Revoke Fred Phelps Right To Preach!

Alot of brutal, mean-spirited things have been done in the name of religion. Most of us would probably like to think that such things have disappeared with the Inquisition or the Salem Witch trials. That isn't quite so. There are still people on this earth who believe that their religious beliefs give them carte blanche to judge, condemn, and persecute their fellow man. Take the case of Topeka, Kansas as an example.

Topeka is a small city in the nation's conservative heartland. As the capital of the State of Kansas, its only real claim to fame comes from the presence of the state legislature. That's how Topekans generally prefer it - quiet, peaceful lives uninterrupted by the crime, violence and media hubbub that typify larger cities. In Topeka, happiness is an ice cream at Baskin & Robbins followed by a softball game at one of the city parks.

All that started to change some seven years ago. Reverend Fred Phelps, pastor of the local Westboro Baptist Church, began speaking out vociferously against the city for what he perceived as their lack of action to prevent public meetings by gays in the city park. Says Phelps, "Our goal is to preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation."

That was merely the beginning. Since then, Rev. Phelps has picketed on street corners in Topeka on an almost daily basis. He and his followers - the WBC consists mainly of his own family members - have staged demonstrations in such cities as San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., Miami, San Diego, Dallas, Orlando, and Kansas City. They've appeared on Ricki Lake, 20/20, "Eye on America", "Justice Files", and other national television shows. Their placards are day-glo yellow and orange, with large letters declaring "GOD HATES FAGS", "AIDS CURES FAGS", "THANK GOD FOR AIDS", "FAGS BURN IN HELL", "NO TEARS FOR QUEERS" and so forth.

The extremity of his rhetoric is matched by his tactics. The WBC pickets
the funerals of AIDS victims, and have even shown up with their pornographic signs on the steps of the local Civic Center before productions of family-oriented shows such as "Frosty the Snowman". Phelps expresses no remorse for any anguish or distaste inflicted on his fellow citizens. If anything, he seems to delight in it. According to Phelps, Topeka is "the most evil spot on the face of the earth, where Satan's seat is- whose zipcodes bear the Mark of the Beast (66601); where bloody, state-sponsored religious persecution on a scale not seen since the days of the Spanish Inquisition rages against humble Baptist preachers."

The Reverend goes to great lengths to justify his own position and language
in terms of Biblical interpretation. He preaches hate, he says, "Because the Bible preaches hate. For every one verse about God's mercy, love, compassion, etc., there are two verses about His vengeance, hatred, wrath, etc.". In Phelps' eyes, he is a modern-day prophet come to warn others about the End of Days.

John the Baptist never sued anybody, though. Phelps, on the other hand,
makes it a practice to sue anyone who opposes him, charging slander and libel despite his own frequent use of terms like "whore" and "fag" in reference to the District Attorney or city council members. A disbarred lawyer himself, with 13 children - 4 of whom have left the family and most of the remainder being practicing attorneys themselves - the Phelps' certainly have the wherewithall to make someone's life very unpleasant. They use that ability so much that the State has ordered Phelps to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in court costs for frivolous litigation.

The complacency and tranquility of small-town Topeka was thus ripped asunder by the brimstone-spouting, tort-wielding minister. There would be no more blissful facade in this city - but what sort of counter-measures would ever work against that kind of bile and hatred? Would the middle-class Middle American population - the archetypal "silent majority" just ignore Phelps and hope he went away?

Sometimes, catalysts appear in the most unexpected guises. Phelps is Topeka's catalyst, and the result has been surprising. The local churches, Jewish and Christian together, have organized movements to emphasize "family values" and community tolerance. A group of prominent citizens has formed "Concerned Citizens of Topeka", a legal defense fund offering free legal assistance to anyone on the receiving end of Fred Phelps' litigation. Feeling that Phelps' main goal has been publicity, the local paper rarely even covers his activities these days. Billboards have appeared which tout, "Hate is Not a Family Value". Counter-demonstrations have been staged by Christian youth movements carrying signs promoting love and tolerance.

It's exactly the kind of thing Phelps despises. It's what he calls "maudlin,
kissy-pooh, feel-good, touchy-feely" stuff - a community banding together,
experiencing more commonality over this issue than they've felt since the
original settlers had to take turns standing guard against Indian attacks.

Topeka could have given up. They could have let Fred's bombast dominate the streets and degrade the cherished serenity of this town. Their positive, loving, forgiving actions of the majority instead have sent a message. Hate cannot hope to defeat hate. In a world full of violence and brutality, acts of fellowship and tolerance tend to get drowned out. They're not newsworthy. But in the longer run, they are the acts which are most enduring.

TOPEKA DIDN'T GIVE UP AND NEITHER SHOULD WE! LET'S MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD!

View Phelps Hate Site! www.godhatesfags.com

View the truth about Fred Phelps! http://blank.org/addict

This poll will be sent to the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist Press, among other places.