Group Plans To Picket Va. Tech Funerals

Anti-Gay Religious Group Known For Protesting At Services For U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's David Miller.

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The families of those killed in the Virginia Tech massacre may not be able to grieve in peace at the funerals of those they lost. An anti-gay religious group known for protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq is planning on appearing at services for those killed on Monday as well.

The Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), which is not affiliated with any national Baptist organization, announced plans to protest at victims’ funerals only hours after 32 people were killed in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. They also may protest at other events on the Virginia Tech campus.

The organization, founded and led by Fred Phelps, believes the United States has condemned itself to destruction by accepting homosexuality and other “sins of the flesh.” Phelps’ daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, said the Virginia Tech teachers and students who died on Monday brought their fate upon themselves by not being true Christians.

“The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants,” Phelps-Roper said. “You don’t need to look any further for evidence those people are in hell.”

Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech student responsible for the killings who took his own life after the shootings, was sent by God to punish those he killed, and America as a whole, for moral decline, said Phelps-Roper, while adding that she believes Cho is also in hell for violating God’s commandment to not kill.

“He is in hell,” Phelps-Roper said. “But he was also fulfilling the word of God.”

Because of its virulent anti-gay message and condemnation of Catholics, Jews and other groups, the WBC has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League.

Curtis Dahn, the president of Virginia Tech’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance, said he reacted with immediate disgust upon hearing of the WBC's plans. “Thirty-three people are dead and they’re using people’s deaths and people’s grief to further their own agenda and it’s just disgusting,” he said.

Dahn was friends with Ryan Clark, a resident assistant in Ambler Johnston Hall, who was among the first people killed on Monday. He said he is working with other university leaders and officials to form a response to the WBC. Ideally, he said, the funerals will be nothing more than a chance for family and friends to mourn in peace.

“Part of it is that I don’t want the families to be affected by this at all,” he said. “I don’t even want the funerals’ locations to be public knowledge. I don’t want a protest, I don’t want a counter-protest. I want people to be able to grieve and have what they want, not be made into public displays and mockeries.”

Dahn and others may have the law on their side. In 2006, in response to protests at the funerals of dead U.S. soldiers, Virginia enacted a law that added funerals and memorial services to the state’s disorderly conduct statute. Other states have adopted similar measures to allow police to keep WBC protesters out of earshot.

[eloso]

Fred Phelps, Shirley Phelps-Roper and their followers are the only people I see that are punching their own e-ticket ride to HELL. Fred's group is doing the work of Satan not Christ.

[grammawhamma]

This is just sick.

[lawandorder6]

You have got to be kidding.

[clip24]

These people are giving Christians a bad name. Unfortunately, people are looking at these groups and lump all Christians into this warped way of thinking! True Christians practice compassion and forgiveness, traits that this group does not seem to posses. Christ would be ashamed.

[tatm06]

The Phelps are not a religion they are a cult. The only person that has a right to judge is "God". I feel extremly sad for the victims friends and familys that have to witness this in their time of grief.

[diverinnl]

This is sick. Shirley Phelps-Roper views are an abomination of Christianity. I qoute "The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants"

Wasn't Jesus himself crucified on the cross after suffering from hours of torture from the Romans?

May the families of the victims find peace. True Christians show compassion, as Jesus commands us. Only God dermines who goes to hell.

[geewilli]

This group is sick. I hope if they show up the campus will have them removed. This was not Gods work being done.. it was satans. I pray for the victims and their families for their loss. i cant even imagine what they may be going through.

[wogerwabbit]

Perfect! I live less than 30 miles from VT... we'll give these wackos a real taste of some Southern hospitality.

[simpsonman19]

Why does this not surprise me, these people are a waste of human life and they are the scum of the earth.

[terrapin78]

I WOULD BE GOING TO HELL EXCEPT I DON"T BELIEVE IN IT.

So what am I to do? Live life and enjoy my time here.

DO NOT PRAY FOR ME, I DON"T APPRECIATE THAT AT ALL. If you do so, I hope to see you in hell!

[susieq_13]

They say Cho did God's work? Who in the h*e*l*l do they think they are? Disgusting is what they are!

[frb01]

If they protest, there needs to be a charge to have them arrested, jaywalking, trespassing, something to get them off the street. We can all believe in God but so far only one person has risen from the dead, and if he was walking this earth right now, he would have something appropriate to say about this foolishness. Jesus Christ was the one who would forgive all sins and had compassion for those who couldn't figure things out.

