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.

[ClevelandBronco]

I have no problem with Anonymous going after them. Three cheers for them. However, I'd prefer that the federal government keep its ****ing nose out of it. It's none of their business. None.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Aries Walker

I remain surprised that no emotionally devastated mourner with nothing left to lose has slid their F-150 sideways through a massed gathering of WBC protestors. Maybe this will be the time.

Poor truck!

[listopencil]

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.

You're full of shit.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by ClevelandBronco

I have no problem with Anonymous going after them. Three cheers for them. However, I'd prefer that the federal government keep its ****ing nose out of it. It's none of their business. None.

LOL, they are a large part of anonymous... Ask them, they'll tell you they aren't... They'll tell you the loath the govt. Denial, it's the first sign! It's what happens when Govt. can't get out of their own way....

[Lumpy]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Anonymous is incredibly interesting to me. It's just like this nebulous thing. There's no real leader, not much in the way of organization, just a group of like minded internet users. And the number depends on the cause.

from @kyanonymous on Vimeo.

Anonymous is a group, not an idea, we are your sons, your daughters, your mothers, your fathers, cooks, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.

twitter.com/kyanonymous

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

from @kyanonymous on Vimeo.

[oldman]

I know the Phelps family well and they're not going to give up. They have a police guard with them just about every place they picket in Topeka. They also video the entire protest and have used that to garner some pretty good settlements. They do some creative editing, BTW. Sadly, the ones that can still practice law are very good attorneys and the ones that have been disbarred still have good legal minds. Where they live, or at least where most of them do, is no secret. They have the block bordered by SW 12th, Orleans St., Churchill Rd., and Cambridge Ave. in Topeka.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Just to be clear...this group of idiots does not represent the typical Baptist Church or God's teachings.

My church (Baptist) spent part of Sunday morning service praying for the victims famlies and told the congregation to continue to hold the families up in prayer.

[Imon Yourside]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

Just to be clear...this group of idiots does not represent the typical Baptist Church or God's teachings.

My church (Baptist) spent part of Sunday morning service praying for the victims famlies and told the congregation to continue to hold the families up in prayer.

That should be obvious to anyone with a brain.

[King_Chief_Fan]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

That should be obvious to anyone with a brain.

the target are those without one

[Carlota69]

Originally Posted by Lumpy

from @kyanonymous on Vimeo.

Awesome!!!!

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by KILLER_CLOWN

These scumbags aren't Christians, you will know them by their fruit....Blackened rotting fruitcakes. I don't see any kind of angle to protest slain Kindergarteners. These assholes only exist to make Christians look bad, the fiery judgement that awaits them will not be pretty as GOD is not mocked.

They don't make Christians look bad to anyone except those who already hate Christians. Anyone with half a brain can tell these morons are not Christians. The haters just love to lump Christians in with them cuz it's convenient.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by King_Chief_Fan

the target is those without one

90% of the country

[kcxiv]

Ok, so i have stayed far away from this Church thing, but today (why i dont know) took the plunge and decided to read up on them and watch some youtube clips. HOLY CRAP That lady Shirley is batshit insane. She looks like a damned zombie no joke! she could start in the Walking Dead as a zombie and needs no make up!

Anyways, its just really sad what they put their Kids through. At least one of them woke up. That should be freaking mental abuse to a kid and they should be taken away by a social worker.

[wazu]

Can we all just agree to not care anymore? That would really be their worst nightmare.