America's Most Hated Family in Crisis

zidangus

Did anyone see the Louis Theroux -- America's Most Hated Family in Crisis documentary the other night ( BBC 2 UK)
its on bbciplayer (UK viewers)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0107zhy/Louis_Theroux_Americas_Most_Hated_Family_in_Crisis/

use a proxy if your outside the UK.

I watched it last night and I was left feeling so sad that people can be filled with such hatred. I mean what an unbelievable group of people the Westboro Baptist Church have.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

it's so sad how these people think, and even sadder that they brainwash their kids to think the same way.


Metta to all sentient beings

Cinorjer

It is sad, but just because children are raised in a hateful environment does not mean they will follow in their grandfather's footsteps once they're able to live their own life. These people have a business of living off lawsuits and have discovered the best place to find people they can goad into attacking them or trying to stop them is at emotionally charged funerals that have nothing to do with gays. Then the insurance companies settle out of court and they pocket the money and go to the next event.

So it's not like they're going to grow into some underground terrorist organization. They are the price a free people pay for knowing everyone's rights must be protected, even people we think are scum, or nobody's rights are secure.

And both USA and the UK have enough problems right now with the average citizen keeping their own rights from a government that was allowed to suspend those basic rights in the war on terrorism.

federica

This was discussed a short while ago, here:

http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/10006/phelps-family#Item_12

sndymorn

There is a guy , one guy in my neighborhood digging a hole. He has been digging this hole for five years . He uses his hands and has not got very far. When asked why, he insists he will soon have it big enough to bury all the sinners in the world and bring Jesus back to take him home.
I guess now that I have shone a light on this "true believer', Theroux should be heading over there with his camera crew to publish this viewpoint for the edification of silly "looky lous. "

Jeffrey

Someone should put a bag of flaming dog poop on their doorstep

JBrodyA

I don't know if it was touched on in the article posted, but the intended to picket a funeral of a 12 year old girl who was beaten to death by her peers because she was gay. Last I heard a large group of people were getting together a bunch of angel wings to block the "baptists" so the family could have her funeral in peace.

zidangus

I don't think that was mentioned, but after watching this program it would not surprise me in the slightest. Basically their belief is that its great when people die or are in suffering because its God paying them back for their sins, and everyone not in their cult is is going to hell. Parents even saying these things about daughters who left their cult. So sad that people have these viewpoints and express them so vocally.


Metta to all sentient beings

Barra

Its too bad that America does not have "anti-hate speech" legislation like we have in Canada. It would work for these people - putting them in jail for a while would be an interesting experience for them.

JBrodyA

Haha, jail would probably be the last experience they had. But the idea of "everyone not in their cult is going to hell" is one a very popular religion shares, that I strongly disagree with. It really is a shame people think like this, it must make their lives so unhappy, and everyone elses in the world.

Jeffrey

I believe we have anti hate speach legislation. I could be wrong. We definitely have 'hate crimes' which get a more severe penalty eg assault and battery of a gay person with a history of hatred for sexual preference to that person.