Rachel Maddow: Westboro Baptist Church Brought Out The Best In Americans

RELATED: As an underscore to Maddow's point, counter-protesters displayed the below banners at Westboro's first post-Fred Phelps picket, which was held outside a concert for teenage pop star Lorde.

Christian Leader: With Phelps Dead, It'll Be Easier For Us To Hate LGBT People

"Fred Phelps of the Westboro Church was a huckster who gained notoriety because his over 20 years of  'hate' vigils fulfilled a desired stereotype of conservative Evangelicals. His sordid contribution to history is that he amplified the Kulturkampf against Christian faith and ethics in public life by helping to portray them as intrinsically hateful. Christian teachings and Christian social witness must now even more deeply, thoughtfully and boldly proclaim a Christian and natural law based anthropology that explains God's gifts of marriage, family, the two genders, and each person as God's image bearer. There are many political, cultural and spiritual battles ahead. Fighting them may be a little easier in the absence of Fred Phelps." - Mark Tooley, head of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, via press release.

CORRECTION: In an earlier draft of this post, I had pulled the wrong name off the press release. I've switched the photo and corrected the quote attribution.

Father Who Lost Landmark SCOTUS Case To Westboro Baptist: Let Fred Phelps Be Buried In Peace, I Don't Like Hate

Prior to yesterday's death of Fred Phelps, the Military Times spoke to the man who fought Westboro Baptist Church right up to the Supreme Court for picketing the funeral of his Marine Corps son.

Al Snyder sued Westboro Baptist after its members picketed the funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matt Snyder, who was killed in Iraq on March 3, 2006. Snyder did not see the protest during the service, but afterward he saw television coverage of church members holding signs that “God hates you,” “You’re in hell,” and “Semper Fi fags.” The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in the church’s favor in 2011, deciding the protest had been held peacefully in a public place and the issues the church raised were a matter of public concern. Even though the Westboro Baptist Church protested his son’s funeral, Snyder won’t lash out at Phelps during his last days. “I do not like Westboro Baptist Church; I don’t have anything nice to say about them, but if I had anything bad to say about them at this time — or if he dies — it would put me in the same category as him, and I don’t want to be in that category,” he said. “I don’t like hate.”

The attorney in that SCOTUS case says, "I think the best revenge for people is to show Pastor Phelps and his family the mercy and compassion that they’ve denied to everyone else and I’d encourage to pray for him. If somebody feels the need to get back at the Phelps group, support the wounded warrior groups." (Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

Judy Shepard On Death Of Fred Phelps

"Regarding the passing of Fred Phelps, Dennis and I know how solemn these moments are for anyone who loses a loved one. Out of respect for all people and our desire to erase hate, we’ve decided not to comment further." - Judy Shepard, in a posting on the Facebook page of the Matthew Shepard Foundation. (Tipped by JMG reader Eric)

Equality Groups React To Phelps Death

People For The American Way

Fred Phelps made a name for himself by protesting the funerals of soldiers and hate crime victims. In particular, he spent decades causing immeasurable pain to LGBT people and their families. My thoughts are with all those people today. Very much in spite of himself, Fred Phelps was an important figure in the movement for LGBT equality. Other right-wing leaders have chosen their words more carefully, and the WBC even protested some far-right activists for being insufficiently hateful, but plenty of Religious Right leaders have always agreed on Phelps’s core message: that God reacts to gay people with divine punishment in this world and damnation in the next. Fred Phelps just said what so many anti-gay activists have always believed. When Americans were faced with the choice of accepting their LGBT neighbors or endorsing Phelps’s unfiltered hate, they chose the former. He showed anti-gay bigotry for what it really is: profoundly un-American. Phelps lived to see a nation that more and more decisively rejected his vile message. That’s his legacy.

