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The most hated family in America
Categories: Media
I'd never heard of the Phelps family before, and perhaps for good reason. According to a recent BBC article on the "Most Hated Family in America", the American media tries not to give the family press.The Phelps family is a deeply religious family who uses events such as American soldier's funerals as platforms for communication of their beliefs: that a soldier's death is "God's revenge on the US for tolerating homosexuality." Obviously, their actions have caused extreme anger among patriotic Americans (and just decent people, I would think - because the thought of picketing at any funeral makes me feel sick, too.)
The BBC has a recap of British television presenter Louis Theroux' extended interview with the notorious Phelps family. While calling them the most "extreme people he has ever met", he also says they are normal, high-achieving, and even kind, when they are not on the pickets.
Theroux blames the family patriarch for the apparently baffling behavior of a seemingly "normal" family - saying he was not a very nice man. It's an interesting look at a very unique family with some puzzling perspectives. I'm going to try to catch the BBC documentary.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
S. Kelly 4-01-2007 @ 9:19PM
People like this family make me sick to my stomach. Why? Because they are doing more harm than good in the name of "Christianity."
I am a Christian and the Bible I know teaches to "Hate the SIN, LOVE THE SINNER."
God doesn't HATE ANYONE!
When Jesus walked on this earth, he ate with prostitutes and tax collectors and set the example for them to follow. He didn't picket them or shout obscene, hate-speech at them. After all, who, exactly, do you think is going to be won over like that??? We are ALL given FREE WILL and that is the beauty of salvation -- that we CHOOSE it for ourselves, not that it is forced down our throats by screaming cults. I see absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between this form of religious extremism and Al Queda.
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Ann Adams 3-31-2007 @ 5:42PM
Kristin, do you remember this case?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard
He was a young person brutally beaten and hung on a fence to die.
Fred Phelps and his mob showed up at Matthew's funeral carrying signs reading "God hates fags" and other loving comments.
They showed up in a small conservative city about 25 miles from where I live to protest a gay social event. I'm sure they expected support from the religious folk of the community. Instead they were met with opposition; not from homosexuals but from the other citizens who didn't want themselves associated with that kind of hatred. They haven't been back.
Fred Phelps is a disbarred lawyer. At least one of his sons is a lawyer. They know exactly how far they can go and that's what they do. Their "church" is almost entirely composed of family members. Some states have passed laws to limit time, manner, and place of their pickets to keep them away from the church doors on the day of a funeral.
There is a group of motorcyclists called the Patriot Guard Riders (http://www.patriotguard.org/) who travel from city to city protecting the families of soldiers from Phelps.
Thanks for the headsup on the BBC special. It will be interesting to hear their take on him although I think the American media is correct in ignoring him as much as possible.
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Ann Adams 3-31-2007 @ 5:46PM
Afterthought. Here's a small part of the link I included about Matthew and Fred Phelps.
Quote:
Westboro Church of Kansas, lead by Fred Phelps, picketed Shepard's funeral as well as the trial of his assailants.[22][23], displaying signs with slogans such as "Matt Shepard rots in Hell", "AIDS Kills Fags Dead" and "God Hates Fags".[24] When the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that it was legal to display any sort of religious message on city property if it was legal for Casper's Ten Commandments display to remain, Phelps made attempts to gain city permits in Cheyenne and Casper to build a monument "of marble or granite 5 or 6 feet in height on which will be a bronze plaque bearing Shepard's picture and the words: "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22." [25][26][27][28]
End quote
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Meredith 3-31-2007 @ 9:25PM
It simply brings tears to my eyes and sorrow deep within my heart and soul. I can't believe people do this to their children, to other people and their children.
I can't imagine bringing that kind of hate to people already suffering.
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Beth SG 3-31-2007 @ 9:36PM
The documentary would be more appropriately titled "Most HateFUL Family in America."
Also, to refer to Phelps and his ilk as "deeply religious family" is an insult to religious folks everywhere.
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Kristin 4-01-2007 @ 12:33AM
Beth, you are right. I believe firmly that this family has twisted the word "religious" to suit their messed up purposes - as, unfortunately, many extremists tend to do. Although I am not religious, I respect the belief systems of those with faith and did not mean to insinuate otherwise.
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Jack Bramhall 4-01-2007 @ 5:17PM
I have just wathced that documentary on bbc 2 and am literally shaking with rage, they have no right to say all those things, and whats more, every time they are questioned they repeat each other like parrots or ignore the question. Whether it becuase im gay, or i dont go to church, or i dont run around telling everyone they are going to hell, according to these guys i am off to hell, i have never taken offence so easily before, and would happily go and hit that "god father" kinda guy.
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Roy Stockdilll 4-01-2007 @ 7:49PM
Personally, I thought it was the funniest TV programme I have seen in a long, long time! Louis Theroux was utterly brilliant, letting these loonies condemn themselves out of their own mouths.
We in the UK just love these American bible belt fanatics. What extraordinary entertainment they give us - just as good as the Muslims still living in the Middle Ages.
R Stockdill
Hertfordshire UK
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Susan Du Becker 4-01-2007 @ 5:28PM
Having just watched this documentary it amazes me how people can be so narrow minded and brainwashed when it comes to religion.
Louis works the documentary well trying not to antagonise the people but, work with them and try and understand where they are coming from. It is obvious that the 'gramps' figure of Phelps himself has, for so long now played the 'religious' card that he believes in his own rhetoric.
The whole thing was bourne of control and opinion and nothing else. Fred Phelps lays the law down and thats that and he 'cherry picks' pieces of the bible to suit himself.
