Westboro Baptist Church - Overview

Westboro Baptist Church is an organisation based in Topeka, Kansas, headed by minister Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. and notorious for running godhatesfags.com and other websites expressing its condemnation of various groups, (see "WBC Websites" below). Although its members identify themselves as Baptists, the church is not affiliated with any known Baptist conventions or associations (however, there are numerous independent Baptist churches throughout the United States that are unaffiliated with such groups). The church describes itself a ...

Including:

• Westboro Baptist Church - Overview
• Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound
• Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership
• Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose
• Westboro Baptist Church - Theology
• Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report
• Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons
• Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement
• Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements
• Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record
• Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro
• Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance
• Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia
• Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks
• Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden
• Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake
• Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples
• Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina
• Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral
• Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial
• Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq
• Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices
• Westboro Baptist Church - Responses
• Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism
• Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology
• Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies
• Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia - Westboro Baptist Church

"GOD HATES FAGS" -- though elliptical -- is a profound theological statement, which the world needs to hear more than it needs oxygen, water and bread.[5] The church is located in the basement of Fred Phelps Sr.'s home, which sits in a large fenced compound occupied by nine of his thirteen children and their spouses (the other four children are estranged from the group). The vast majority of Westboro mem ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Overview

The group carries out daily picketing in Topeka (purportedly six per day with fifteen on Sunday, "Lord willing", per the index page of its main website[18]) and travels nationally to picket the funerals of gay and lesbian victims of murder, gay-bashing or death related to AIDS, as well as other events related or appearing to be related to gay people. They have also shown interest in picketing productions of the play The Laramie Project.See also:

Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements

The Westboro Baptist Church attributes membership of most religious groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church or Islam, as akin to devil worship. All non-Christian entities, non-Protestant Christian churches, as well as all Protestant Christian churches which don't strongly condemn homosexuality, are said to be sending their members to Hell. While the Westboro Baptist Church says that racial discrimination[34] is a sin, it and Phelps Sr. have b ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices

Responses include the creation of an opposing website, godlovesfags.com a pro-gay rights website, launched by Kris Haight on March 1 1999. The site focuses on the debate surrounding religion and homosexuality and especially homosexuality and Christianity. On August 18 1999, an unidentified hacker transferred ownership of the domain www.godhatesfags.com to Kris Haight. Apparently, this was done by forging an email message from Phelps. Haight promptly redirected all traffic to godlovesfags.com. After much media attention, Phelps threatened ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Responses

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes the Westboro Baptist Church as "virulently homophobic", whose anti-gay rhetoric they say is often a cover for anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an anti-hate group, has added the Westboro Baptist Church to its list of hate groups.[1] Many mainstream conservative and fundamentalist Christians, (including those who oppose homosexuality, such as Jerry Falwell), have denounced Phelps' remarks as hateful and un-Christian. Falwell is often cred ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism

WBC views numerous murders, accidents, natural disasters and terrorist attacks as being perpetrated by God on their behalf. After businessman Nick Berg was executed in Iraq, WBC proclaimed that he had been killed as a sacrifice because of attacks against Fred Phelps and other WBC members. The group also claimed that a helicopter crash in Iraq that killed 37 soldiers was caused by God to avenge WBC.^{See also:}

Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance

While not known to be directly connected to the Christian Identity movement, many of Phelps' sermons do reflect some of the principles which the followers of Christian Identity also hold: Westboro holds that they (the congregants of Westboro) and not Israelites are the "chosen people" and that Jews are "filthy" and "have no lamb".[3] [10] Phelps has been accused of preaching that black people were b ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement

The Westboro facility is organized as a fortified compound, made up of ten homes organized in a block at 3701 SW 12th Street in Topeka. The house in the center of the compound belongs to Phelps Sr., the basement of which serves as the church "meeting hall" (as he refers to it). The other nine houses were once occupied by non-congregants, who moved away either on their own initiative or as a result of not wanting to live near Westboro, and are now occupied by the families of Phelps Sr.'s nine children still associated with Westboro. The prope ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound

Research done by the Topeka Capital Journal in 1994 indicated that the church has roughly 100 to 200 congregants, most of whom are related to Phelps Sr. by blood or marriage. Individuals who followed Phelps Sr. after he was voted out of his old congregation, Eastside Baptist Church (a traditional Baptist church), consisted of the Hockenbargers (whose offspring later married into the Phelps clan), George Stutzman (who reportedly has never married, but internet rumors claim had an affair with one of the unmarried daughters of Phelps Sr.), Chri ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership

Phelps has stated many purposes for Westboro, some of which appear to be inherently contradictory. Note the statements below, which indicate that their purpose is to cause people not to repent and to repent at the same time: We don't picket to win people over, idiot. It's to harden people's hearts. Make them hate. Make them hate God even more than they already do. Our goal is to preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation. By our words, some will repent. By our words, some ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose

Westboro refers to itself as a Primitive or "Old School" Baptist[10] and claims to adhere to the philosophy of John Calvin and the principles of the acronym TULIP.[11] The "stated" theology of Westboro reads as follows (it is no longer available on the church website): The Bible is the Word of God and to be taken literally. The s ...

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Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro Baptist Church - Overview, Westboro Baptist Church - The Westboro compound, Westboro Baptist Church - Composition of the Westboro membership, Westboro Baptist Church - Purpose, Westboro Baptist Church - Theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Sky Television report, Westboro Baptist Church - Quotes from Phelps' Sermons, Westboro Baptist Church - Similarities to the Christian Identity movement, Westboro Baptist Church - Activities and statements, Westboro Baptist Church - Criminal record, Westboro Baptist Church - Violence against Westboro, Westboro Baptist Church - Claiming divine vengeance, Westboro Baptist Church - September 11 attacks and the space shuttle Columbia, Westboro Baptist Church - London terrorist attacks, Westboro Baptist Church - God Hates Canada and God Hates Sweden, Westboro Baptist Church - Indian Ocean earthquake, Westboro Baptist Church - Stance on adoption by same-sex couples, Westboro Baptist Church - Hurricane Katrina, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Rehnquist's funeral, Westboro Baptist Church - Picketing of Fred Rogers' memorial, Westboro Baptist Church - Soldiers in Iraq, Westboro Baptist Church - Other prejudices, Westboro Baptist Church - Responses, Westboro Baptist Church - Criticism, Westboro Baptist Church - Opposition to Westboro's theology, Westboro Baptist Church - Parodies, Westboro Baptist Church - WBC Websites

Read more here: » Westboro Baptist Church: Encyclopedia II - Westboro Baptist Church - Theology