Spreading Hatred in God’s Name

The “Reverend” Fred Phelps and his army of contempt are at it again. This time, they have decided to picket the memorial services of the 12 miners who died in West Virginia. Why? According to their press release, West Virginia is a state of “fag lovers” and God killed the miners, sent them to Hell, and laughed about it.

Remind me again why Christians get a hard time in our culture?

I hesitate to write about this man and his followers because I don’t want to give any undue attention to their cause. On his website, www.godhatesfags.com, he states clearly that the Bible preaches hate.

I’m reminded of a quote from Thomas Sowell that someone shared with me recently. “It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.”

To those unfortunate enough to see the Phelpsians celebrate pain and suffering, please don’t judge Christianity by their actions. They also issued press releases thanking God for the tornados in Indiana, thanking God for aids, and declaring that all U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq are burning in Hell.

Nice.

God does have wrath and, according to prophecy, will act upon it again one day. He certainly dislikes sin, all sin, and promises a dire destination for those who don’t repent. However, he never instructs the ignorant among us to celebrate the pain and sorrow of our neighbors. Certainly, we should never rejoice over souls that have been lost.

Jesus reached out and embraced the sinners he met in his own walk on earth. He fought the hardest against the pious, legalistic, church leaders who sought to condemn rather than redeem. I fear that people like Phelps do more to turn people away from seeking Christ than they could ever do to spread the gospel.

If the Phelpsians had been present as church elders were attempting to stone the sinful woman (John 8:7), would they have been Christ-like in chiding the stone throwers, or would they have been celebrating the woman’s impending death, taunting her family at her funeral, and thanking God for killing someone they hate?

Christians do not celebrate anyone entering Hell. It may be hard to do, but we should pray for Reverend Phelps. He might claim he doesn’t want our prayers, but we aren’t praying to him but rather for him. May God show him the error of his ways before it is too late.