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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:08 pm
Faction Claims Troops Punished by God for Defending Country Harboring Gays By BETH RUCKER, AP
SMYRNA, Tenn. (Aug. 2 cool - Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.
The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless America.''
"My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support,'' 41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as tears came to her eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what your beliefs are.''
The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.
The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags'' and "God hates you.''
About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist Church and nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City. Members have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation.
The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna and Spc. Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the Tennessee National Guard.
Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other soldiers turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro Baptist members brought.
So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers were brought in to control traffic and protect the protesters.
The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in Smyrna turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time expired on the protest permits.
"If they were protesting the government, I might even join them,'' Danny Cotton, 56, said amid cries of "get out of our town'' and "get out of our country.''
"But for them to come during the worst time for this family - it's just wrong.''
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:12 pm
One up for the Americans! *waves flag* We're all not pigs! Really! *wavey-wavey* If I ever met Rev. Phelps, I'd do something not so nice involving a bodily opening with his picket signs! evil
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:25 pm
What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:29 pm
AkureiKnight What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad Nobody ever is....but I think that we have to deal with this!......*thinks* Kinda reminds me of a episode of Law & Order: SVU.......they actually found grounds to arrest that priest... 3nodding
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:33 pm
Fadia Stalyr AkureiKnight What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad Nobody ever is....but I think that we have to deal with this!......*thinks* Kinda reminds me of a episode of Law & Order: SVU.......they actually found grounds to arrest that priest... 3nodding It just pisses me off that they get the balls to actually say we dont belong in our own country and that God hates us! They dont know! They're not God themselves. And the last time I checked, the bible says that God doesn't hate anyone. (sighs deeply)
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:38 pm
AkureiKnight Fadia Stalyr AkureiKnight What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad Nobody ever is....but I think that we have to deal with this!......*thinks* Kinda reminds me of a episode of Law & Order: SVU.......they actually found grounds to arrest that priest... 3nodding It just pisses me off that they get the balls to actually say we dont belong in our own country and that God hates us! They dont know! They're not God themselves. And the last time I checked, the bible says that God doesn't hate anyone. (sighs deeply) On the AOL discussion board some guy was going around saying "God hates homos, jews, blacks, asianians (I kid you not, that's how dumb this guy was), hispanics, women who vote and don't obey their husbands" and I forgot what else he said but in short he was saying God only loves white men.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:38 pm
AkureiKnight Fadia Stalyr AkureiKnight What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad Nobody ever is....but I think that we have to deal with this!......*thinks* Kinda reminds me of a episode of Law & Order: SVU.......they actually found grounds to arrest that priest... 3nodding It just pisses me off that they get the balls to actually say we dont belong in our own country and that God hates us! They dont know! They're not God themselves. And the last time I checked, the bible says that God doesn't hate anyone. (sighs deeply) AMEN SISTER! biggrin
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 8:51 pm
stare It's called homophobia, damnit. If they say 'God Bless America' They're also saying 'God Bless the Gays', even if they think they're not. Saying being gay is a sin, is incredibly stupid. As well as saying God only loves white men. I swear! scream I am going to move away when I can. I am getting so sick of people stating God hates evil homosexuals, like it was said, God loves everyone, it states it in the Bible, and they think God hates homosexuals for hating their same sex!!!!! I am so fed up with this crap. It makes you want to take the Government and strangle them. George Bush is also involved with this, he banned Gay marriage, which started a wild fire. And now this! This is exactly why I stick with my home religion, gays are still accepted in the Greek religion, I mean look at Alexander the Great! I swear, I hate living life sometimes when there is so many people that hate gays, it has me on my last thread, and thread is easily broken. stare If God loves all his children, then why are these people acting like they're God and twisting the words of God? talk2hand I'm so done.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 10:20 pm
BakaTulip AkureiKnight Fadia Stalyr AkureiKnight What a p***k. Those people are wrong. Very wrong... Im not even in the mood to think on this.. sad Nobody ever is....but I think that we have to deal with this!......*thinks* Kinda reminds me of a episode of Law & Order: SVU.......they actually found grounds to arrest that priest... 3nodding It just pisses me off that they get the balls to actually say we dont belong in our own country and that God hates us! They dont know! They're not God themselves. And the last time I checked, the bible says that God doesn't hate anyone. (sighs deeply) On the AOL discussion board some guy was going around saying "God hates homos, jews, blacks, asianians (I kid you not, that's how dumb this guy was), hispanics, women who vote and don't obey their husbands" and I forgot what else he said but in short he was saying God only loves white men. s**t like this.. makes me love my girlfriend even more than I already do. And that's alot. I dislike people like this. I believe in God. Not like all the other ppl that go to church. I dont go to church, dont plan on it. I dont read the bible, and if I do it's just to see what it says. I dont and will never go by the bible. It's crap. For me, God lies in the heart. I follow my heart. Not was some racist freaks wrote in some ******** book a long time ago and said that God made them write it. confused
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:56 pm
Think of what would happen if a bunch of allies and gay folks did something like this at a straight soldier''s funeral. scream
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:47 pm
They''re free to believe in what they want to - I don''t care... But declaring such things at a funeral is just impious and disgusting!
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:37 pm
It's true that we live in a free country (America.....F*** YAH!) but it's a little thing called RESPECT FOR THE DEAD that has us all uppidy (among other things.... stare )
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 9:33 pm
Alariis Think of what would happen if a bunch of allies and gay folks did something like this at a straight soldier''s funeral. scream The soldiers were straight. They were saying that the soldiers died because they fought for America and America "harbors" gays.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 11:32 pm
This is BS. Nez B wrote: Quote: "If I want your oppion, I'll beat it out of you." People need to learn how to KEEP THEIR OPPIONS TO THEMSELFS.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:23 am
"I have no problems with Jesus... it's his fan club hat drives me nuts."
I'm Apathetic Agnostic: I don't know and I don't care.
I have a question hough: If God loves all his children, and he refuses to interfere with Free Will, then where do religious nutjobs come off saying god is punishing gays for following their own paths through life?
"Prove to me that God hates fags, and I'll chew off my p***s and mail it to you." Me
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