Truth Wins Out

“Fred was a net positive for the LGBT community,” said Truth Wins Out Executive Director Wayne Besen, who once referred to Phelps as a "walking hate crime." “The organized Religious Right despised him. They would spend big money to concoct elaborate schemes that tried to make raw hate appear to be love. Then Fred would come along and foil their careful plans with a 'God Hates Fags sign.'" Fred Phelps’ slogan continues to be the primary message of groups like the American Family Association, Family Research Council and lesser entities like Americans For Truth and Mission America, distilled into its simplest form. Indeed, Phelps’ fundamental honesty exposed the true face of anti-gay hatred in America. “Fred was a loathsome creature,” said TWO’s Besen. “But I’ll say one nice thing about him: He’s the only honest person on the Religious Right I’ve ever met. He says what many of them truly believe but are too careful to say publicly."

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force

Fred Phelps will not be missed by the LGBT community, people with HIV/AIDS and the millions of decent people across the world who found what he and his followers do deeply hurtful and offensive. Through his actions, he brought needless pain and suffering to thousands of families, including to military families, at their time of greatest pain and grieving. While it is hard to find anything good to say about his views or actions, we do give our condolences to his family members at what must be a painful time for them.

More reactions will be added to this post as they come in.

Westboro Reacts To Death Of Fred Phelps

Westboro Baptist Church has been tweeting up a storm in reaction to the death of Fred Phelps.  They have also published a lengthy, scripture-laden statement. An excerpt:

The world-wide media has been has been in a frenzy during the last few days, gleefully anticipating the death of Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. It has been an unprecedented, hypocritical, vitriolic explosion of words. So – the death of Fred Phelps’ body, a man who preached a plain faithful doctrine to an ever darkening world, is nothing but a vain, empty, hypocritical hope for you. It’s like every journalist in the world simultaneously set aside what little journalistic integrity they have, so that they could wait breathlessly for a rumor to publish: in-fighting, succession plans, and power struggles, oh my! How shameful! You’re like a bunch of little girls on the playground waiting for some gossip!

Westboro Founder Fred Phelps Has Died

Kansas television station KSN reports that Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps has died.

The Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., who founded a Kansas church widely known for its protests at military funerals and anti-gay sentiments, has died according to his son Tim Phelps. Phelps, 84, was being cared for in a Shawnee County facility, Westboro Baptist Church spokesman Steve Drain said Sunday. Members of the Westboro church, based in Topeka, frequently protest at funerals of soldiers with signs containing messages such as “Thank God for dead soldiers,” and “Thank God for 9/11,” claiming the deaths are God’s punishment for American immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.

Updates to follow shortly. (Tipped by JMG reader TJ)

Headline Of The Day

Details.

Headline Of The Day

From the Topeka Capital-Journal:

Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. was excommunicated from the Westboro Baptist Church after advocating a kinder approach between church members. The excommunication occurred after the formation of a board of male elders in the church. The board had defeated Shirley Phelps-Roper, the church’s longtime spokeswoman, in a power struggle, and Fred Phelps Sr. called for kinder treatment of fellow church members. The board then ejected Fred Phelps Sr., who founded the church in the 1950s. The power struggle and excommunication was revealed by Nate Phelps, a son of Fred Phelps who broke away from the church 37 years ago, during an interview with a Topeka Capital-Journal reporter.

RELATED: Last month Margie Phelps tweeted: "We don't worship the dead in this church, so there'd be no public memorial or funeral to picket if any member died."

HomoQuotable - George Takei

"I take no solace or joy in this man's passing. We will not dance upon his grave, nor stand vigil at his funeral holding 'God Hates Freds' signs, tempting as it may be. He was a tormented soul, who tormented so many. Hate never wins out in the end. It instead goes always to its lonely, dusty end." - George Takei, writing on his Facebook page.

Westboro: We'll Go On Without Fred

"The church has no singular human leader – our head is the Lord Jesus Christ. The church currently has 8 male members who have been serving the church in the capacity of ‘elders’ for several years (this word is synonymous with ‘bishop,’ ‘pastor,’ and ‘overseer’) – all of whom minister to the members of the church, preach, and are involved in doctrine and teaching. These men were unanimously chosen by the members of the church to serve in this capacity, having evidenced the proper scriptural qualifications. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ does not rise or fall with any man – in fact, the Lord doesn’t need ANY of us. This is still a nation and world awash in sin. We will still warn you of this condition, out of our love and fear of the Lord, and out of our love for our neighbors. Here is the message of Westboro Baptist Church: God still hates fags, God still hates fag enablers and any nation that embraces that sin as an ‘innocent’ lifestyle can expect to incur the wrath of God. Repent or Perish." - Westboro Baptist Church, in a statement posted to their website.