[osborn12]

OH GREAT! Not only do they give Christians a bad name, but Topekans too! We've had to endure these nuts for years picketing EVERYTHING: concerts, church services, businesses, even the King Tut exhibit!
But funerals are an all-time low. One of these days he's going to p*ss off the wrong person, and there probably won't be anybody sad enough to attend, much less disrupt, his funeral.

[dblbar]

I attended a funeral last summer of a Marine killed in Iraq that they were picketing......these people are so very evil.. I can't imagine doing this to grieving families. They were also going to picket the Amish girl's funerals until a DJ somewhere offered them an hour of airtime on his show......maybe they're trying for that again.....so sad anyone would do something like this, and hiding behind a "church".....such an outrage...

[jcallahan50]

It's deplorable to think that anyone posing as a Christian would do anything like this. It made me sick to my stomach when I read about what this cult, yes cult, is doing. REAL CHRISTIANS will be praying for the families and friends who lost loved ones in these tragic circumstances, not picketing them. These students and teachers did not ask to be shot. My heart goes out to everybody involved.

[mainemade]

Stupid is as Stupid does.......

[homer1976]

And these people call themselves Christians! what ever happened to love thy neighbor,turn the other cheek,or even WE ARE ALL GODS CHILDREN.It is people like these that give the various religions a very bad name/reputation.
But then I will probably burn in hell for voicing my opinion.

[wasawolf86]

this is such B.S. I do believe that these people are giving Christians bad names. For crying out loud it's their funeral would you just leave them alone. Regardless what there beliefs were God wouldn't do this. Not though something like that. This is a big tragety and the families need to be left alone to mourn. People like that just make me so sick. I believe that they will burn in h*ll for what they have done.

[havemercy3]

So Phelps said about the killer, "he was fulfilling the Word of God?" Yet, he still went to hell. That's contradictive isn't it? For the people who haven't read the Bible or don't have a personal relationship with God, Phelps sets a poor example of Christianity. And, yes, I agree that he sends a negative message about Christians. Hope you that are not enlightened with the knowledge and wisdom of God, the Father, Son & Holy Spirit don't clump us together with the ideas of Phelp. Please, to those of you who pray, put in some good words for the family members of the bereaved. Let's rebuke Mr. Phelps and his elves.

[lil_d3vil]

I bet if they show up they'll get the *** beat outta them. Tho' not a Christian myself having studied the faith I'd say they are not following the tenants of the Christian faith but twisting them to follow along with what their biases are towards others. Yes they do fall under the definition of a cult.Too bad they forgot that only G-d himself is the only Judge of a mans heart. Lets hope more states would enact laws that would protect mourners from such cults as the one led by Felps.

{Psst, my screen name is from my bowling team lil Devil's}

[teeus]

"...this group can't be all that bad. LOL "
Posted by Agnim at 05:15 PM : Apr 18, 2007

Angim, Angim. Go away.

[teeus]

"...God does not do that to his servants..."

The logic here is confusing me. So, Rev Phelps (and I use the term loosley) and his daughter know for a fact that there were no born again Christians among the victims? Because if there were, they wouldn't have been killed?

So, if someone were to mow down THESE cretins as they protest these funerals...does that make THEM non-Christians?

I'm just asking.

[samthetvcat]

God Is Love

In times like these I choose to place my faith in the hands of the Lord because He in his infinite wisdom has a plan for us. To me the people at Virginia Tech - young and old; women and men; Christian, Jew and Muslim; white, black, brown and yellow are perhaps angels sent to remind us that we are all one and that what we need more of is love and not hate.

It's incomprehensible to me that one could read the bible and feel moved to inject intolerance into a time of pain in the name of our Lord and Savior . . . WWJD at a funeral?

[audg3]

"Are they still kissing thier cousins in Kansas?" I like to believe that My God does not forgive ignorance!

You can be for or against the War in Iraq .. to be against our soldiers is truly the act of terrorism.

My prayers are with the families and friends of the 32 victims as well as the family of the shooter.

"But O' for the touch of a vanished hand, and the sound of a voice that is still." tennyson

[randalds]

Is it any wonder why some of us are atheists?

I hope the same Vet group that shows up to keep these morons away from other vet funerals shows up at the VT funerals and teaches these as*sholes some REAL fear!

