The Bible, opposing sin (e.g., fornication, adultery [including divorce and remarriage], sodomy), the sovereignty of God, and the doctrines Calvinism are the foundation of the great and fearsome Westboro Baptist Church. Founded by the elder, Fred Phelps, this small Kansas Baptist church has kept to its evangelical tradition of saving souls through fear. Westboro Baptist Church or the “WBC” has a clear motive to sway Americans to see God’s hatred in the Bible. If you visit their website (www.godhatesfags.com), you’ll read this statement:
“…Lies that “God loves everyone” and “Jesus died for everyone”…this hasn’t always been the case. If you are in a church that supposedly believes the Bible, and you are hearing these lies, then your church doesn’t teach what the Bible teaches. If you care about your never-dying soul, you will carefully read every word of this web site, along with the entire Bible.
So why do I feel it necessary you write anything about the WBC, because the Westboro Baptist Church and their followers will be joining the thousands of others flocking to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention. Their schedule of picketing in Philadelphia is posted on their website. One location that they’ll be picketing is the Mazzoni Health Center on Locust.
“UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN!” whenever another human approaches, as the law of the leper.” (Lev 13:45) This is a direct statement from their website; how must we tolerate such ignorance? Their view of the Bible is so conservative that they misinterpret what the Old Testament prophets proclaimed to the Jews, and present only harsh aspects of the early Judaic laws. Yet, the Prophet Isaiah foresaw how his culture would change with the gift from G-d,
“ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isa 53:5)
Despite the hateful signs and chants that will occur on the 26th and of the following days while the WBC will be in Philadelphia, we must not allow their mean spirited actions to corrupt us into hateful acts against them. Like Christ, stones (nor other objects) shouldn’t be thrown, yet hospitality and love should be displayed as retaliation against their bold and venomous actions they do in the name of the one who came to bring salvation.
In response to the actions of the WBC, people have rallied and will blockade the WBC protestors from the Mazzoni Health Center on Tuesday the 26th. For more information, go to Facebook and search “Great Wall of Love Philadelphia”. Join me and others resist the hate, and show the love not just on Tuesday, but everyday until we’re hand-in-hand in unity and of one heart.
Blessings,
John Owens, Program Assistant