteThis issue is so unbelievable. I mean, WWJD? He surely wouldn't be killing people in his own name. I think these guys are stuck in an Old Testament mind frame, when God was asking Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith. If Christians remember properly, Jesus put a stop to all of that by dying on the cross. People, please pick a religion, fully understand it, and act accordingly. If you are a CHRISTian, then act as Christ would. Otherwise, start calling yourself something else, like, hate-speech-itarians or just plain old bigots.
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ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, are we to assume that homosexuality is a worse sin that polygamy, adultery, rape, or bribery? In seriousness, are we supposed to excuse all of these other sins and blame just one "supposed" sin for the downfall of America. It couldn't have anything to do with deficit spending, gluttony, or unjust wars? REALLY??
ReplyDeleteLiz - Thanks. The line really is crossed, I think, when this or any other group begin to impose their beliefs on others.
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