Catching up. Phelps. The first thing is, he has no following whatsoever. He's the "pastor" of something called "Westboro Baptist Church", but as I understand it this "church" has no members outside his own family. He is reviled by pretty much everyone, especially fundamentalists. It pisses me off when people attack fundamentalists, or Christians, or religious people in general, by using him as an example. Because he doesn't represent them, or any significant subset of them, in any way.
The second thing is, I'm not at all sure he believes what he says. Because picketing funerals, and making an obnoxious arse of himself, is how he makes a living. He puts himself in situations where he's likely to be attacked, and every so often he is. Then he sues the attacker. He's careful never to threaten anyone or give legal cause for anyone to hit him. He just taunts them until they lose control and do, and then he pwns them.
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Date: 2005-12-09 12:03 pm (UTC)The second thing is, I'm not at all sure he believes what he says. Because picketing funerals, and making an obnoxious arse of himself, is how he makes a living. He puts himself in situations where he's likely to be attacked, and every so often he is. Then he sues the attacker. He's careful never to threaten anyone or give legal cause for anyone to hit him. He just taunts them until they lose control and do, and then he pwns them.