You'll remember the small, misguided band from Topeka from their protesting at military funerals. Their twisted rationale there was that God was punishing America and the soldiers for fighting for gay rights.
Now, the group plans to protest with signs at Angelou's funeral because she supported same-sex marriage and gay rights. A private service will be held Saturday at Wake Forest University.
The Rev. Serenus Churn, pastor of the church where Angelou was a member for more than 30 years, has it right.
"It is unfortunate that they are some sick people filled with hatred and malice," Churn told the (Winston-Salem) Journal. "They are trying to desecrate the memory of someone who spoke for fair play and justice."
The Westboro folks can safely be ignored. Says Churn: "Nothing that they will do will diminish her stature."
Observer cartoonist Kevin Siers gave his take on Westboro Baptist three years ago:
They announce a lot of protests they never actually do.....for publicity.
ReplyDeleteThen, numerous papers across the country (not to mention magazines on the internet) mention the alleged plan protest. The result: lots of publicity at no cost.
So? I'm pretty sure the old adage about any publicity being better than no publicity doesn't really apply to these folks. Nobody is rushing to join their ranks. The more we hear about them, the more we despise them.
ReplyDeleteWell, most of us. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who quietly believe the same garbage they do, and justify it the same way - by waving their Bibles around and claiming moral superiority. You can read the comments from some of them on this web site every time there's an article on gay rights.
As a species, we clearly still have a lot of evolving to do.
That is sad they are planning on doing it.
ReplyDeleteBut like those many who support so many other protests, it is something that is taking hold in this country.
I hope they come to their senses, that means all folks who are going overboard on protesting.
Archiguy is just the other side of that Westboro coin, but he/she will not ever know it.
You know nothing about me Larry, which I consider a stroke of good fortune. But I assure you, I have no interest in the currency of hate that Westboro embodies, nor am I interested in sparring with you here.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you should speak for yourself alone, as it's a subject you surely have some familiarity with.
Archiguy couldn't be further from the truth. I am a Christian and I disagree with Westboro Baptist. They have no scriptures to back up what they are saying, nada, nothing.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand there are plenty of scriptures that speak against homosexuality.
I speak against it because the Bible has some serious things to say about it. That settles the homosexual question and I do not protest them. I warn them, hopefully some will seek the truth and the others, well, you can't save everybody.
No need to protest Maya Angelou at all. Really there is no need to protest funerals either.
Why can't they just go away?
ReplyDeleteLarry, what a joke of a comment... as usual. Overboard on protesting? How incredibly weak. Protesting a funeral is going overboard. Protesting a government bent on taking this state back 50 years in progress is our civic duty. By your reasoning, it sounds like you're on the same side of that Westboro coin.
ReplyDeleteRob, the bible says a lot of serious things about a lot of things that modern day Christians, you and I included, don't acknowledge. So to seize so firmly on the homosexuality issue is just cherry picking, and it's the type of hypocrisy that is slowly diminishing organized religion. Bottom line - do we really think God almighty, with powers of the universe, is going to care how we are intimate with one another and with whom we choose to be intimate, provided it does no harm? I think God has bigger fish to fry and we do him a disservice by focusing on such petty things written into the bible by homophobes during an almost superstitious time. It's about love and inclusion, not condemnation and exclusion.
ReplyDelete