[sweetgal_deb]

The spokeswoman for this group is crazy! She must forget the sweet young gal at Columbine who was asked if she loved the Lord, she replied she loved Him & was immediately shoot in the head.

This group is not a real Christian group, they are a bunch of haters pure & simple. I am a Christian & am taught not to judge but am also taught that a apple tree doesn't produce oranges!

The Lord asks us to show others our faith through our actions. We are not to scream, carrying horrible signs & picket funerals. My God is not the author of mass confusion. He is a loving Lord.

I am praying for the families of victims & ask that they be given the strength to get through all this. Its a very sad pitiful event & not a time for the crazys to be allowed to come out & use it as their platform.

[pakaal]

If Phelps is so frickin' sure America is damned to Hell what's he still doing here? Can we send him and his family over to proselytize in Iraq, or Afghanistan or something?

Those people are about as far from God as you can get. I think Christians should pray really hard for these folks, their trip downwards is a given at this point.

[elnorasam6]

The problem with "mowing down" these WBC people is that they bring their very young children(I mean really young)to the pickets.
Most people are good and honorable and would never hurt children to get at the adults.
I think the best we can do is to stand with the families that lost loved ones and pray for the hearts of the members of the WBC members to be softened.
How sad for us all.
My heart is with the families.
My hope is there is enough support to protect the families from further hurt at the hands of those who can not see beyound their own need to proclaim their faith in such a hateful and un-Christlike manor.
I am a Christian, at least I hope that Christ will count me as one of His.
The WBC is so far from the core beleifs of what is in my opinion a true Christian......well there just isn't enough room to say it all and not enough words to express it.
Blessings to all.

[steph_09-2009]

How can you even think any of that? Who are these people to say that the men and women killed weren't "true christians"? Who are they to say that the killer was killing because he was "fulfilling the word of God"? They don't know these things. Did they know the people who were killed beforehand to know that they weren't true christians? Did they talk to God to know if this guy was shooting people because He said so? No. They did not.

This group of people make me SO angry. I'm fuming at them! I can't believe that they have the gall to even say they're going to do this! It's one thing to protest but to protest at funerals? It disgusts me! I thought they had over stepped the bounds when they were protesting at soldier's funerals! But this is just too much!

I just can't believe these people. How can they believe this *** that their "reverend" is telling them?

[me4prezz]

It is this group of anti-humans that are the anti-Christians and it is individuals such as these that give Christians such a bad name. It only takes a few to desecrate an entire population. Christians do not spout rhetoric such as these, especially in an event such as this. This group is the anti-Christian group and please do not think otherwise. "True Christians" are the ones praying and crying along with the victims, families and praying for the healing to begin and forgiveness and understanding to come. True Christians do not go to funerals and memorial services and pick a fight as this group is doing.

[me4prezz]

Is it any wonder why some of us are atheists?

I hope the same Vet group that shows up to keep these morons away from other vet funerals shows up at the VT funerals and teaches these as*sholes some REAL fear!
Posted by RandalDS at 06:25 PM : Apr 18, 2007

Yes, it is a wonder. This group does not represent Christianty no matter how much they voice otherwise. However, I agree that something needs to stop them. Protesting your own beliefs is fine, so long as you do it in a respectful manner and at a time conducive to such a thing. Funerals, especially after a massacre, is not the time, place, and the rhetoric these people are spouting are not the kind of talk conducive to peaceful debate. They are entitled to their opinion, but not at the cost of human dignity and respect.

Did you know that the really sad part is that the leader of this group used to be a lawyer who fought tooth and nail for Civil Rights? Something happened to him, I will have to look up what it was exactly...but ever since then, he kind of "snapped" and has been like this ever since. That is really sad.

[mikealford3]

SPEAKING OF NUTS, THESE PEOPLE ARE COCO NUTS. I cannot, well I guess I can believe there are some idiots left in this world. Yet another reason not to publish the names of the victims.

It would be nice if somehow these people could be arrested as terrorists through the Patriot Act. Send them to GITMO, they wouldn't be in Kansas anymore, TOTO.

[yankeedude53]

These people are lower than scum. They are a disgrace to mankind and the Baptist Church. I have more respect for the toilet than I have for any of those oxygen-wasters, they can all go to Hell if the actually do this.

[tucson23]

Just a hypothetical, of course, but I wonder if the police would look the other way if a mob appeared and beat these idiots senseless?