Equality Kansas: Leave Fred Phelps Alone

Yesterday we learned that Westboro Baptist Church patriarch Fred Phelps is near death. From the Facebook page of Equality Kansas:

Equality Kansas (formerly the Kansas Equality Coalition) today urged members of the Kansas, United States, and worldwide LGBT communities to respect the privacy of the family of Fred W. Phelps, notorious pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church. “If the reports of Fred Phelps’ declining health are accurate, then his family and friends are certainly saying their good-byes and preparing to mourn his loss,” said Sandra Meade, chairwoman of Equality Kansas. “We ask that everyone understand the solemnity of the occasion, and honor the right of his family and friends to remember and mourn his loss in private without interruption or unseemly celebration,” Meade said.

“For over 20 years, Phelps and the members of his Topeka-based church have harassed the grieving families of LGBT Kansans and others,” said Thomas Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas. “He and his followers showed utter disregard for the privacy and grief of others for many years. This is our moment as a community to rise above the sorrow, anger, and strife he sowed, and to show the world we are caring and compassionate people who respect the privacy and dignity of all,” Witt said. Equality Kansas asks that its members, supporters and allies refrain from protests or demonstrations should reports of Phelps’ imminent passing prove true. “Our focus must remain on our mission: ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Meade said.

Fred Phelps Reportedly Near Death

Fred Phelps, the 84 year-old patriarch of Westboro Baptist Church, is reportedly near death. His estranged son, Nathan Phelps, writes on his Facebook page:

I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the “church” back in August of 2013. He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made. I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I’m bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.

Hemant Mehta has more at the Friendly Atheist:

I just got off the phone with Nate and he confirmed what he had written. The rumors had been flying for several weeks, he said, but after a conversation with some of his fellow “excommunicated” family members, he found out that the rumors were true. He elaborated on that final line, too, saying that the Phelps family is now blocking anyone who is no longer with the church from seeing him, including Fred’s sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews. Why was he kicked out of his own church? Did he have a change of heart near the end of his life? There’s no definitive answer to that and Nate has heard different things (so any explanation is pure speculation right now).

Over on Twitter, some are calling for a picket of Phelps' funeral, but Mehta and others suggest that the better response might be to ignore it completely. Rod Dreher writes at American Conservative:

Can you imagine having come to the end of your life, very nearly to the moment in which you will meet your God and be reckoned with, and all you have to show for it is … that? I’ve always thought the Westboro Baptist Church people were despicable, but there is something about the thought of that old man lying on his death bed, forsaken, the victim of his own sins, that makes me pity him. One tear of repentance from the vicious old preacher will open the floodgates of the divine mercy he spent his life trying to deny to others. I pray for that tear. And I hope no one pickets his funeral, giving to his family the mercy they do not deserve.

Satanic Temple Holds Gay Wedding At Westboro Baptist Family Gravesite

View more photos.

Nate Phelps Talks To Rosie

Fred Phelps' Son Talks To Joy Behar

Last night Joy Behar spoke to Fred Phelps' estranged son about Westboro and Elizabeth Taylor.

Predictable

Westboro: We'll Burn Korans Anyway

Having already predicted on Twitter that Pastor Terry Jones "would cave under pressure," the Westboro Baptist Church vows that they'll conduct a Koran burning of their own. Jones has protested with the Phelps family in years past, but apparently earned their enmity since then. Probably because he got more publicity than they did.

National Burn A Quran Day

From voiceover artist DC Douglas. Brilliant.

Fred Phelps' Estranged Son Tells All

Nate Phelps fled his loony family years ago, but is telling the world about the horror of growing up Phelps.