Christian Superhero Fred Phelps is no longer with us

I wouldn't necesaarily consider Fred Phelps a Christian by his actions and words. Just saying. Nearly all Baptists, Christianity, religion and society in general rejects him and his ilk.And please don't bring up the "not a true Scottman" argument.Mr. Phelps and his congregation reject the heart of the Gospel and Jesus & Pauls teachings. There very behavior is the antithesis of what Jesus preached.

Good one

Believe what you want. I can say what I please thank you very much, but thanks for your vote of no-confidence. I don't believe he was a Christian based on his behavior, just as much as I don't believe Jim Jones wasn't based on his behavior. If you want to believe he was, more power to you. However, God is the judge and I don't know the man's heart. I am just observing from the outside. Never did, but now that you mention it Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

Really Taz? Why are you trying to egg this on? Umm, your logic is inane. Where do you get this from? Because a few bad apples you are going to categorically state that all Christians hate gay people? Really?!?I am a Christian and I have attended just about every denomination out there (United Methodist, Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Christian Church, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God, Episcopalian and even Roman Catholic). The general consensus is that most Christians (and non-Christians) do not hate gay people. There are exceptions of course and even whole denominations that vehemently disagree with gay marriage and other issues related to this. However, the vast majority of Christians I have been around do not hate gays. Your argument carries little water. You are using the Godwin Law to try to emotionally bate me. This won't work. I believe the fallacy you are using is hast generalization or biased sample. Either way you are making a generalization of people based on a small number of people. It is wrong and illogical.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

Besides, their are many gays in Christian denominations. So I guess you are saying that some gays hate themselves.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

There are self-hating people of all types, gay or strait. However, most people who openly say they are gay, are probably not the self-hating type. Some may be. What is your point. Pin it all on Christainity as a whole? I don't get it.You generalize away, yet when some 'Christians' do this, you attack them with verocity. Hypocritical much? Sounds like you have an axe to grind here. Not all Christians are the Jew-hating, gay-hating, racist bigots you seem to attribute them to be. In fact the opposite is true. Don't judge an entire religion by the few extremists. I don't attribute all non-believers as heathen, satanists.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

Yes, because some people don't agree with gay marriage, they automatically hate all gay people. Your argument is illogical and factless. The Methodist Church has many gay members. Some denominations have gay pastors. Yes those people in those denominations really hate their gay pastors. So know you are equating all of Christianity with the KKK. Classy, really classy. Next you are going to say Jesus was a gay-hating bigot. There are extremists in every religion, philosophy and world-view. Or should we use Stalin to assess atheism and non-belief. Your sword cuts two ways. Because looking at voting results, you can see into people's hearts and minds. And I say you are dead wrong. My wife and I don't hate gay people and we are Christians. You accuse Christians of hypocrisy bigotry, unsubstantiated and all sorts of slander. Yet you are doing the same thing you supposedly speak out against. You are a contradiction in terms.I understand you hate Christianity for whatever reason. Fine. I get it. However, making unsubstantiated accusations and sweeping generalizations on every single Christian on the planet, is pure hypocrisy and its own form of bigotry (intolerance).Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

There are many, many Christians and Christian denominations who have spoken out against Fred Phelps. Most denominations have denounced him. I am sure some of the funerals Phelp's and his church protested at, were military members and families who were Christians. Christians on this board have denounced Phelps includng Faith and others. I have never met a Christian (or a non-Christian) who has said, "The Westboro Church is doing such a great service to God and country protesting those nast gays and the funerals of those military heathens". Really, honestly, have you heard this from most Christians? No, only from the fringe extremists. I do not despise, distrust and hate those who adhere to no deity. I was at one time agnostic. My parents as well as my sister are atheists. Again, you are using a broad brush to generalize all Christians. You are doing the very thing you denouncing. Overgeneralization.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

Christians believe all humans uncategorically have sinned, gay or not. That is the basic premise of Christiananity. So now you are calling me a bigot and all Christians bigots. I am not going to entertain your obvious hatred and own bigotry to Christians. I love how some people on here employ the same behavior they speak out against. Then all of humanity is one big ball of hate. Because I feel the hate you have for me and my religion. You are espousing the same thing. I am not opposed to equal rights for gays. I am pro-equal human rights. Many other Christians feel the same way including Epscopalians, Methodists and others.

