WBC,
I guess I just wanted to find out about the church in general. I had never heard about you before this year until attending Miami University here in Ohio. I only heard about your church through our school newspaper, which as you know, is obviously opposed to the Westboro Baptist Church based on their article. Therefore, my first impression was a negative one. I decided to do my own research, watched some videos, read some articles, and gained a large amount of knowledge on the general premise behind the churches’ beliefs. This led me to
question a few things.
Before I begin, let me state I do not claim to know every single word within the Bible. I do not even make it to church every Sunday. However, from my little amount of experience with religion, I have never felt a sense of hatred coming from a church before this, and I want to get a better understanding of I guess why the hatred? The one Bible passage I do know, is John 3:16. I learned this message in my early days of Bible School, and it has stuck with me. I know it for saying as long as I believe, I will have eternal life (Heaven). Why are we not trying to believe in love and treating each other with respect?
I am able to see the passion coming from within the church. However, I feel events such as protesting funerals, writing slurs toward homosexuals and things of that sort, are more directed toward passion focused on a desire for media exposure. I obviously am not going to change your beliefs, but I guess I want to know why there is a need to be so vocal about them. I am sure you are well aware that your protests do not change anybodies views therefore I do not understand the protests, if they really are for more than just media coverage.
For example, the whole Steve Jobs funeral. When looking at that mans life, he brought so much well and happiness to people. I am honestly saddened that someone with a great impact on peoples lives is being ended with a picket.
Finally, I would like to better understand why gays are targeted so harshly. Not even that, but why are all Americans being punished for “tolerating” them. Nobody is perfect in my opinion, and why choose
this one “flaw” to target mainly? Being gay is not a choice and I know it is a hard thing to deal with. I do not understand why this will send me to hell because of something I did not choose.
Hello,
I get to answer your questions! I will type them below under your questions.
Thanks!
Member of WBC
To make it easier to answer back, my three questions were
1. Why the hatred toward so many people and or America?
This question begins with a false premise, so it’s almost impossible for me to understand – but I’ll try anyway. 😉
We don’t have hatred towards anyone, Eric. God hates. God hates unrepentant sinners. God hates 99.99999999% mankind. That’s why our signs discuss hatred. A simple reading of the Bible – or even a word search of the word hate & its synonyms (like abhor, wrath, etc.) will bring forth many, many examples of God, the Holy Ghost, through His servants, describing His hatred for human beings. Here are a few, for examples:
“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.” Psalm 5:4-6
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36
2. Why do so many public events if this is not only for media attention?
We go to speak to the people entering and/or surrounding those public events to preach a message – so *of course* it is also for media attention. This little church is a great publishing company! This is our commission:
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
3. Why choose homosexuality as a destiny to Hell when it is not a choice?
This question shows some muddled thinking. Let’s be very clear. God controls all things. In the counsel halls of eternity past, He –as it were with a pen of iron & with a point of a dimond – wrote down every little infinitesimal detail that would come to pass in time & eternity.
That includes creating people; what they would think & what they would do. I’m telling you plainly that God creates “homosexuals” to be “homosexuals” – to live as “homosexuals,” engaging in that abominable conduct – to then die as “homosexuals” & spend eternity in exquisite torments as “homosexuals.”
They have no choice in the matter. No one has any choice in *any* matter. It’s called predestination – and the two sides of that coin are election & reprobation. God has either predestinated you to go to heaven or hell – you are not consulted in that decision.
A reading of Romans chapter 9 should clean up this muddled thinking for you; particularly these verses:
“For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is
written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ¶ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Romans 9:9-24.
I appreciate the time, as this is something that I have really been concerned with lately.
Eric