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All I can say is that we need to pray.
November 10th, 2008
Because this? Is so totally and completely wrong, so against everything that Jesus promoted when on earth. Please my better equipped Christian friends, tell how not to hate this guy, because I just want to take his horrible signs and beat him over the head with them. I want to ask him if he has read the same bible as me. If he understands the concept of grace, and love, and that God truly loves every single one of us. Please discuss.
Filed under NaBloPoMo, Soap box, faith | Comments (10)10 Responses to “All I can say is that we need to pray.”
At first, I was confused about this post and who it was about. Then I suddenly realized I should click on the first phrase. Let me say that hate is definitely not the emotion you need to have for this man for he is NOT a man of God and his just “desserts” will come as surely as the sun rises in the east, in my opinion.
Neither the grandson nor his family deserve to have their time of mourning defiled by such un-Christian putrescence. Just because he is a public political figure makes no case for bringing such disrespectful behavior to his grandmother’s funeral.
I’m also so, so sad that this “church” dares to call itself Baptist. Since the Baptist denomination allows churches to exist as singular entities and does not require them to belong to an association, this group of people are able to use the name without any responsibility or respect for the Christian faith this denomination is based upon. As a Baptist, I am very much ashamed and distressed by this and repudiate it in the strongest words.
To be a Baptist, to me, means embracing the example of John the Baptist…full immersion in our baptism as an act of obedience to Christ, as an homage of His own baptism at the hands of J the B–a sign of our acceptance of His holy paternity. John was persecuted for proclaiming Christ’s impending appearance on the scene and preaching His love and divine lineage. I do realize that too often in the past, the Baptist congregation (at least in the south) has been heavy-handed in dealing out guilt, fire, and brimstone in its message. But, in this age many many Baptist churches most often teach growth in our walk as Christians rather than guilt for sinful living. I guess this church has yet to realize that the pointed finger and the shouted judgement do NOT show God’s love nor encourages ANYone to WANT to know God’s love through His Son.
Phew…that was long-winded. But, I just can NOT sit still while a church filled with such hatred, fear, and judgement of others attaches itself to the Baptist denomination and the Christian faith! I certainly would not be a congregate myself if I felt guilt-ridden nor would I want my grandson to ever attend such a church.
Please, pleae do not waste hate on this man or his church…they truly are not worth the emotion.
The only sane response I can think of to this comes from Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT) – “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”
I also like James 4:11-12 (NLT) quite well. “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?”
This WBC…isn’t that the same church that does the protests at funerals of soldiers?
I hate to just string Scriptures together, as it reminds me of a really bad church camp I once went to. But, I don’t understand how these fanatics can so easily misuse and misrepresent the Word of God. James 2:10 (NLT) says, “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.”
If you skip a few verses down to James 2:13 (NLT), you’ll read this: “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.”
All that to say that the WBC crowd must have skipped the verses throughout the New Testament where Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I hardly call showing up in the midst of a mourning family to spew hatred toward a political figure (who by the way you are supposed to pray for…and also love) LOVE.
I would think that there are far better ways to multiply the priesthood of believers than by disrespecting the dead, yelling words of hate and spreading lies about fellow mankind.
Sorry for the novel, but you know you love me.
It is perfectly right to speak out against what this man and his “church” does. But to hate him is wrong. God’s grace covers everyone and everyone is valuable to God. I would just encourage you to pray for him and maybe not even focusing the prayer on his heart and mind changing, but just praying for him, his family, etc. It isn’t easy but think Corrie Ten Boom and the fleas.
I do hate it because this man gets publicity and what he does in God’s name turns so many people off to the actual abundant life that God offers.
As you say we just have to pray and stand up for what we know to be ture and that our God is a God of love.
I’d add his parishioners to the prayer list, because those people are sure being filled with something that is far less than Holy.
Oh, but I try my best not to hate anyone. I may say I “hate” something about someone or something, but I don’t know…in my sick mind, hating a something is better than hating a somone.
I’m a heathen, but even I think this guy is a horrible excuse for a human being. All I can offer is the advice of MLK, Jr: “Let no man pull you low enough to make you hate him.” It’s hard in cases like this, though!
I first learned of Fred Phelps and his “church” when we first moved to Kansas, 4 years ago. I was appalled that this man was saying these things in the name of God! Because I grew up in the South, I know that this is not the way Baptists feel, but for those who are unaware, he is giving Baptists a very bad name. As others have pointed out, the best thing we can do is pray for him.
In this area, there is a group called the Patriot Guard Riders. They’re bikers, mostly veterans, who support our troops and attend military burials. They will also meet the family at the airport and escort them to whereever they are going. If this group knows that Fred Phelps and his gang are going to be protesting (for they have to submit a permit prior to showing up) the Patriot Guard will show up in the hundreds. Mostly to protect the families from this un-Christian display of hate.
Oh, and I couldn’t click on the first link because I’m at work and the server blocks hate speech.
Ang, how big is this church? I just cannot fathom someone joining up. I thought maybe it is only his relatives or something.
Also, the whole protesting because they hate gay people is horrible enough, but where do they go from that to solders funerals, or some old lady’s (albeit one with a powerful grandson) funeral? This is the same group that picketed Heath Ledgers as well, I got all pissed off then too.
MMiL: I do not think most people would count this as a normal Baptist Church, I have been to your church in Dangprettyville several times now, and never left with even a slightly bad taste in my mouth, and I LOVE your minister and his family. I think it is like those polygamous sects in Utah–they are not representative of the Mormon church either.
I believe the “church” is quite small, but it’s based in Topeka so I’ve never actually seen it. I, too, have no idea where they jump from hating homosexuals to picketing the funerals of soldiers. It defies logic.