Intellectual Defenestration

Giving wackos a bad name

(In case you can't tell, the woman in the picture on the sign is Laura Bush)

"Rev." Fred Phelps, owner or such illustrious and erudite sites as www.godhatesfags.com and www.godhatesamerica.com, has been in the news again, generating a mild furor in the blogosphere (original link via Instapundit. Also check out a Blogdigger search).

I didn't really know much about this guy, so I looked him up via google, found the above godhateswhatever sites, plus an overview from his hometown newspaper, and an in-depth expose alleging a history of child abuse, spousal abuse, fraud, drug usage, and generally psychotic behavior.

Before I started reading, I had a little bit of skepticism, wondering if this was simply being blown out of proportion. Besides, this is the Internet, after all, where one can easily find in-depth discussions on UFO's or how some pharmaceutical company is secretly sacrificing baby goats to Satan's mistress. I even wondered for a while if godhatesfags.com was a parody.

But, alas, it seems as if this is all true. There is really some guy in Topeka, Kansas who believes it is his life's work to tell the world just how much God hates homosexuals.

Looking at all this left me with two slightly conflicting desires. On the one hand, even if the expose is completely and totally false, Phelp's own writings leave me with a desire for a new ecemunical council to quickly and decisively anathematize him - if for no other reason than to make clear that his actions are outside the practice or doctrine of Christianity, whether liberal or conservative. Phelps no more represents Christianity than he does the Democrat party under which he ran for office multiple times. He, by virtue of his overbearing authoritarianism, twisting of Scripture, and generally wicked manner has created a cult, not another sect of Christianity (hint: you know you're in a cult when the number of people with the true truth is only in the double-digits).

On the other hand, I have a strong suspicion that this is a created and well-fed publicity monster. Phelps looks like the stereotypical older sibling, torturing the younger siblings by doing things that are technically legal, but still pushing the boundaries just enough until the younger siblings snap and lash back. I'm reminded of the standard lecture I got growing up when I was being irritated by someone (or that my siblings got when I was irritating them): "ignore them and they'll quit and leave you alone". Maybe if people would simply ignore him, not give him a news camera every time he pickets something, not invite him on TV and radio, and not stage counter-protests against him (not blog about him?), he'd shut up and go away. Instead the clear-cut message is: say something looney enough and we'll give you your 15 minutes.

October 30, 2003 08:09 PM