[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="242" caption="Members of Westboro Baptist Church demonstrate at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, Author: JCWilmore Creative Commons Attribution 3.0"]
[/caption]Shirley Phelps-Roper from Westboro Baptist Church takes the time to answer some of my questions regarding the church, their controversial views, and their protests.
Most of us have heard about the Kansas based Westboro Baptist Church group. They routinely make headlines by traveling the United States holding what are most commonly refereed to as hate rallies. The church is commonly known as a hate group due to the message they attempt to spread through their protest.
Members of Westboro Baptist Church routinely appear carrying signs with such slogans as "God hates you", "God hates Jews", "fags are beast", "God hates fags", "Obama is the beast" and "thank God for dead soldiers” just to name a few.
I first became aware of the church in March of this year when they traveled to Central Virginia to hold anti-Semitic and anti-gay protest at four locations around Richmond and Henrico County. They held demonstrations at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, The Jerusalem Connection, Weinstein JCC, and Hermitage High School.
This group seems to simply show up around the country from time-to-time carrying signs and shouting slogans.
Many of us are left with more questions than answers after such an event, "what is their point?” "What do they hope to accomplish?” what do they believe in beside hate?"/ Well, you get the point. I decided that in the interest of fairness and understanding I would like to ask them a few questions about their church and their views and get their side of the story.
I decided on several questions and sent an email to Westboro Baptist Church and asked if they would mind answering them for the purpose of this article. Shirley Phelps-Roper took the time to answer my questions and here is what she had to say.
What inspired Fred Phelps to start the Westboro Baptist church, what was his vision for the church?
Phelps-Roper: WBC was started by Eastside Baptist Church in Topeka, KS and they invited Pastor Fred Phelps to be her first pastor. The vision of WBC is and has always been to serve God in the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven according to the written word that is found in The Book, the Word of God, commonly called The Bible!
I read on Wikipedia that the church is mostly made of Mr. Phelps's extended family, is this true? If so why, has he had trouble recruiting new members from outside of the family?
Phelps-Roper: Today, this tiny little flock of slaughter has about 70 people who regularly attend the service of the Church when we meet each week with God, pursuant to the pattern that is shown in The Bible of a New Testament Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of those 70 souls, about 45 are members in good standing of WBC. Of those, about 85% are related by blood or marriage. Not quite the 100% that were related to Noah when God destroyed the old world with a flood of waters, saving 8 souls and sending, by some authorities, 16 billion souls directly into the bowels of hell! I say, 100% of those souls on that ark were related by blood or marriage.
What is your agenda, why travel the country holding what are most commonly described as hate rallies? What do you hope to accomplish?
Phelps-Roper: Our agenda is to preach the Gospel of Peace. As a matter of fact, those that hear and receive this gospel, it is a sweet smelling savor of life unto eternal life. To the rest, and the vast majority of mankind, it is a horrible savor of death, unto eternal punishment in hell where the worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched. Eternal torment. THAT is our agenda.
As a matter of beautiful, that-is-how-our-God-rolls fact, we are by this method, binding this nation to the standards of God. Further, we are bringing the thunder! We are using every fiber of our beings, and every resource at our disposal and every gift and calling that we received from our God to get this job done and to complete our testimony!
We also write songs, and this question has the first line of our Crazy Train (written for the benefit of the raging rebels called Metal Heads at the funeral of Ronnie James Dio) parody. "AMAZING / that's how God rolls / Billions of people / drowning in woe-oe-oe-oe-oe / CRAZY / it's much too late / to speak of God's love / when you brought on his ha-a-a-a-ate!"
These are not commonly described as "hate rallies;" they're called PROTESTS! As in "God sent his servants, rising early, daily and betimes, and sending, to protest your sin and your disobedience, for which thing, the wrath of God abides upon the children of disobedience." They're "love fests."
Most churches try to convert new members, on your website home page (godhatesfags.com) it says "God Hates You". Why would anyone join a church if they have already been told that God hates them, doesn't that make it pointless?
Phelps-Roper: That is an excellent question. You see this confirms what I said above. If God, in HIS MERCY, has given you eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart of understanding, you will see that sign and you will say, MY GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE. THAT is what the Bible says in the Old AND New Testaments.
You will say with Paul, "KNOWING therefore the TERROR of the Lord, we MUST warn our fellow man that his sin is bringing on his destruction and great wrath from God and death and hell!" THAT my friends is what God calls: LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. Further, God says, if you do NOT give such a warning, then (1) You hate your neighbor in your heart, and (2) Their blood will be upon your hands and in the Day of Judgment, God will require it of you! You will know that God said IF you OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS, THEN, I will not abhor you! You will know that the default for 99.999999% of all humans is hell.
