Fred Phelps
From Liberapedia
Fred Phelps is a conservative "minister" from Topeka, Kansas who runs the Westboro Baptist Church. Phelps seems to exercise abusive cultlike control over his followers who are mostly members of his family, married into his family, or both. Even young children from the Phelps family must take part in their evil demonstrations. The views Fred Phelps has of homosexuals, Canadians, and Americans are in some ways representative of most of the evangelical movement which also includes Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell but Fred Phelps hates Jewish, Irish, Swedish people and others as well.
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Extremism
His views are even more extreme than Falwell and Robertson because he actually thanks God for dead American soldiers. He also thanks God for the attack on the World Trade Center, for Hurricane Katrina and for a range of bad things which happened to America. He called Bush (a far rightist and authoritarian) a "fag-enabler". This has prompted some Christian fundamentalists to distance themselves from Phelps despite sharing similar views. Rev Falwell referred to Phelps as a "first class nut" and many conservative Christians are afraid of Phelps because they believe he is damaging to their cause. Although he is part of the Religious Right and an authoritarian, his extreme views were even further to the fringe than radical Rightist preachers such as Pat Robertson. While Phelps shares Robertsons views on homosexuality and blames homosexuals for 9/11, he takes his extreme right wing views so far that his viewpoints are often opposed to by most right-wingers in America. For example he supported Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein who are both demonized by the American Right (and many on the Left as well). The reason he supports Castro has nothing to do with communism or left-wing economics though, he supports him because of Castro's strong views against Homosexuality and his authoritarianism. He supported Saddam Hussein because he allowed Christians to preach in Baghdad (Saddam was secular and didn't really care about religion). Phelps has since changed his view on Saddam and now says he is in hell.
Conservapedia and the right
Conservapedia has called Fred Phelps a liberal activist and a leftist. There are several reasons for this. He supports Castro. He used to support the Democratic Party (which used to be the "Conservative" party at the time).
He criticizes other members of the religious Right, Phelps criticizes practically everyone who isn’t exactly like him, -in that he’s like Andrew Schlafly-. This is sometimes considered "leftist" by idiotic conservatives and more importantly he is an embarrassment to the Religious Right.
This helps to show us two points. One point is that despite Conservapedia's extreme views there are even more radical conservatives out there and Conservapedia wants nothing to do with them. The second point is that Conservapedia is irrationally biased because anyone who disagrees with what they say is "liberal" even if their opponent has views which are in stark contrast to liberalism like Phelps.
God as an abusive parent
Nate Phelps, estranged son of Fred Phelps says his father would regularly take his anger out against his children and beatings happened often while his brother Mark Phelps agrees that they “grew up in a violent household” where their father frequently beat them. Mark Phelps adds that father even ordered him (Mark) to beat his Younger brothers and sisters which Nate Phelps agrees happened. Father also routinely abused the children both verbally and psychologically.
Nate Phelps feels the anger his father shows to those he hates is the same type of hate though father can’t beat these people. (Fred Phelps expects God punish his enemies for him.) Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church regularly picket the funerals of dead gays and others that he feels are connected with gays, he pickets the funerals of soldiers killed in action as well. This is explained in more detail in the article, God Hates Fags. It seems to one author that Fred Phelps thinks God is an abusive father of the type that he himself is. [1]
The United Kingdom
Fred Phelps with his brainwashed daughter wanted to protest over a UK play about a young man murdered for being gay. Do they think it’s right to murder gays? The British government has banned them from entering the country. The US must put up with them as they’re citizens. American free speech laws allow the Phelps family to spout homophobic garbage but prevent people knowing what Monsanto does. [2] Phelps now thinks Britain is doomed like the United States but the Brits aren't interested.
America generally
Moderate conservatives and all liberals have both blasted Phelps and he still remains on the fringes of the American political "right".
See also
References and External links
- Abuse as theology Fred Phelps’ son tells his father to stop venting his rage
- Hatred Personified: Fred Phelps and the Religious Cult He Leads
Videos
- Fred Phelps supporter on Hannity & Colmes Even Sean Hannity and Fox News hate Phelps and his church.
- Fred Phelps and God Hates Fags, Heath Ledger and Sam Harris!This is an ordinary American who got onto the Phelps hate list because the Phelps family picketed his school when he was a kid and as a kid he made a bad impression, really.
