I got this link in an email today and it angered me to no end! You can click here to read the article from Fox News. The same idiots who were protesting at soldiers' funerals are now protesting at Heath Ledger's memorial services because he played a gay man in Brokeback Mountain. And of course, the reasoning behind doing so is because they're Christian! Duh, of course! You know...it's idiot fundamentalists like this who horribly misrepresent religions and completely turn people away from religions. Do they think they are going to attract people to Christianity by doing this? What about preaching tolerance? I don't discuss my religious beliefs on this blog, so I'm not going to go into all that, but this really aggravated me and angered me to no end. They said some of the most hateful things in the article....I was literally shocked by some of what I read. Just sickening. The name of the fundamentalist group alone is disgusting. Anyway...I needed to vent about this. People like that don't further the human race. First they protest at the funerals of soldiers who have died for their country and now this...
Edit to add: Carole McDonnell (author of Wind Follower who sent me the article) wrote an excellent post on her blog about this same news article.
23 comments:
Unfortunately in my long LONG life I have found way too many do NOT practice what they preach! Or choose to interpt as they want and not how it's meant.. Whatever the excuse, THERE IS NO EXCUSE!
That's disgusting. He had parents, a family. They must be going through hell. Does any of that matter to these people? No. Whatever it takes to get their 'message' out. Terrible.
It's shocking that something like that could happen, that the death of a person could be so disrespected. And it's also unfortunate that some people generalize and assume that ALL religious people are intolerant and mean-spirited just because of a few fundamentalist groups. It's the same reasoning that leads some people to assume that all Muslims are dangerous terrorists...it's just ignorance and unwillingness to accept different opinions, different cultures, different beliefs.
I really understand your anger.
Very true Chris. I am a Christian but people like this don't represent me or anyone else I know. This is just wrong.
Deslily, You're absolutely right...people choose to make their own interpretations of what they preach and make them convenient for whatever situation they're in...I guess everyone's guilty of that to an extent, but these people are sick! You're right...there's no excuse for what these people are doing! They're just warped in the head!
Other Chris, It really is disgusting...that's what I kept thinking of, his family and friends. It obviously doesn't matter to these people and what kind of message do they think they're spreading? I don't see anything positive at all in it or how anything positive could be read in it...I've actually seen an interview on TV with the woman who heads this organization and she's a sick woman...grrr
Nymeth, You're right...because of this action by this fundamentalist group, or any fundamentalist group, the only result is hatred of the entire religion...all it serves is to divide further which is the complete opposite mission of what many of these religions are supposed to be about. It's sad that religions, God, gods, what have you have come to separate and cause death and destruction rather than unite and cause peace.
Amy, I think that the majority of Christians around the world would agree with you. I don't think that there are many people at all who these people represent. I really hope that somehow they're either stopped from their protest or by some divine intervention they change their minds. Here's for hoping!
Things like this make me LIVID. Furiously livid. People who breed that sort of hate are disgusting inhuman animal. If they want to believe the nonsense they do,fine..whatever but for heaven's sake (no pun intended) ,leave the dead to rest and leave those who loved him to mourn his passing without further nonsense heaped on top.
Boudicca, Totally agreed on everything you said. I think it's just awful what these people are doing...it's inhuman...
I agree it's disgusting, despicable and depressing but anyone who really thinks this is what most Christians are like, I sincerely hope are completely, absolutely wrong.
This disgusts me as well. What's even worse is that Topeka, Kansas is located one hour west of Kansas City( Carl and I live in different suburb cities in the Kansas City area ). I personelly have seen this group picketing many times over the years in Topeka. They even have kids at there protests carrying their signs of hatered. Whatever your feeling right now just magnify that by tens when you actually see them in person. My wife and I have had to have our kids look away as we drive by these protests. Can you imagine trying to explain this behavior to your own kids. I've also seen them drive around in a van with those hateful slogans painted on the side. We have had them in the news a lot around here for protests at solider's funerals last year. It's just sickening. The main hatemonger is Fred Phelps and he has several of his own grown children who are lawyers so they are very well practiced in defending their so called " rights ". I'm embarressed for my state and the human race that these people are preaching this hate and that it effected you in any way. Please accept my apologies.
Carrie, You're right...This is absolutely NOT what Christianity is about and all people like this do is make the exact opposite argument for "their cause". Their cause however is not the cause of Christianity...I don't know what it is. These people are not Christians. Sickening.
Jeff, You have no need to apologize...they by no means represent you and they by no means represent any major sect of humanity as a whole...give me a break! lol...I feel so sorry that you've had to witness that disgusting behavior. These people are so rude and unconsiderate to throw those atrocities in the face of families going about their daily lives...and never mind the families that are grieving for their lost loved ones. I can't imagine that Jeff...I'm so sorry for your family and your kids...I really wish there was something that could be done and I'm sure countless people have tried.
Oh, don't even get me started on this one. I have no tolerance for INTOLERANCE. Especially from people that claim to be "Christian". My best friend is gay, and it really burns me when stuff like this happens.
And how disrespectful to his family?? Some people need to take a good hard look at themselves before trashing others.
Stephanie, Same here...no tolerance for intolerance...I could've made this post pages long, but decided not to rant for hours. It's just disgusting. Those people are just sick. How would they feel were the tables flipped? Of course they wouldn't even think of that...