You see friend, we must NOT concern ourselves with how the masses of Doomed America view the words, because, we do not serve the masses; we serve The Living God. We care about what HE says! HE said: "get out and give the words to EVERY human, and make sure it is MY WORDS that you give."
Jesus taught love, so how can any self described Christian justify teaching hate in any form?
Phelps-Roper: Jesus taught obedience! Here is the verse for you: 1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
This is another verse for you that puts a proper face on your words: 1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
The Bible is FULL of God's hatred. It is perfect, like his love. It is NOT an evil passion like it is in men. God does not hate you the way you hate us! No foaming-at-the-mouth with God. It is a perfect determination to send the UNREPENTANT to hell for eternity. You see GOD'S standard is the ONLY standard that matters. HIS standard is this: NO FORGIVENESS without repentance. NO love for the rebels. So while the Bible speaks of God's love, it is not for the vast majority of this last generation of Doomed Americans. You littered your landscape with lying preachers, professional mourners that put on a program of squally nonsense instead of just telling you WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF YOU! They do that because you pay them to do that. God requires that you OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.
In short, if you do not preach and understand and teach the hatred of God, you are NOT preaching Bible truth.
Based on what most of us have seen at your rallies it seems clear that you are anti-Semitic and anti-gay. Based on the "God Hates America" slogan your known for would it be fair to say that you are anti-American?
Phelps-Roper: You are working WAY too hard at this. We are ANTI-SIN! We are PRO-OBEY! You are breaking down the demographics too much. With God, there are only two: Those that OBEY and those that do NOT OBEY!
Most known "hate groups" make it clear that they are anti-African American. With that in mind what is your belief regarding African Americans?
Phelps-Roper: My dad (Pastor Phelps) and my mom have 13 children. 11 of us are attorneys. My dad spent 25 years pioneering civil rights for black people and women and the elderly in the Federal Courts, as THE leading civil rights lawyer of his day. We think what God says! God NEVER said it was abomination to be black or female or elderly. Sodomites are identified by a perverted and filthy sex practice that they voluntarily engage in.
We must go to the words, because it is always and only about the words:
Ex 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25. Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.
How would you compare Westboro Baptist Church with other known hate organizations like the Neo-Nazis or the KKK? Are there any connections?
Phelps-Roper: What a silly question. How would you compare WBC to such rebels? We stand daily in your streets with the Bread of Life, in the bright light of day, open faced and honestly telling you that you must OBEY YOUR GOD. For our kindness, you entreat us with questions such as this.
In the asking of this question, you determine where the hearts and minds of your reader dwell. Shame on you!
According to your website Westboro Baptist Church was bombed on August 20, 1995. Why do you say that America bombed your church?
Phelps-Roper: America only acts by her government. When a bomb goes off, DUTIES arise. You know how that looks.
The ATF and more government agencies do things to investigate. People are put on trial and sentences get long for use of bombs, ESPECIALLY when directed at churches. E.g. the man in CA that was sentenced to 20 years in Federal Prison for conspiring to set off a bomb at a Jewish Temple. When that bomb was directed at us, we had to offer a $5,000 reward to catch the criminals. Then the prosecutor charged ONE of the three criminals with lesser offenses and NO charges for two of the men. Then, the prosecutor let that one plead to an even lesser offense and he got a sentence of 6 days in jail and he was permitted to serve them on weekends so as not to disrupt his life.
THAT failure to do your sworn duty is why God is using that SAME BOMB as the #1 killer of the children of Doomed America in war in Iraq and Afghanistan. You see, those guys used an IED. Roadside bomb. They did that in a day when most people didn't even know what an IED was. Now, EVERYONE knows. THAT amazing fact is HOW GOD ROLLS!
He promised that if you mess with his people, you have touched the Apple of HIS EYE! He promised to repay you TO YOUR FACE for that. AMAZING! All praise goes to THAT GOD! It belongs to THAT GOD! Shout loud and long Hallelujahs!
For most of us 9-11 was the single greatest tragedy since Pearl Harbor yet you carry signs saying "Thank God for 9-11". Why?
Phelps-Roper: Here is the verse that selfish DOOMED Americans forgot or ignored: BE YE THANKFUL! Here are three excellent reasons to Thank God for ______ EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!
1. BE YE THANKFUL!
2. We all deserve such death as in 9-11, Pearl Harbor, Coal Mines exploding, etc. But on this day, you still have the breath of life and you can still repent! BE YE THANKFUL! In HIS mercy, God has not cut you off, but has yet given you space to repent. BE YE THANKFUL! The time is growing so very short, make up your mind. Serve God or destruction!
