Dear friends,
I have been seeing the reactions to the news that the
Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas is planning to protest at the funeral for one
of the Chardon shooting victims, and I thought that I would add some needed
perspective. First off, I think you
*should* be angry. I too was physically
furious when I read the news. Anyone in
their right mind would and should feel anger in regards to the proposed actions
of WBC. If you did *not* react strongly,
I would be worried. Here are some things
to think about:
The Westboro Baptist Church is not connected to or supported
by any of the major Baptist denominations.
The Southern Baptist Convention has the following answer to an FAQ on
their website:
20. Is
Fred Phelps (the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church and leader of those who
protest under the slogan "God Hates Fags") or his church affiliated
with the SBC?
We share concern over the unbiblical
views and offensive tactics of Fred Phelps and his followers at Westboro
(Independent) Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Westboro does not have now, nor
has ever had, any relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. His extreme positions not only stand in
contrast to the SBC, more importantly, they stand in contrast to God's Word.
(http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/faqs.asp#20)
Westboro Baptist Church is an unfortunate misnomer. Its hateful beliefs and actions are not
representative of the word “Baptist” in any way and are in fact contrary to and
generally condemned by both Baptists and Christians at large. Evil is evil no matter what it calls
itself.
So in your anger, please be
careful not to vilify Baptists or Christianity as a whole as a result of the
actions of one church.
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