Crazy Kansas "Christians" plan to picket Tennessee High School

gaiagirl

</form>

Thursday October 30, 2008 7:00 AM

Home · Contact Us · Classifieds · MyVLT2 · VolTV2Go · Volzeye · Desktop Alert

East TN churches react to news of Scott Co. protest plans

Save

Email

Print

Posted: 10:08 PM Oct 29, 2008 Last Updated: 4:28 AM Oct 30, 2008 Reporter: Heather Haley
Email Address: [email protected]

5 comments

East TN Churches React to News of Scott Co. Protest Plans

A | A | A

KNOXVILLE, Tenn (WVLT) -- As a community continues to mourn the loss of 5 people plus an unborn child, an out-of-state group plans to picket.

A Kansas church, known for protesting funerals of U.S. soldiers says it's heading to Scott County to send a message.

Wednesday, the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas announced their plans to picket in Huntsville in the near future, but some local churches say they are bringing the wrong message with them.

Pastor Bill Shiell works at the First Baptist Church in downtown Knoxville.

From the message to the name, he does not agree with the group planning to protest in Scott County. Bill says "Just because someone says they're a Baptist Church does not make them a Baptist or a Church."

The group from Kansas announced their intentions to picket in Tennessee, with a release that states "God hates Tennessee" across the top.

"In Tennessee you call yourselves God fearing but you don't bother to take the bible off the shelf and read the words," says Westboro member Shirley Phelps-Roper.

We spoke with Shirley over the phone, who says they will picket at Scott County High School, to speak directly to the youth. She says, "We'll get them all, because when we get the children, don't you worry we'll get the parents and we'll get everyone else in that community."

Pastor Chris Buice at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville says "Nobody knows exactly what those families are going through. It's just a lot of pain and to have this type of publicity stunt on top, is just unnecessary cruelty."

Chris is proud their motto is completely opposite of those with Westboro group. He says "we welcome all people here, red, yellow, black, white, gay straight, we welcome everybody. We love everybody to the best of our human ability."

When we told church member Gordon Gibson about the group's plan to picket in Huntsville, shock was all the retired minister could express. "I wish they'd go home and study what their faith should be, we don't need them here," says Gordon.

Bill Shiell says "I can think of no more obscene or heinous act, short of a crime itself, than to go and impose your own views of the world on somebody else's moment of grief."

The Westboro representative we spoke with says this picket is quote their "service to the Lord."

They said they will be in Scott County late next week. They initially had planned to protest the funerals this week, but, again, now they plan to picket at the High School.

Blount county man facing eviction commits suicide

Economics 101 - a lesson from Knox Co. students

Trio arrested after alleged armed robbery in North Knoxville

Controversial church plans to picket in Scott Co. after deadly crash

Post Your Comments

Email will not be displayed on site. For station contact purpose only.

First Name:
Location:
Enter Comments:	characters left

Email (optional):

</form>

Read Comments

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Tammy Location: Scott co. on Oct 30, 2008 at 01:41 AM
These people must have a different version of the Bible than I have. How can they claim to be a Baptist Church, it sounds like a cult of crazies to me. Every-one here we are saddened by this tragedy, and are surrounding these families with love and prayers, this is what God is pleased with, not hatred. These protestors are not welcome to this County, but if they choose to come, they will have a fight on their hands, we love each other, and take care of each other in difficult times.The God I serve is a loving God, not one full of hate. I will pray for the protestors in hopes they will find peace and love in their hearts.

Posted by: FOR YOUR INFO Location: ONEIDA on Oct 30, 2008 at 01:40 AM
Straight from their website schedule of pickets thay have HUNTSVILLE TN listed to picket on 11-07-08 from 245p-330p.I feel sorry for them if they show up!!Lets keep a watch on this and if they decide to show up, lets have all the "VOLUNTEERS" we have here show up in force and send them back to Kansas with their tails tucked.

Posted by: BAABA Location: KNOXVILLE on Oct 30, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Not the best place or timing to do a protest. No one has ever accused this church of being a brain trust.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Scott County, TN on Oct 29, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Let 'em come. They have no idea who they are dealing with when they come to Scott County. This town has got some rough people in it and we are all sticking together during this tragedy. There may still yet be more deaths out of this thing.

Posted by: Johnny Location: Maryville on Oct 29, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Do these nuts in Kansas realize if they go to Scott County to protest the deaths of these girls they will be able to ask God personally what he thinks about it.

	Desktop Alert			VolTV2Go.com
	Add Us			E-Alerts
	Text Message			Contact Us
	Twitter

VolunteerTV.com Most Discussed

Remembering those killed in Scott County crash 143 Comments

Controversial church plans to picket in Scott Co. after deadly crash 92 Comments

UPDATE: Five, unborn child killed in Scott County crash 34 Comments

Funeral arrangements for Jeweline L. King 12 Comments

Will race be a factor in the presidential election? 8 Comments

Gun shops see jump in sales ahead of presidential election 8 Comments

Caedes

Much as I think that the westboro baptist church are a bunch of hate-filled crazy people isnt the last comment on the article quoted a death threat?

Do these nuts in Kansas realize if they go to Scott County to protest the deaths of these girls they will be able to ask God personally what he thinks about it.

XJW4EVR

Thank you for putting the term "Christians" in quotations when describing these idiots.

Aculama

There is a documentary on netflix about this group it is positively un-nerving. It's called "fall from grace". When you watch this you'll understand why God made a place like Hell. I certainly hope Fred Phelps changes his ways.

Witness 007

Righteous Christian love at work.....

Fadeout

I gave up using scare quotes in reference to professed Christians when I gave up the judgmentalism and superiority complex of the Witnesses.

Yes, the Westboro members are Christians, by virtue of their belief in Christ and by their following his teachings according to their specific interpretation of the Bible. Most Christians don't want to acknowledge that ugly side. They'd like to think that any term which encompasses their precious religion could not possibly also be used to refer to something evil and wrong. It can. Deal with it.

There are plenty of moderate Muslims who claim that suicide bombers and terrorists cannot be true Muslims. Yet how often do we see see any non-Muslim refer to these as "so-called Muslims"?

Humans are naturally provincial and hypocritical.

stillajwexelder

the dark ages are back i fear