It disturbs me more the emotional abuse of the children within the family is allowed to carry on - I know that if I were to parade my 7 year old child around carrying 'fag' signs in picket lines social services would be all over me ........ so why not them !
A family to be pitied more than anything else and as someone has already said - it will be interesting when grandpa dies.......
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Roy Stockdilll 4-01-2007 @ 6:03PM
Forgot to add that this family are obviously all candidates for the psychiatrist's couch - or the ANALYST, as I believe Americans are fond of calling him. We in Britain don't get so carried away by such nonsense - we consider ourselves rather more sophisticated and balanced and not quite so backward. Still, it takes all sorts to make the world, as they say.....
Perhaps one of the extraordinary Phelps family will communicate with us to tell us what Heaven and Hell are actually like, if they ever get to one of these mythical places. Now, wouldn't that be fun?
R Stockdill
Hertfordshire UK
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Jessica 4-02-2007 @ 11:14AM
Roy Stockdill, although you claim to not be backward in the UK< you must surely be ignorant. And ignorance is the root of this family so I think I will put YOU in the same category as the Phelps. Sinc eyou felt it so necessary to put the Phelps in the same category as all Americans who have mental health problems.
Jackass.
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Aggravated in the Bible Belt 4-02-2007 @ 11:04PM
I agree with Jessica.
And the last time I checked, loathing of -- and intolerance for -- an entire NATION of people was classified as PREJUDICE, the purest form of IGNORANCE.
If an American made such all-encompassing, snide remarks about another country, the rest of the world would be all over it.
I would suggest that Mr. Stockdill get a *little* more balanced perspective before shooting off his mouth and revealing is own propensity for looking foolish.
And PS: We call them PSYCHIATRISTS, too, you fool. I know because I'm married to one.
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Starr 4-02-2007 @ 4:01PM
I watched the documentary quite by chance in Wales, UK, last night....
I was gobsmacked and sickened by the blatant callousness, ignorance and the intolerance of others' beliefs.
A kid who does not even know what the placard he is holding up means, gets hit by a bottle from a passing car - do the parents' care? Nope is the short answer.
The kids will never 'fornicate' but how did they get onto this Earth?
Picketing the funeral was the last straw for me...
What a bitter, angry man Old Man Phelps is. He has some serious - and I mean serious - issues.
Grrrrr
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C.Paul 4-02-2007 @ 6:12PM
I stumbled onto this programme and sat open mouthed in horror at the hatred being preached in the guise of religion.
If the only people who will be saved from an eternity of hell & damnation are this hatefull family, who asume that they will bask in the glorous afterlife for all eternity along with the suicide bombers and their 1000 virgins ... ..hell dont look to bad
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barb 4-02-2007 @ 11:39PM
you know last night i started to make a real harsh comment....but then i cancelled the confirmation.....i could have had the same hippocritical attitude that they have or i could pray for them to actually find the true and loving god instead of there god of hatred...i researched them and then i called my brother in law today to pray for them again.. so what we need to do is turn the other cheek and stand strong and pray for their lost hearts.. dont let the phelps get ot you....... so them that you are better than that and pray.........
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Michael 4-08-2007 @ 8:44AM
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO
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Michael 4-08-2007 @ 9:02AM
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO:
http://basangpanaginip.blogspot.com/2007/04/video-most-hated-family-in-america.html
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rhys james 4-08-2007 @ 12:29PM
I must just apologise on behalf of the British for Mr. Stockdill. Yes, we get them over here as well! it would seem that he did not watch the documentary carefully enough. Did he not see every single American (except the phelp's themselves) condemning that family, that surely puts that majority of Americans out of his "bible belt fanatics" group. As for the comment about muslims, i am even more ashamed on behalf of Britain for such views.
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Lizzie 4-14-2007 @ 12:14PM
im alittle confused...say old man phelps (im not an evil erson so i hope he doesnt) gets cancer, or god forbid any of the others, does that mean he's going to hell....how on earth would they justify that, or would they smile at him in that patronising way they did louie and tell him with a laugh that he soon wil be frequenting in the firey depths of hell...
mean if one of the others got murdered or knocked down, that apparently constitutes a sure route to hell....but it could well happen...wouldnt they think, but hey now god, ive been spreading "your word" and and you still think im evil???? im so so soooo confused (me now, not them)
ah well, theres so few of them and soooo many of us, maybe if we just ignore them they'll go away...
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Yasmin 5-03-2007 @ 2:59PM
The thing is people, if they truely believed in what they believed, which is hell and heaven the jugement of god the reality of christ, they would do all they can to stop people from going there, WHICH CAN I SAY, THEY ARE! The thing is does it matter if one believes or doesn't, it doesn't change a thing! if god is god, god is god with or without us believeing. But I don't get why he is asking them so many useless questions because if you wanted to find out for instence if some one had said some thing about you, you wouldn't go asking your friends or even their frineds the best thing to do is to ask them. So why does he not read the bible for him self and stop asking them what is said in it. what wasn't said was how one can repent and be saved from the rath of god neither that god did not come to condem but to save. if god realy wanted to condem people he wouldn't have sent jesus christ to die and left us all to perish but insted he sent Christ to die for the sins of the world. I would never laugh if I new some one is going to hell and I don't! Insted I WOULD plead and cry for their soal an pry to open their eyes to see the truth. How can the girl be arigant because she her self was in the same place as every one else and if it was not only for christ. Lets not forget that anyone can ask christ for forgiveness and no one has to go to hell its a choice christ has made the way to be set free from sin the choice is yours don't be put off by what these people are doing but insted go and search the bible your self. Because there is nothing to say god is isnt true. sorry about the poor spelling!
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