Westboro Baptist Church: Are They Christians?

by whereami 34 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  PSacramento

  It's funny that the video shows Romans 1:32 because:

  29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

  and then Paul says:

  2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

  It's funny that Paul is show that those that:

  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless..

  Now, who does THAT sound like?

  LOL !
• 

  donuthole

  Westboro Baptist Church is what on the Internet would be referred to as professional trolls. Their antics and beliefs do not come from their faith as they would have people believe but rather are specifically designed to provoke and cause a negative reaction. This "church" is predominantly a family of a lawyers. The leader of the group Fred Phelps was actually a civil rights lawyer before he became infamous as head of Westboro Baptist Church. Phelps has found a way to cash in and he uses the religious angle to do so. The goal is to get people to attack the group, so that he can sue. The goal is to get local municipalities to not allow them to protest, so that he can sue. That is why they choose slogans that are so inflammatory and they are continually upping the ante. (i.e. "God Bless IED's") Does the group really believe that "God Hats Fags?"; it is beside the point, what they really believe is that by preaching that they will make people angry. That is also why they have shifted over from gay hatred to American hatred and even beyond. That is why they were going to targeting military funerals to even a high media profile funeral of a child. The whole "Christianity" slant is a "snare and a racket", a ruse to cash in on lawsuits for people that violate their cival rights.
• 

  whereami

  Ok guys listen I agree with all tha's been said regarding this specific "hate group", and I agree, these people are vile.

  But again, being that these people consider themselves christians, is what they're saying technically wrong?

  Are they not just repeating what the bible says on these subject? Are you saying the bible doesn't say that man sleeping with man women with women will not inharent the kingdom of heaven?

  Again I agree that the "way" these people get the message out is wrong. But are they incorrect in saying what they say, not how they say it?
• 

  loosie

  Well here in KS I heard that they became a church for the benefits of being tax free. They are really just a bunch of crackpot lawyers with giants sticks up their ass.
• 

  tec

  Again I agree that the "way" these people get the message out is wrong. But are they incorrect in saying what they say, not how they say it?

  Did you read the quotes Psac posted above?

  Yes, they are wrong for what they say - no one has the ability to decide (to judge or condemn)who will inherit the kingdom of heaven or not. God will show mercy on whomever He wishes to show mercy, and we all far short and depend upon that mercy. We should show love to our enemies as much as our friends, and we should show mercy and love above all else (I desire mercy, not sacrifice - Hosea 6:6, which Christ repeated in the gospels). If they are overriding those things (those most important matters of the law), then they are wrong in what they are saying.

  Tammy
• 

  PSacramento

  Tammy is quite correct.

  Yes Paul is very critical of the gentiles to whom he was preaching the Gospel that were homo sexual and bisexual and rightly so, as a Jew those things were prohibited and according to levitcus and deutronmy they are to be punished by death ( though the OT doesn't mention lesbians Paul does address that issue).

  Of course Paul doesn't say that they should be killed, simply thathe doesn't agree with their lifestyle and that if they continue, in his opinion, that issue may cause them to no be accepted into the kingdom of God.

  Is Paul right?

  As a Jew, yes, but the final say is still Gods.

  As a Christian ( new covenant and all that), Jesus is silent on the matter and reminds us the Love is the measure of to which we all will be judged.

  Perhaps Jesus has issues with people that indulge in homosexuality when THEY know it to be wrong, as opposed to those that are born that way.

  Truth is I don't know, Paul didn't know and everyone else doesn't know how God and Christ will judge homosexuals and to say that God will do this or that is speaking for God and THAT is something that NO ONE can do, other than Christ.
• 

  james_woods

  This "church" is predominantly a family of a lawyers. The leader of the group Fred Phelps was actually a civil rights lawyer before he became infamous as head of Westboro Baptist Church.

  In that case, he must have been a pretty piss-poor civil rights lawyer.

  Not much of a preacher, either.
• 

  sabastious

  Yes, they are wrong for what they say - no one has the ability to decide (to judge or condemn)who will inherit the kingdom of heaven or not.

  Isn't that what you are saying? You say they are not Christian and they are not following Jesus' commandments. In effect that is saying they are not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven, right?

  -Sab
• 

  PSacramento

  Isn't that what you are saying? You say they are not Christian and they are not following Jesus' commandments. In effect that is saying they are not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven, right?

  Pointing out that someone is going aginst the teachings that they say define them is NOT judging but pointing out hypocracy.

  Besides that, no one is saying that won't inherit the kingdom of God, as Tammy pointing out, it's God's choice not ours.
• 

  tec

  Isn't that what you are saying? You say they are not Christian and they are not following Jesus' commandments. In effect that is saying they are not going to inherit the kingdom of heaven, right?

  No, I'm not saying that. I can't. To me, it might not look like they'll inherit anything... but then, who am I? I've hurt people too. I don't even think about who is going to inherit or not; not even when it comes to me. That is for Christ and God to say.

  I can say whether or not I think they are following Christ though, by what comes out of them. By what they say and do. I just can't say what God will do with them for it, because He may show mercy to anyone, and it is to all our benefit if He is merciful. So I have to hope for that for us all.

  Tammy