Unbelievable!

Unbelievable! Members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas have shown up at about 100 funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in an effort to protest homosexuality in America. This church has conducted several high-profile demonstrations against homosexuality. In fact, it's church web site is www.godhatesfags.com. And it's latest tactic is to show up at the funerals of young men and women who have died for their country to raise placards and shout slogans proclaiming a God who hates.

I cannot imagine the pain of loosing a child or a spouse. And I certainly cannot imagine the pain of having my loved one's funeral used as a bully-pulpit by a group of radicals trying to get across a point… any radicals and any point. The first amendment concerns here are sticky, but Rep. Mike Rogers will soon introduce legislation to outlaw such an intrusion on the grief of these families. He is on record as saying,

American families burying their husbands or wives and sons or daughters who died while fighting for their nation are being subjected to horrible verbal and visual attacks by protesters… No grieving family should be faced with such disrespect or threats and intimidation.

Homosexuality is a sin. The gospel is the power of God that overcomes sin. But a bunch of hateful people waving hateful signs and shouting hateful slogans while intruding upon the grief of others is NOT the gospel. And this kind of behavior will NOT turn America back to God! If anything, it will have the opposite effect. Oh, this may make Fred Phelps and the confused folks at WBC think they are serving God. Just like people who blow up abortion clinics and murder people think they are serving God. Just like people who fly airplanes into buildings think they are serving God. Hey, if you want to do evil things, then go ahead. But don’t blame God for evil behavior. Trust me… that will annoy Him!