[me4prezz]

Just a hypothetical, of course, but I wonder if the police would look the other way if a mob appeared and beat these idiots senseless?
Posted by tucson23 at 07:43 PM : Apr 18, 2007

I agree with the person who mentioned the Patriot Act. All you have to say is that you believed they were participating in terrorist acts or conspiring to commit terrorist acts (kind of like saying that you might have been thinking about possibily someday maybe....you get the idea), and then do whatever you like without any evidence, without court approval or warrants, without...any thing really.

Works for me.

[stevenga777]

Christ forgave those who crucified Him. I would urge all people to not only pray for the victims, but to also forgive and pray for the soul of this mentally ill young man who did this. For those of you who wish for him to go to hell I say..."Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
BTW...this group that is protesting is condemning themselves.

[toolmangler-2009]

he kind of "snapped" and has been like this ever since. That is really sad.
Posted by me4prezz at 07:24 PM : Apr 18, 2007



Sounds like the same thing that caused this tragedy, somebody snapped. One acttively killed and one may cause people to get killed. If they picket the wrong group....... sssshhhheeeeeessssswhhh

[joespr]

DEAR GOD, Please PROTECT me from your followers!

[condumism]

outerspaced posted:

DEAR GOD, Please PROTECT me from your followers!

FACT: 85% of all Catholic Parishes steel donations form their flock of fools.

[theusa1st]

I believe in free speech but these peoples actions aren't it. I do not condone violence but in this case if I lived in the area where they planned on protesting it certainly would NOT be a peaceful protest. Heads would roll and azzes would be kicked...I wouldn't bother taking any names.

[mainemade]

Organized religion is for feeble minded people.

[jfebiala]

Atheism is for self-serving, narrow-minded people.

[seriously5]

DEAR GOD, Please PROTECT me from your followers!

Those aren't followers of God, they are delusional folks who want to be able to feel good about themselves by pointing out other's "sins of the flesh" as they call them, people like that were in the bible, they were called pharisees, and they were the ones who killed Jesus. But wait, God would never let something bad happen to his pepople says this group... maybe they shoudl read the Bible and figure out how wrong they are about everything!

FACT: 85% of all Catholic Parishes steel donations form their flock of fools.

just curious...What do they do with such heavy metal donations? steel steal, not to make a rude accusation, i mean i went to a public school, so i know they don't tell people when somethings spelled wrong, it may hurt their feelings and cause them to have serious emotional issues the rest of their lives.

[taylpatr]

Freedom of religion is one of our fundamental rights.However,this group of people have taken the misuse of the name of God to a level that is not only blasphemous, but they are judging people that they have no possible way of knowing."Judge not, lest ye be judged."How dare you desecrate the memorials for these innocent people.Some would say that God has a special place for people like this, but it's the devil that has a place for creatures of this ilk.Any real Christian who is able to should make a show of support for these families by overwhelming(non-violently,of course)the Westboro church demonstrations.If I could be there I would, but I would hope those who can will help shield the families and victims of this tragic product of our lack of compassion for one and other.

[dirtyharry02]

For Christ Sake, they are just as crazy as that peice of *** who shot those students at VT. I would love for a biker gang to beat the living *** out of those protesters, they are truly lower than whale ***!! I actually don't have the words for people like this.

[bm6005]

These people will burn in HELL!!!

[elnorasam6]

As horrible as these people are I truly hope no one "offs" them. They bring their young children with them to these protest and have their young children hold up those hateful signs.
They are no better then other groups that use children as human shields....
Now that is my opinion...who knows, they may have other reasons why they put some of their youngest in harms way but I hope and pray that others do not lower themselfs lower then these people and start doing something where more inocent lives are taken.
These people have no concept of what being a Christian really is. It is doing and behaving as Christ did, following His example.
Christ didnt use the kind of hate filled speach these people do.
Maybe if a bunch of people show up they could all sing them the Barney song...maybe just driving them nuts would chase them away!

[ne_patriot7]

Phelps is a cretin... I'm sure half his grandkids call him daddy.

[cbgb31]

No doubt this is a PRO GAY group. Pathetic.

[mikealford3]

cbgb,

Understand something, not supporting this hate group protesting at a funeral does not make anyone "Pro Gay", it means they have sympathy and compassion. I am certainly not pro gay, yet I believe a family should be able to pay respects to their murdered loved one in peace and without some nut case protesting.