General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSon of reviled Westboro Baptist founder mocks family’s church in awesome pro-gay Facebook post
The son of the founder of the reviled Westboro Baptist Church known for their God Hates Fags signs at funerals, took a sarcastic slap at his own family on Facebook, telling them their hateful anti-gay actions pushed, decent people away from hatred and into the arms of justice and equality.
Nate Phelps, one of thirteen children fathered by Westboro founder Fred Phelps, left his fathers church in 1980 and has since became a virulent critic of their theology, actions, and rhetoric. Since he was publicly censured by the church he has become an advocate for LGBT causes while residing in Canada where gay marriage has been legal since 2005.
Following the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling affirming same sex marriage on Friday, Nate Phelps took to his Facebook page to mock both his family and their church, congratulating them for helping to push public opinion towards marriage equality.
A special thank you to my family of birth for relentlessly and colourfully demonstrating the cruelty of anti-gay sentiment, thus driving decent people away from hatred and into the arms of justice and equality.
-snip-
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/son-of-reviled-westboro-baptist-founder-mocks-familys-church-in-awesome-pro-gay-facebook-post/
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)Have previous members speak publically of their idiocy.
Cha
(298,139 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound."
ismnotwasm
(42,030 posts)Can't imagine what it was like to be raised by those people.
3catwoman3
(24,146 posts)...beaten down by those people. What a soul crushing experience it must be to live in hatred all the time.
nightscanner59
(802 posts)with the master of hate himself Fred Phelps. My family lived in a redneck community where I got outed. I had made the mistake of telling someone I thought was a close friend, at 14 years old, that when I grew up I wanted to marry another man.
Life went straight to shit for me from that day until I ran away from that hell at 16 for my own survival.
And Fred F@cking Phelps was part of the problem. As some of his extended family lived in the town I went to school, I was "invited to a party in my honor". I smelled a rat when my Phelps friend said his uncle wanted to meet and talk to me, but curiosity killed my cat. I went at the appointed time.
It was an absolute hate-fest. A ceremony of laughter and vile, idiotic and ritualistic derogatory "condemning my soul to hell". There was nothing even remotely "christian" about this gathering, to my remote understanding of it. Just Fred spitting in my face as he yelled about my being a child of satan at the top of his lungs as the family gathered all around chimed in with holy epithets. Needless to say I made my way out the door in less than a minute.
Fred Phelp's family also saw to it that my life at that school would become unbearable from then on. I cannot even count the times that "faggot" replaced my name. I had bruises, cuts and fractures from being pushed, kicked, hit, shoved, tripped and tortured daily. And as far as everyone in that town was concerned, the "city slicker" that their parents warned them all not to associate with became the devil himself to burn.
When I finally made it all the way to San Francisco, I found a freeway bridge to sleep out of the rain, and eat the damaged package of Lorna Doone cookies I'd dug out of a dumpster on the way. I was filthy, hungry, totally alone and felt as though I was the only one in the world like me, as far as I knew. To this day I don't know what drew me to go to San Francisco, but it turned out to be my lifesaver at the kindly hands of an aged pedophile who eventually took me in.
I contemplated suicide, Freds unholy words echoing to me, convinced that perhaps the world would do better without this "faggot".
No I cannot imagine how horrible a full Phelps upbrining would be, compared to my parents who neglected my needs, the abusive part probably would have left me hanging from a rope from a freeway overpass just south of here.
sakabatou
(42,207 posts)Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)People like that make my skin crawl and for them to take advantage of a child is criminal. It sounds like you had a tough journey to get away from the situation, but I hope you have been able to overcome the hatred they showed to you that day and beyond.
nightscanner59
(802 posts)Just Thursday I was still a second class citizen. Today "Equal justice under the law" are more than just high sounding words. I'm big enough to gracefully forgive the bamboozlery they put me through, I've had to forgive and forget much from many who are now long dead. Karma will exact it's own steep pennance on those who boast of their self-righteousness so shamelessly. Love conquers hate.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)SunSeeker
(51,824 posts)He eloquently repudiated the "wrong, wrong, wrong" legacy of his father.
3catwoman3
(24,146 posts)The Republican party needs a whole lot more like him.
cilla4progress
(24,804 posts)sauce.
It must feel simply awful to be on the wrong side of history.