good ol' Christians

[The Sherman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7072 404.stm

[Octavius]

Yes indeed, they have taken steps to ensure that such abhorrent actions are unwelcome and punished by fining these imbeciles, but I don�t think it was just Christians who bought the action against them. Credit where credit is due.

[WaldoMcFroog]

A tad disingenous there, Octavius! ;-)

[4GS]

I read about this vile bunch last year of 'christians'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_ Church

[daffy654]

I watched part of a documentary about this "family" some time this year I think.They showed them going to soldiers funerals with their signs and they were shouting things to the mourners. What a nasty bunch of weirdos.

[paulos66]

Saw on Lous Theroux I think, I saw a bit where some passing motorist threw his rubbish out of the car at them - I think it hit their children

[The Sherman]

its just amazing! they're christian! does anyone really, really want to go to heaven with them?

[Octavius]

Who says they will be going to heaven?

[The Sherman]

well, them? who else?

if they say they're going and they're following the bible then they'll go to heaven obviously?

[Octavius]

Do YOU think they will go to heaven?

[Cetti]

Who says they are Christian....just because they say they are..doesn't make it so?

I've read about these 'lovely people' before, and if anything they are anti Christian, so the question of heaven doesn't even arise.

[The Sherman]

Well i'm 99% sure there is no heaven and the fact that lots of other christians have spoken out against them doesnt make their claims any less valid.

also what is the universal definition of a christian and how does their beliefs contradict that?

[VillageVicar]

I feel this is an excellent representation of how people can use a faith as a tool of manipulation and terrorism. Imagine our society�s reaction if the word �Christian� were replaced with the word �Muslim.�

I remember when Louis Theroux presented his film about this family. I felt so badly for the children, especially the little boy. And as I recall, one of the older girls was intentionally evasive when Louis pressed her about boyfriends and relationships. I felt that was out of fear of her mother.

The saving grace in all of this is that the American judicial system made a clear and resounding statement that these people were neither Christian or products of a civil society. The minister of this cult has quickly said the case will be shot down on appeal, presumably because of his belief that his right to free speech grants them the right to terrorise and hurt others.

It�s sad that the case is civil rather than criminal as I�m not certain that child protection officers can act on behalf of the children resulting from the outcome of a civil action. Nevertheless, I do hope something is done on their behalves.

A truly sad story for all. And my heart goes out to all those grieving families who had to endure these acts of terrorism, as they desperately fought to cling to any fibre of memory when celebrating their children�s lives.

Fr Bill

[The Sherman]

ok so you have come out against them.... fair enough

but i bet if you asked them they'd feel they done the right thing, that they had done the true christian thing to do, so how can you disparage their faith when you make the exact same leaps (abliet in a different direction) about your own?

how can you possibly say their wrong!?

[Octavius]

This question could so easily have focussed on them claiming to be Baptist or that they are actually a secular hate group rather than Christians.

They are a despicable group intent on spreading hate in the vilest manner. They only represent themselves as individuals, Baptists and Calvanists have denounced their actions, they hate the Roman Catholic Church and Jews and Islam. They are a solitary entity that has no place in a society or within religion.

[4GS]

Hear hear, well said octavius

[VillageVicar]

I agree octavius! Their actions are abhorrent and have no place within any civilised society.

Fr B

[The Sherman]

its not the fact that they're christians that i'm attacking (they could be of any faith and i'd think they were just as crazy)
my point is that they can carry out whatever actions they desire (because its in the bible....somewhere at the back!) and then still come out and say they are of good faith. I just don't understand what the message of a holy book is when it is open to so much intrepretation!

eg like the pro-lifer who shot a doctor! he was convinced of his place in heaven!

[4GS]

They represent the Christian faith as much as the IRA represented all Irish people, that is, a very very small minority

[WaldoMcFroog]

I have to say that Sherman is right.

It's all very well to sit around going, 'oh, well, of course they're not proper Christians' (whatever that means, considering you all pick and choose the bits you want to believe in anyway) but the fact that their actions, which we all agree are absolutely vile and despicable, have arisen as a direct result of their religious beliefs.

The only thing Sherman's wrong about is that the worst of the anti-gay crud in the Bible is at the front, not the back of the book.

[Octavius]

Perhaps it was the "good ol christians" line that gave uis the impression you were lingin up the Christians for a duck shoot.

Even our basic laws which have been formed over hundreds and hundreds of years into several books and statutes are open to interpretation and misinterpretation. If they weren't we wouldn't need barristers.