In a move which should infuriate each of us, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday ordered the father of a fallen U.S. Marine to pay more than $16,000 in costs requested by the Westboro Baptist Church for copies of motions, briefs and appendices. Oh, but wait. The costs are a result of his suit against the church because the church picketed his son’s burial with signs that read “God Hates You!”, “You’re Going to Hell!” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers!”
Members of the fundamentalist church based in Topeka, Kansas, appeared outside Snyder's funeral in 2006 in Westminster, Maryland, according to a CNN Justice report published yesterday (http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/30/westboro.baptist.snyder/index.html). Among the teachings of the church, which was founded in 1955 by Pastor Fred Phelps, is the belief that God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events such as soldiers' deaths.
This group, under the guise of doing God’s work, regularly pickets soldier’s funerals, theatrical events depicting homosexual characters in a sympathetic light and Gay Pride events. Indeed, this very same group intends to picket a production of "The Laramie Project” by Moises Kaufman to be performed right here in Jacksonville by Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
The cowards of this “church” hide behind the United States Constitution’s First Amendment to justify their right to picket at these funerals. They disgrace themselves by besmirching the very men and women who fought to give them the right of free speech. This group of ignorant, wayward proselytizers seem to have forgotten one of Jesus’ greatest commandments; "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35).
Of course, this group will cite passages in the Old Testament concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Or even a New Testament reference in II Peter 2: 6-9. And, some interpretations of these passages do read that God punished men for “knowing” and being “wicked” to one another. These translations indicate that the terms “knowing” and “wicked” indicate homosexual relations. However, other translations indicate that these passages did not indicate God’s judgment on homosexuals but, that His judgment was because of man’s inhumanity to each other.
No matter which interpretation you subscribe to, Jesus’ new commandment should have trumped these stories. And wouldn’t Westboro’s persecution of others fall into the category of “judge not lest ye be judged yourself?”
God alone has the power to judge a group of people. Not a group of misguided zealots from Kansas.
According to CNN, The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of the Marine’s father to address issues of laws designed to protect the "sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services" as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased.
The justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of "floating buffers" to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting.
The church feels that they will emerge victorious. And, according to the rule of law, they might. They feel that even though their protests are unpopular, they are protected.
You can show your outrage at this group by counter-picketing. Show up at their picket lines with signs of your own: “God Hates False Prophets,” “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Lest Ye Be Judged Thyself.” These sound like good ones to start with.
Albert Snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son's site, http://www.matthewsnyder.org. He hopes the American people will see what is right and help fight for the rights of grieving families of fallen soldiers.
"The American people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope,” says Snyder. “ I think most of the country is on my side on this issue," he said. "Too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does."
Members of the fundamentalist church based in Topeka, Kansas, appeared outside Snyder's funeral in 2006 in Westminster, Maryland, according to a CNN Justice report published yesterday (http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/30/westboro.baptist.snyder/index.html). Among the teachings of the church, which was founded in 1955 by Pastor Fred Phelps, is the belief that God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events such as soldiers' deaths.
This group, under the guise of doing God’s work, regularly pickets soldier’s funerals, theatrical events depicting homosexual characters in a sympathetic light and Gay Pride events. Indeed, this very same group intends to picket a production of "The Laramie Project” by Moises Kaufman to be performed right here in Jacksonville by Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
The cowards of this “church” hide behind the United States Constitution’s First Amendment to justify their right to picket at these funerals. They disgrace themselves by besmirching the very men and women who fought to give them the right of free speech. This group of ignorant, wayward proselytizers seem to have forgotten one of Jesus’ greatest commandments; "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35).
Of course, this group will cite passages in the Old Testament concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Or even a New Testament reference in II Peter 2: 6-9. And, some interpretations of these passages do read that God punished men for “knowing” and being “wicked” to one another. These translations indicate that the terms “knowing” and “wicked” indicate homosexual relations. However, other translations indicate that these passages did not indicate God’s judgment on homosexuals but, that His judgment was because of man’s inhumanity to each other.
No matter which interpretation you subscribe to, Jesus’ new commandment should have trumped these stories. And wouldn’t Westboro’s persecution of others fall into the category of “judge not lest ye be judged yourself?”
God alone has the power to judge a group of people. Not a group of misguided zealots from Kansas.
According to CNN, The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of the Marine’s father to address issues of laws designed to protect the "sanctity and dignity of memorial and funeral services" as well as the privacy of family and friends of the deceased.
The justices will be asked to address how far states and private entities such as cemeteries and churches can go to justify picket-free zones and the use of "floating buffers" to silence or restrict speech or movements of demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in a funeral setting.
The church feels that they will emerge victorious. And, according to the rule of law, they might. They feel that even though their protests are unpopular, they are protected.
You can show your outrage at this group by counter-picketing. Show up at their picket lines with signs of your own: “God Hates False Prophets,” “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Lest Ye Be Judged Thyself.” These sound like good ones to start with.
Albert Snyder claims he is unable to pay any legal costs in the case and is attempting to raise funds on his son's site, http://www.matthewsnyder.org. He hopes the American people will see what is right and help fight for the rights of grieving families of fallen soldiers.
"The American people keep my spirits lifted a lot and give me hope,” says Snyder. “ I think most of the country is on my side on this issue," he said. "Too many people have died to protect our rights and freedoms to have them degraded and spit upon like this church does."
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