Normally I hate lawsuits but occasionally there is a just one.
From The Baltimore Sun (Nov 2, 2007)
“A Baltimore federal jury awarded nearly $11 million Wednesday to the father of a Marine killed in Iraq, deciding that the family’s privacy had been invaded by a Kansas Church whose members waved anti-gay signs at the funeral.
It was the first-ever verdict against Westboro Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Christian group based in Topeka that has protested military funerals across the country with placards bearing shock-value messages such as “Thank God for dead soldiers.”
They contend that the deaths are punishment for Americas’ tolerance of homosexuality and of gays in the military.”
COMMENTARY: You know what I like about churches such as Westboro Baptist? Nothing! Oh, I mean no disrespect toward Baptists themselves. I was ordained as a Baptist minister. I was also licensed as a Baptist minister. I’m a fan of John the Baptist. He was a brave man. He was a wise man. The man had his head set squarely on his shoulders (at least until King Herod got a hold of him). But I believe he would be turning in his grave to hear the word “Baptist” used like this. I believe organizations like Westboro Baptist set our cause back about one thousand years.
I know the phrase, “fair and balanced” sounds like a cliché today. But I really do try to write a fair blog and I really do try to produce a fair radio show.
Yes, I’m a Christian apologist but I do not defend every stupid thing Christians do. Sometimes even when Christians mean well, even when they think they are doing poor God a great, big favor, they come across as the most idiotic, destructive jerks on the planet.
Look, I don’t condone homosexuality and I particularly have problems with the militant gay agenda. But these gay soldiers are serving in the military and serving honorably. That’s more than can be said about most of us.
In any event, Westboro Baptist is rejoicing at the death of all soldiers, even heterosexuals. They believe that ANY soldier’s death is God’s judgment for gays being allowed in the military.
And for the grieving families to have to listen to those sanctimonious morons who have all the spiritual anointing of a fingernail scratching a blackboard at their child’s funeral? At a funeral? It makes me sick. It makes me sick to my stomach.
I call upon Christians everywhere to join with me and speak out against this outrage. Today, a Christian apologist like me finds his job just a little more difficult.
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