Ugh. That's all, just ugh, because otherwise I'm going to end up ranting for ages.
I watched an awful documentary on this "church". I say awful but it was a good piece of work, i was just literally sick to my stomach the whole time. The worst bit is when the filmmakers talk to some of the little kids in the family, like under 6, who are spouting all the hateful things as well.
I know it sounds a bit over-the-top emotional but I pretty well cried about this. One of my good ebuddies is Mattilda over at nobodypasses.blogspot.com and he's suffered so much from judgemental folks. And another ebuddy is an orthodox Jewish friend. When I think about how wounded people are by so-called Christians, (who are in some kind of weird cult of hate) I honestly wonder about the human power to be deceived that cruelty gets people "saved." I have no doubt, no doubt, no doubt, whatsoever that when these folks die they'll see that it's not the gays or the jews who are in hell but they themselves. -C
I have to admit that I have no idea if heaven and hell exist. But if they do, I have NO doubt that it is these kinds of people, the kind who promote fear and hate, that will surely be the ones who end up in hell. If it wasn't so incredibly appalling, it would be almost funny...do they have any idea how ludicrous they sound?!!
And Carole, I don't think that sounds over-the-top at all...I'm sitting here with tears flowing.
The reality of people like this is that they would be, and are, idiots regardless of their religious views. It is just those views that somehow bind them together and give them an avenue to voice their idiocy throughout the nation. They certainly don't represent my Christianity nor that of 99% of those who call themselves 'Christians' or 'religious' the world over. Unfortunately they are so amazingly crass and stupid that they get alot of attention.
I alternate between being angry at them...well, honestly I am always angry at them...and feeling sorry for them. It must be incredibly awful to have that kind of cold-heartedness and lack of feeling for one's fellow man to be able to do something like that. Regardless of where their ultimate end lies, they are certainly creating their own living hell on earth because you cannot convince me that any one of those people, in their quiet moments, are anything near happy.
It is one of the sad side effects of the wonderful freedoms that we have in this country...that freedom gives me the right to say what I want to say and protects and supports their rights to be idiots as well.
Quix, That's exactly how I felt too. It was VERY hard to keep that post down to one paragraph. I almost didn't post at all, but I thought that maybe getting the word out about these people can get something done...but I'm sure that's futile. Everyone already knows about these people...it's just sick.
Melanie, It makes me sick to my stomach too...I haven't seen a documentary on them, but I've seen an interview with one of their "leaders" and it was sickening. thankfully, I didn't see any of the children...that's just the saddest thing.
Carole, That was the first thought that popped into my head...there was a line in there that "Heath Ledger was going to hell"...I was thinking "wait now, who's going where?" It's all just sickening. I don't know how people can associate such sickening, hateful thoughts and actions with religion. It disgusts me.
Debi, I'm right there with you. If there's a hell, there's a special place reserved for these people! You're right..it really is ludicrous what these people are doing. and if it wasn't such a sick thing that they were doing, it would be comical. I mean come on, holding signs that says "God hates fags" and then calling yourself a Christian...Ok, I could get a 20 page college paper out of that one alone.
Carl, They certainly would be idiots regardless of their religious views...though at the same time, you've made me think now. So much of this has to go back to how they were raised, what's happened to influence them, etc. And they're just going to continue that cycle, passing it on to their children and that's just the saddest thing. I just can't understand having so much hate towards a group of people and so much disrespect that you go so far as to do something like this. It really must be awful to be that unhappy. Their idea of happy must be awfully skewed...sad. I feel for their children. And you're right by the way that these people certainly do not represent what a true Christian is. That's what annoys me more than anything is that they're getting media coverage as "Christians" which I hate!
Stephanie, It certainly wouldn't surprise me with this bunch to find a bunch of dark sicko secrets. Wouldn't surprise me at all!
That's just evil, if you ask me. Christianity is supposed to be about tolerance. The whole point is that we all are messed up in some way and we're not supposed to do the judging. Geez. And, he was such a cool guy, too. So sad.
Bookfool, Yeah, these people are most certainly not Christians and in my opinion totally miss the point of Christianity! Heath Ledger really was a cool guy. It's ridiculous that people are disrespecting him and his family like this.
This group is out for two things from what I can tell - attention and money. They'll leave you alone if you pony up some cash. They were going to picket the funerals of those Amish girls killed when that crazy guy attack their school awhile back but someone gave them an hour on his radio show and they agreed to leave those people alone. They're horrid and will answer for that one day. Soon, hopefully.
What we need to do is not give them what they want. No media, no press, no attention. There's a group called the Patriot Riders who are mainly ex-military folk who would go to every military funeral in order to protect those payint their respects from these nut jobs. All they would do is line the area near the cemetery or church with their members and turn their back on the nut jobs. No confrontation, no exchanges of words, just a solid wall of bodies who honored the fallen with the utmost respect.
That's what needs to be done.
cjh
Oh that makes me so mad and so sad! It boggles my mind how people can be so hateful and skew the heart of the Christian religion. I don't understand how they think they will convert anyone with their tactics.
I hope there will be enough security to keep those idiots away so they don't disturb Heath Ledger's grieving family and friends. I had a friend in the military die a while back, and the Patriot Riders that CJ referred to came to the funeral. Even though there weren't any protesters (thank god), it was so powerful to see that there are people out there willing to work against the hate.
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