Westboro Baptist Church,
Thank you for responding and taking time out of your day to answer my questions.
Is it your position that anyone outside of the Westboro Baptist Church are sinners?
Everyone is a sinner. The question is where do you go from there? Do you revel and wallow in, and give Satan the advantage; or do you strive against it? The only humans whose hearts will be moved to strive against sin and resist the devil and obey God are His elect. The orderly-walking members of WBC are by the fruit we can see God’s elect. I don’t know where His other elect are today. I don’t know of any other church that teaches accurate doctrine, or has an orderly-walking body.
Do you truly believe that picketing funerals is the best platform to get your message across? In other words, don’t you feel that there is a more efficient method in which to be heard other than stirring up hate and anger?
Stop framing up the questions falsely please. We don’t stir up hate and anger. The rebellious hearts of the people of this world and this nation stir up hate and anger. We urge our fellow man to obey God and be blessed. About 2% of our pickets (pushing to 50,000 at this point) have been in connection with funerals/memorials. And we don’t go to anyone unless and until YOU (collectively) have turned them into massive public events. When we look up and see large mobs forming outside of death events, proclaiming the deceased to be a hero in heaven, when all of the evidence on the ground says the opposite, we are going to present ourselves at a respectful distance, and otherwise comment, to the contrary. We didn’t make them the point where you’ve thrown down on God; YOU (collectively) did that.
I was hoping to avoid getting to ecclesiastical, but I have to ask: how can you be sure that spreading hate in the name of God is truly his will?
We aren’t spreading hate; we’re spreading the hope and life. We’re urging you to obey and be blessed, instead of continuing to sprint to your doom and be cursed and destroyed. I don’t know what could be more truly loving than that. This nation has confused “love” with “lust” and “let me do what I want.” You don’t get to redefine things. The reality is we use simple Bible words to try persuade you to follow the Bible. Period. Every human has that duty, and the Bible is full of words to that effect. In fact, the only Bible definition of “love thy neighbor” is that. I would spend the time here spelling out the verses, but a) it’s highly unlikely you have any real interest in what it says (if you did, Bibles are universally available, and you would already know what it actually says) and b) we’ve spoon fed you the words dozens of times in dozens of forms at www.GodHatesFags.com and related sites. So again, if you have the slightest interest in what the Bible really says and what we really do, all of that is readily available to you, if you stop being lazy and simplistic and go spend a little time informing yourself.
I am a firm believer that we all should have the right to free speech without the fear of punitive action or government suppression. Like I had mentioned in my last email, I do not agree with your philosophies, yet I feel like your rights should be protected. Voltaire said something that I stand behind firmly: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” My question is, when picketing, do you feel like you are infringing upon a person’s right to a peaceful burial? Do you feel like you may be abusing the law?
We don’t infringe on anyone’s right; we don’t go near burials; we are a considerable distance from the large pep rallies and mobs that are forming outside funerals and memorials; we couldn’t possibly disturb that large rowdy affair. Again, you have not informed yourself on the facts. Of course we’re not abusing the law. The constitution says that dissenting speech should be protected. Our speech is dissenting. It should be protected. Whatever you do with your laws, and whatever your uninformed opinion may be, we’re going to say the words, because that’s our duty. And we’re going to say it in times places and manners that are both lawful and timely/topical.
I read in an interview a few years back that your agenda is to spread and preach the Gospel of Peace? It appears to me that all you are doing is preaching hate at these rallies. Hate surely can’t equal peace? Will you clarify?
I’ve already answered this above. You don’t get to take our performance of our Bible duty and slap the word “hate” on it and change reality.
For any organization to be successful, it needs an audience. Your audience seems to come from “bad press.” Do you believe that without the oxygen supply of the media, Westboro Baptist Church would eventually just fade out of the public eye?
Our goal is to publish. We sow the words; God gives the increase. That simple. I’m not interested in any other human analysis. The people of this nation have ZERO control over where our words go; that’s God’s prerogative. He alone holds the key to the doors of utterances; and He alone closes and opens them; and when he opens them no man can shut them. We do our duty; put the words out there. We can’t control where they go or how they land on any individual heart; that’s not our job. This verse in Hebrews 4 assures that these words – whether uttered by WBC or someone else – will never “fade” away: Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. These words will be but before all the eyes, hearts, ears and minds of the people of this generation. Then you will be without excuse when you stand before God on the Judgment Day. Your blood will not be on our hands (Ezekiel 3 and 33); because we will with everything the Lord gives us do our duty to warn. You should be thankful, but you’re not.
Questions by: Andrew, Freedom of Speech, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Answers by: Westboro Baptist Church