Westboro Baptist Church to picket vigil for victims of CT shooting

[007]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...n_2312186.html

The Westboro Baptist Church, the controversial group known for protesting outside funerals of slain U.S. service members, announced that it will picket a vigil for the victims of Friday's Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the second-deadliest school shooting in American history.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokesperson for the group and, like most members of the organization, a relative of the group's founder, Fred Phelps, announced on Twitter on Saturday the group's plan "to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment."

It is unclear when the group plans to protest, although a tweet from Margie Phelps implied that it would be during a vigil that will be attended by President Barack Obama on Sunday evening.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church say that America is being punished for its acceptance of gays and lesbians. In recent days, Phelps family members have sent tweets about the Connecticut shooting that have said "God sent the shooter."

Not surprisingly, the group's announcement was met with resistance online. A Change.org petition asking for Connecticut officials to prevent the group from protesting has been launched, and users of the social news and link sharing site Reddit have been discussing ways to stage a counter-protest.

A Facebook event that calls for "counter-activity" to "keep any hatred from touching" the grieving families has over 10,000 attendees, but because of a bomb threat in Newtown on Sunday, the event has been cancelled.

Anonymous, the loosely affiliated group of Internet "hacktivists," said that it had hacked the group's website and released personal information about the group's members, according to The Inquisitr.

The Southern Poverty Law Center calls the Westboro Baptist Church "arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America," while the Anti-Defamation League calls it "a small virulently homophobic, anti-Semitic hate group."

In 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church, saying that the right to picket funerals was protected under the First Amendment. President Obama earlier this year, however, signed legislation that said that protests must be held 300 feet from military funerals.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that WBC members would picket Sandy Hook Elementary School. The vigil is at Newtown High School. Additionally, an earlier version of this story called the shooting "the second-largest mass killing in American history." It is the second-deadliest school shooting.

[confused]

Originally Posted by Bump

they are simply attention whores. It doesn't matter who dies, if it makes headlines, they will be there.

In that case, here's to them protesting Fred's funeral when he splits hell wide open here in a few years/months/weeks/days/hours/minutes.

[WildTurkey]

Originally Posted by Bump

they are simply attention whores. It doesn't matter who dies, if it makes headlines, they will be there.

True.. Wish more people would handle it like they did at aTm. That human wall was great.

[confused]

Also to Dave, you've clearly shown that you concede that the Westboro Baptist Church does hideous and evil things. With that said, if you deny God, then it follows you deny that objective moral values exist. WBC's evil would merely be subjective and therefore determined by you and I. If they think it's good and is not evil, who says that their moral code is anymore right or wrong than ours? In the end, us and them are in the same boat in terms of our moral law and after death (no hell below, no heaven above). Like Dostoevsky once said, without God everything is morally permissible.

[ShortRoundChief]

Originally Posted by FalconFan2

Also to Dave, you've clearly shown that you concede that the Westboro Baptist Church does hideous and evil things. With that said, if you deny God, then it follows you deny that objective moral values exist. WBC's evil would merely be subjective and therefore determined by you and I. If they think it's good and is not evil, who says that their moral code is anymore right or wrong than ours? In the end, us and them are in the same boat in terms of our moral law and after death (no hell below, no heaven above). Like Dostoevsky once said, without God everything is morally permissible.

Of course that is entirely dependent upon you believe if God delivered the objective moral standards in the first place.

[confused]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

Of course that is entirely dependent upon you believe if God delivered the objective moral standards in the first place.

can morality be explained in a society without God? Not saying one NEEDS God to commit good acts, but that there would be no objectively true moral law without a moral law giver.

[Coach]

I wouldn't mind this organization losing it's tax-exempt status, and labeled as a terrorist organization.

That'd be a win in my book by President Obama and Congress.

[ShortRoundChief]

Originally Posted by FalconFan2

can morality be explained in a society without God? Not saying one NEEDS God to commit good acts, but that there would be no objectively true moral law without a moral law giver.

Did morality exist prior to humans?

What is true moral law?

[ShortRoundChief]

Originally Posted by Coach

I wouldn't mind this organization losing it's tax-exempt status, and labeled as a terrorist organization.

That'd be a win in my book by President Obama and Congress.

As much as I despise them it wouldn't be a win. They've committed no terrorist acts. They are merely exercising their freedom of speech.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

As much as I despise them it wouldn't be a win. They've committed no terrorist acts. They are merely exercising their freedom of speech.

No, they're a hate group, that's what it is. They need to be dealt with, and accourdingly.

The American Bar Association defines hate speech as "speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits."

Do you think the Westboro Baptist Church is exercising its right to free speech, or does this classify as hate speech?

I don't think so.

Therefore, I have no problem with labeling them as a terrorist group and shipping their asses first class to Gitmo.

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by Coach

No, they're a hate group, that's what it is. They need to be dealt with, and accourdingly.

The American Bar Association defines hate speech as "speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits."

Do you think the Westboro Baptist Church is exercising its right to free speech, or does this classify as hate speech?

I don't think so.

Therefore, I have no problem with labeling them as a terrorist group and shipping their asses first class to Gitmo.

Hate speech is a slippery slope, This is America we can't attack problems with Soviet tactics.

[WildTurkey]

Originally Posted by Coach

No, they're a hate group, that's what it is. They need to be dealt with, and accourdingly.

The American Bar Association defines hate speech as "speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits."

Do you think the Westboro Baptist Church is exercising its right to free speech, or does this classify as hate speech?

I don't think so.

Therefore, I have no problem with labeling them as a terrorist group and shipping their asses first class to Gitmo.

Force them into military service, I'm sure they'd make "operation human shield" a success

[Coach]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

Hate speech is a slippery slope, This is America we can't attack problems with Soviet tactics.

Sometimes, if we have to clean up the mess, especially with some organization cults, we'd have to go with Soviet tactics. I'm tired of hearing those loons running around wild with no restrictions at all.

I'm not saying you have to attack them physically. I'm saying, attack them psychologically. Hit them. Hard. Reclassifying them as a "hate" group would be a great start.

There is no logic into picketing a vigil. None. Zip. Zero.

This WBC crap has got to end.

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by WildTurkey

Force them into military service, I'm sure they'd make "operation human shield" a success

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by Coach

Sometimes, if we have to clean up the mess, especially with some organization cults, we'd have to go with Soviet tactics. I'm tired of hearing those loons running around wild with no restrictions at all.

I'm not saying you have to attack them physically. I'm saying, attack them psychologically. Hit them. Hard. Reclassifying them as a "hate" group would be a great start.

There is no logic into picketing a vigil. None. Zip. Zero.

This WBC crap has got to end.

I would rather someone just took care of them physically, I wouldn't shed a tear. We don't need to label them as I think we've already done that, it would be nice if the courts would reject hearing their cases. I agree that picketing anything related to death is not only senseless but also against the plain teachings of Jesus.

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

I would rather someone just took care of them physically, I wouldn't shed a tear. We don't need to label them as I think we've already done that, it would be nice if the courts would reject hearing their cases. I agree that picketing anything related to death is not only senseless but also against the plain teachings of Jesus.