3. If you are a servant of God, you know by such confirmation as 9/11 that God has not sent us onto the mean streets of Doomed America now in our 20th year, without confirming our words! We told you from the beginning, IF YOU GO the way of Sodom, you will suffer her fate! So here is the passage that helps you understand what I am saying here:
Psalm 58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Why do you say thank God for dead soldiers and IED's?
Phelps-Roper: BE YE THANKFUL! YAY! Rejoice all ye that mourn for the sins of rebellious Doomed America! Shout Hosanna! Our God doeth all things well! Keep your eyes on that oil, that beautiful oil! Your destruction is imminent!
For many of us it seems likely that some of your rallies could spark violence against your members, has this ever happened?
Phelps-Roper: There is always a determination among the children of Satan to harm us, but our God has our back and he doeth all things well. HE keeps us in all our ways! So even as you try a thing here and there, we are all good, all the time! Here is a good, clear articulation of that promise that we go forth with:
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
This is just ONE of many, many promises of God to his prophets! Also this amazing fact: "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Ps 76:10
Funerals are a sad and traumatic event, so why does your church believe that it is OK to cause more pain for the friends and family of the deceased by holding rallies at funerals?
Pelps-Roper: Blah, blah, squall! Each person that touched the dead child's life is personally responsible for that child residing in hell! Luke 16:18-32 will show you that the dead and in-hell child wants us there and wants us there and that child wants you to LISTEN so that you might not also go to hell!
Why does your church believe that President Obama is the anti-Christ, couldn't it have just as easily been George W. Bush or Rush Limbaugh?
Phelps-Roper: Another question that demonstrates your Bible ignorance. We don't hate on you for it, we just note that this so-called "Christian" nation is amazingly and deliberately Bible ignorant! Had you bothered to read that precious book, you would not be in all this trouble! But I'll answer.
George Bush is indeed anti-Christ as is Rush Limbaugh. However, Obama is THAT WICKED, THE BEAST (see Revelation 13) that is spoken of that will preside over the final end of Doomed America and then, he will get his global power-grab on and he will from that vantage point, bring the nations to march against Jerusalem and of course the prophets say and Christ said it will be THE WORST affliction in this earth from the Creation to that day, and ever after. That means WOE, WOE, WOE unto Israel, as these events are NOW. You can, even as I write, see how things are getting into place. Israel is not in the position she was in even a year ago and certainly not two years ago. I digress.
There are too many words about this to put into this answer, so I would refer you to the body of work that WBC has done called www.beastobama.com. Also, see www.jewskilledjesus.com for some much needed clarity. If you know or do not know, these events are already playing out, and you cannot stop ONE BIT OF IT! Praise ye the Lord!
When your group visited Richmond Virginia there was an 11-year-old boy in the group, do you believe that teaching hate based on religious preference, sexual orientation, or skin color is going to limit the child's future in the modern world?
Phelps-Roper: How funny is that?! You see, you don't need to worry about that little guy and his future. Because he resides with the People of God and he appears to be a little servant of God, he will be just fine.
He is a smart little child, his name is Noah. He is my #10 of 11 children. And he understands what he is doing in this life. Your unbelief is not, cannot and must not be binding upon our obedience to God! Get over the big lie of skin color in that question. Just forget the straw man called race! We are teaching that child what the Lord his God requires of HIM!
It would be easy to say that it appears that Westboro Baptist Church has declared themselves the judge of all things human and believe they are the divine voice of God. Would that be a fair statement?
Phelps-Roper: God is the Judge of all! HE HAS JUDGED! HE HAS ISSUED HIS JUDGMENT! He is at this very hour judging this nation! Look to the oil!
When God sent 9/11, this nation had an opportunity, like the Men of Nineveh to REPENT! But instead of repentance and a calling for of a day to fast and mourn for your sins, Bimbo Bush climbed on top of that pile of rubble and raised his fist to God and declared REVENGE! Bad move.
God is judging this nation and pursuant to HIS PRECIOUS PROMISES, clearly announced in his word, and articulated over and over, this very land that you have defiled is going to VOMIT YOU OUT!
Spewing time is on the way! See the adumbrations of that in the exploding power plants, coal mines and oil rigs, where God turned walking, talking, breathing rebels against him into human projectiles, vomiting them into the depths of hell! God alone has that power, and THAT is the God that is judging this nation! WOE unto you that forgot God! One more run to the words rebels:
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Well, there you have it, hopefully the answers to a few of the many questions that you might be asking the next time you see Westboro Baptist Church in the headlines.
