The Rev. Fred Phelps brainwashed his family and will keep trying to brainwash America with his anti-gay pickets at military funerals, his estranged son said.

A federal jury’s nearly $11 million judgment against Westboro Baptist Church won’t stop members from spreading their message of hate, said Nate Phelps.

“I think my old man has enough experience under the law, and he’s going to fight this,” said Phelps, who left his family and their church nearly 30 years ago.

Nate Phelps, 48, describes a violent childhood, in which he alleges his father beat him and his 12 siblings.

This story continues below
Advertisement

Nate Phelps, now living in British Columbia, Canada, has exchanged e-mails with Albert Snyder, the father of the fallen Marine who successfully sued the fundamentalist fringe group for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“I’ve seen a couple demonstrations of just how profoundly their protests affect people, and when you get into the emotions of picketing funerals, it’s pretty intense,” Snyder said.

Westboro members picketed the Westminster funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, Albert’s son, in March 2006, with signs reading “Thank God for dead soldiers.”

Others hurt by the Topeka, Kan., church hold out hope that the multimillion-dollar penalties will cripple the church.

Clergy welcomed the news of the lawsuit’s success.

“That kind of thing is an embarrassment to most Baptists,” said Robert Myers, pastor of Arundel Baptist Church in Gambrills.

And in Topeka, many saw the judgment as a victory.

Fred Phelps gives the entire town a bad name, said the Rev. Dan Davidson, pastor of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Topeka, where Westboro has picketed every weekend service for at least 15 years.

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com