The Most Hated Family in America

One son has broken rank with the family and he has stated that Fred Phelps is abusive. However, all of Fred Phelps' children are grown and I know of no reports of abuse by them on their children. Too late to take the grown-up children who are now all lawyers. If religious beliefs that foster hatred against others are a reason to remove children, then there are other religions that qualify here - Islam for one. Do you think all Muslim parents should lose their children to the state? What if they send their children to Muslim schools where they are taught to hate non-muslims? Cults have pretty specific features and rules. They isolate members, offer security and unconditional love and there is usually a charismatic, charming and persuasive leader who is at the center. Unconditional love is the last thing anyone could expect from the WBC, so they would not fit the sociological meaning of "cult". Their religious practices don't line up with Christian practices as taught in the Bible, so most Christians would have serious objections to much of their church dogma. That makes them a sect, one which most mainstream Christians would reject. I agree that most Christians do disassociate with people like the Phelps. I don't see a corollary in the Muslim world. Which Muslim nations spend a lot of time denouncing terrorism? Incidentally, Fred Phelps is a life-long Democrat who supported Al Gore for president.

All this is quite correct. There are a lot of fanatic Christians. Starting with the Pope and the Catholic church. They are the ones teaching people to be religious fanatics. It is all done through brainwashing. If you repeat the same thing often enough, people will believe it. Same goes for the Muslims. When they get fanatic about their religion, they use it as an excuse for terrorism. Anyone can be a terrorist. Particulary a fanatic Christian. Just try to attack the catholic church, and prepare yourself for some violent response. The Catholics have murdered far more people than the Muslims in the name of religion. You only have to read the history of it. But you won't find it in their precious bible.

Question 1 should the Phelp's children be taken away from them by the state? Well at no time have I read that the children are being physically abused. Now if we are talking about mental abuse yes I believe that they are being but I think that ever child that is indoctrinated into religion at an early age is mentally abused. So if the state took the Phelp's children away from them because of mental abuse the state would have to take a lot of children away from their parents. Also there is the whole angle of we are being persecuted and then the Phelp's could play the whole martyr card. Question 2 would I classify them as a cult? Well I classify every religion as a cult just some have better marketing than others. The Phelp's are basing their beliefs on the same book as every other Christian denomination does. Only difference is the mainstreet Christians de-emphasize the passages of the Bible that the Phelps emphasize. Question 3 is about guilty by association. No one should be labeled by the actions of another.

People obviously see it clearly. When it's retold by HuffPo, it gets a little muddy. But that is what it is. We all need our post material. I'd waterboard the Phelps' too. Sure, they're not killing anyone. And unlike we see with Islamic terrorists, Christians pile up in batches and bunches to denounce these idiots. (Even FOX NEWS!!!!!, but HuffPo probably won't run that ) But they're deserving. .... On a fun, typical rant-fodder note: When the police get around to arresting the proverbial serial killer, it turns out that everyone else in the neighborhood was usually unaware. It's always shock and awe - a total disbelief. If it were "Yeah, we knew - we just never said anything about it" do you think some people somewhere somehow might get a sneaking feeling that some of the neighbors were in on it or simply didn't care? Sure, we'd buy some were scared for their lives. But only by those of us willing to make victims out of individuals who could have otherwise picked up the f'n phone. Guilt by association usually only spreads with a lack of disassociation. Anybody thinking that's wrong and needs to change might want to take a look inside to see what else they believe when given time to think on something. Common sense, 2 + 2, human nature - these aren't political things and are always losers in the political realm. To date, I've yet to see anyone treat a Muslim worse than another Muslim. So all this hyperbole about people painting all Muslims as terrorists misses me.

I think that the Phelps' children should be taken away because it's like that their parents wanted them to be a modern day satans. For me the jihadist are not fanatics; they are for their principles - to fight for their lands. This is some kind of a political issue. Yes not all Arabs of Muslim religion are terrorists. I don't believe so because a Muslim religion is not for wiping out their enemies. Some of its teachings is like the teachings of some Christian religion. In fact they believe in Jesus Christ which is contrary to the beliefs of the Jews.

This is a great discussion. I do think the Phelps' should have their children taken away. I do not think that it is responsible to leave young children in an atmosphere of hate and violence, and what they do in my eyes IS considered violence. If you go to the church website www.godhatesfags, you will see such violence. The burning of the flag and the koran should be an offense in this country considering that when this country was founded, we were considered religious exiles ourselves. They are so out of touch with reality that they should move on down to Waco, TX instead of subjecting humanity with their dangerous stupidity and hatered. I am from Oklahoma so I know that not all terrorists are Muslims. America grows crazy just as well as the Middle East. True, right now we are at "war", or a man made altercation as some stupidly like to call it, and if this country was a little less PC with our thoughts we might be in better shape, but we can not put horse blinders on to other issues, such as North Korea. But then again, I think the missle trail across California sure is going to wake a lot of people up to that, no?

I confess I don't watch every program on Fox, but of the ones I do watch I've never heard anyone say "all terrorists are Muslim/Arab." Can you tell me who said this and when it was said? If the Phelps are breaking the law and/or abusing their children, they should be taken from them. But since it hasn't happened, I suppose they're either not or have not been caught. I suppose you could call the Phelps unorthodox, so they might be classified as a cult. I personally don't believe the Phelps are Christians at all. If they were really Christians, they'd follow the teachings of Jesus. These people don't. Since not all Muslims bomb others, it's pretty obvious that not all Muslims are terrorists. What do you think? If the Muslims gained control of the USA, would we continue to enjoy the freedoms we have now? I think that's one of the problems some of us have with Muslims. They are an oppressive society, particularly to anyone who disagrees with them.