Wednesday the Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to protest the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards. Edwards, the estranged wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, died Tuesday after a six-year battle with cancer.
The Westboro Baptist Church sent out a press release condemning Edwards and her family, and announcing the group's plan to protest her funeral at the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Preaching a hate filled gospel so obnoxious most Christians reject their teaching, the Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for their "Love Crusades", despicable displays of insensitivity and homophobia at the funerals of fallen American soldiers. The controversial if monotone message of the "Love Crusade" is to blame everything that is wrong in the world on homosexuality.
The crusades are part of a hate-based mission started in Kansas by the Westboro Baptist Church and Fred Phelps. The church exists in order to picket the funerals of people who died of AIDS, demonstrate against the "fag lifestyle", and other random homophobic rants.
Elizabeth Edwards' vocal support for gay marriage and medical coverage for abortions; her liberal, pro gay, pro tolerance stance, coupled with her political celebrity; all serve to make Edwards' funeral a target for the Christian hate group.
Services for Edwards will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Edwards attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lived for years in Raleigh. She attended Edenton Street United Methodist after the death of her 16-year-old son Wade in 1996.
Comments
Dear Believers:
Groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church give our God, the God of Love, a very bad name. Consider what this Group stated in its Press Release is simply unsound doctrine. For example, “When they were visited from the Most High God with the death of their 16-year-old son, they did not humble themselves before His mighty hand.” Other than a few incidents in the Old Testament, God does not kill humanity. (John 3:16-17) “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Was Elizabeth Edwards a believer? Yes. Therefore, God does not kill the very child upon which He intends to bestow everlasting life. Who then kills on this planet? The Bible answers, (John 10:10) “The thief (Satan the Devil) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” Until Christ returns and reclaims this world, many people forget that this is presently Satan’s world, under Satan’s control. Therefore, with the prompting of Satan, many like those who authored this press release accuse God for killings, when it is actually Satan who kills and wishes to place false blame as the accuser upon God for that killing. When we accuse others, we are doing Satan’s work, not God’s work.
The same Group states, “They reared up in rage, decided they would show God who is boss, and meddled in matters of the womb, resulting in 2 more children — now motherless.” Apparently, this Group believes that having children is something that can be accomplished independently of God. The Word of God states the opposite: (Psalms 127:3) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward.”
Intolerance by groups or individuals is not God’s way. Rather intolerance reaps its own reward. Christ states, (Matthew 6:15) “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Rather than judge others, we are to judge ourselves: Christ states, (Matthew 7:1-5) "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
Thank you for reading this correction.
Love, Pastor Burt.
Pastor Burt,
Reading your "correction" was my pleasure.
Just curious, where is your church if I may ask?
Pastor Burt's comment states what I as a Christian feel better than I ever could.
If only those of us in this world today (GOD's WORLD, less we forget) could just begin to LOVE (and accept) one another, it would surely begin to correct what centuries of not doing this has created.
Too bad that's such a difficult concept for so many!
Jane in Richmond, VA
Westboro Baptist Church are NOT CHRISTIANS! If they were followers of Christ or striving to be Christ-like, they would not teach HATE! Even if they had an anti-gay sentiment, they wouldnt carry a slogan with an INSULT fixed to it. They woukd also know that they have NO IDEA what kind of REPENTING a person does in their PRIVATE life. Therefore, if you try and insult and condemn a person based on what you've seen on TV, you are NOT following THE WORD! STOP SKIMMING OVER THE BIBLE AND PICKING OUT THE PARTS THAT YOU LIKE!
I am so upset to hear that a so called bible believing church would protest at a funeral... Have we really gone this far away from what God wants of us!!! I don't feel that protesting at a funeral is appropriate... I can't believe someone would want to inflict any more pain on that family... God help us!!!
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