Religious Fanaticism

© Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, November 4, 2007

We are indeed fortunate to live in a country where freedom of religion is paramount in our society.  In this nation, one can believe in whatever interpretation of Deity one chooses, or, if so inclined, one can choose not to believe. 

Where in all the world and when in all the ages has such liberty existed?

In the Middle East there are those “men” (I guess you can call them “men”) and some women who deny that liberty to their own people.  In some Muslim countries, to convert to Christianity, Judaism, or one of the other religions is to sign one’s own death warrant.  We know that if those “men” could acquire the power they would extend that threat to everyone of us.

We think that such things can only happen in the repressed and unenlightened parts of the world.

Not so!

Topeka, Kansas, in the American heartland, is the home of the Westboro Baptist Church, a fundamentalist, pre-determinist congregation; made up largely of the Fred Phelps extended family.  Among these 70 or so members are individuals with attitudes as dogmatic and fanatic as any member of the Taliban.

In examining their websites, one finds “hate” as vitriolic as anything spewed by any of the minions of Usama bin-Laden.  They are particularly centered on homosexuals, who they address as “sodomites.” They take to themselves the prerogative of God by asserting that any number of people (including Tammy Faye, Gerald Ford, the Utah coal miners, the students at Virginia Tech, and the little Amish girls from Lancaster, PA) are in Hell.

In recent years, these zealots have taken to demonstrating at the funerals of fallen soldiers.  Their rationale is that God is punishing America for its toleration of homosexuality by causing this war and by allowing so many American service people to get killed and, of course, go to Hell.

In 2006, this group appeared in Maryland at the funeral of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder.  As a part of their demonstration, they held up signs saying, “God Hates You” and “You Are Going to Hell.”  The fallen Marine’s father, Albert Snyder sued the Westboro congregation for invasion of privacy and the infliction of emotional distress.  Hiding behind the Constitution of the nation that they love to hate, Phelps and his minions pled freedom of speech.  Within the past few days, the jury found for the Snyder family in the amount of 2.9 million dollars for compensatory damages and 8 million in punitive damages.  The Phelpites, of course, will appeal.

I would defend to the death the right of Phelps and his hoards to preach their distasteful dogma within their church and at other public venues.  Let them appear on the street corners and along the highways and hedges.  There the people, who chose to listen, may listen and those who choose to pass-by may pass-by.

A funeral is different.  It is a private ceremony…often limited in attendance to the family and close friends of the deceased.  It is no more right for Phelps to express his indignation at one of these events than it would be for a gay-pride group to hold a demonstration in the Westboro sanctuary at a Sunday morning service.

I cannot look into the heart of Fred Phelps and the others of his tribe.  In all honesty, I agree with some of his beliefs as related to Biblical doctrine.  However, others of his interpretations I abhor.  The one singular thing that causes me to doubt his validity is his rush to take to himself the decisions that should be left to Deity.  No person can say with certainty what the eternal disposition of the soul of another person is or will be. That, thankfully, is left to a much higher power!