Jerry Falwell has been dead for quite some time. Again, not all of Christainity agrees with Fallwell, Swaggart, Bakker and the like. I don't really think that is true. Your painting with a big brush again. Most Christians I associate with and talk to have disdain for Fred Phelps and the Westboro church. Have you seen anyone on here praising Phelps? Can you provide me evidence which supports this idea? You are still overgeneralizing and oversimplifying this whole thing. It would be like me saying that all atheists and non-believers are evil, satanic baby-killers.

Yes, the United Methodist church has a position on gay marriage. They accept gays into their congregation just as with any other person. However, they do not accept gays into the ordained ministry. There is a kind of a rift in the opinions of many Methodist. Many Methodists support gay marriage (a Methodist minister in the US was defrocked because he officiated over the marriage of his gay son) i.e. the Reconciling Ministries Network and many others that do not.Here is an excerpt on the UM's position on the matter: Yes, that is how the UM sees it. I am not supporting it, that is just the view of the upper level leadership of the UM. Because according to some, marriage is a conventent to God with another person. And some believe the Bible spefically speaks against homosexuality and that it is an act that God disdains.My own opinion, is that this matter is between those two people and God. We all are sinful, fallen creatures and it is up to him to judge, not me. JMHO.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

Global religion statistics states there are a little over 2 billion Christian adherants in the world. You have one big paint brush.
Using one televangelist to judge an entire religion. Should I use Stalin or Mao to judge all agnostics or atheists?

No you missed my point. The logic fallacy sword you are using against Christianity is the same one you would have to use for atheism or non-believers. I don't agree with using this logical fallacy at all. That is my point. Yes, some Christians do this, and I and many other Christians disagree with them. I don't know if they or not. That is between them and God. I do deal with the problem. I and many other Christians have spoken out against them. One of the major Christian periodicals "Christianity Today" speaks out against Fre Phelps (Hate and How to Overcome It Ed Stetzer on ChurchLeaders.com). Many other Christian organizations speak out against Phelps.I am tired of this double standard and hypocrisy of a few of you on here (Christians and non-Christians). I don't generalize all non-believers or atheists and say they are all evil.You are angry because some Christians or supposed Christians commit wrongdoing and things that are morally objectionable. I agree with this moral outrage. A lot of other Christians disagree with this behavior and feel moral outrage at Phelps.Yet, you group all Christians together like me as in the wrong because of the actions of a segment of other Christians. Should I lump all atheists as being evil because of Stalin’s actions? Stalin, Mao and other atheists have had their share of atrocities, but I don't link you and other non-believers with them. I don't even link atheism with their behavior because religious and non-religious people have had their share of atrocities. Hypocrisy and double-standards go both ways. I was showing you that I don't believe in statements such as "It would be like me saying that all atheists and non-believers are evil, satanic baby-killers." I don't agree with this. You are taking my words and twisting them. I am showing you your hypocrisy by grouping all Christians or even all religious people as agreeing or associating themselves with people like Fred Phelps and others. I am telling you, you are dead wrong. There are many of us Christians out there that disagree and despise this behavior. You chose to ignore this and build up your strawman arguments and facades of what you think all Christians behave and do. Than if anyone states that all atheists are evil, you state you can't group all non-believers with Stalin, Mao and other notorious people who espouse atheism. It is a double edge logic fallacy sword and you are stabbing yourself with it. YOU Hooah, are being as illogical as Fred Phelps and others who denounce non-believers as "evil". I am not calling you an "evil, satanic baby-killers". I don't believe that. I am pointing out your logic fallacy of ascribing all Christians with the actions of a subgroup of Christians.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.

I never said Faith was not a true Christian. I did criticize some of her behavior in another thread. That is not the same as saying she is not a Christian.I did say I wouldn't consider Phelps a Christian based on his words and behavior but also qualified it by saying that his ultimate fate was between him and God. I don't know categorically what the state of their heart is. My point was that he and his group were conducting behavior that is not inline with Christian attributes described in the Bible. That was my whole point. Yep, he is part of your group too. He is a human being. If he is a Christian by everyone's standards, that is fine. Problem is there are a lot of things Phelps did that undermines his stance as a Christian. Not by my standards but by standards as laid out in the book of rules as you state. I have no issue with this statement. Maybe I just didn't say it exactly you did. Honestly, I am in a rush alot with my posts and probably come off saying things imprecisely. The only problem with the "we as a group" is that there is no overarching Christian group that could make this statement. Very few of the denominations discuss things together as a collaborative group. That is the problem most of the time. Most Christians though that I have met disagree with Fred Phelps and his church. Many have tried to fight him legally and through other means.For some reason it seems you may some sort of beef with me for whatever reason I am not sure.Edited by DevilsAdvocate, : No reason given.