It is long past the time for the US Christian community to engage Fred Phelps. We as a society look askance at all Muslims for their failure to contain extremism within their ranks. Yet where is the public outrage at Fred Phelps' hate speech? Why aren't US religious leaders speaking out about this guy? Why are we leaving the heavy lifting on this issue to the likes of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens? We need public, reasoned, point by point rebuttals to this guy. Wouldn't the most credible people to do this be religious leaders?
Silence is not acceptable. Awkward looks, hand wringing and mumbled qualified apologies are not acceptable. Religion, any religion, must not be allowed to serve as an excuse for bigotry.
If real life were like the movies a ray of sunlight would strike Fred Phelps and he'd vanish in a puff of smoke. But real life isn't like the movies and Fred Phelps isn't going to just go away.
My wish for Samuel Cheney is that he live a long life that's full of wonder and that he be surrounded by people he loves and who love him. And I think he's off to a great start.
First seen on Pam's House Blend.
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2 comments:
*grin* I wonder how the Rev Phelps knows so much about porn and homosexuality?
He really needs to look at the real teachings of Jesus.
Anne,
Phelps is unlike any Christian I have ever met.
Furthermore, when I ask my Christian friends about Phelps they don't have a positive thing to say about him.
Phelps is using his religion as cover for hate speech. I want to see that cover stripped away.
This actually hurts to say... the only figure I've seen go straight up the middle on Phelps' Christian beliefs was Sean Hannity on Fox.
I just want to hear Phelps challenged more often, by more mainstream people than Hannity and preferably by prominent Christians.
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