Do many mainstream Christians sympathize with the Westboro Baptist Church and similar organizations?

I don't agree with Westboro in doctrine or the way they deliver the message... as a Christian. However, as an American I support their right to peacefully protest. I believe if their rights are infringed upon that the PC cops will come after all Christians in full force, because opposition to Christianity will not differentiate between Westboro and Christians that preach the word as is from the Bible.

And I don't consider Westboro extremist. Again, they peacefully protest.

I'm "mainstream", and imo the Westboro Baptist Church is an embarrassment to the faith. I don't think it's even a church as much as an extended family.

ChetSinger said:

I'm "mainstream", and imo the Westboro Baptist Church is an embarrassment to the faith. I don't think it's even a church as much as an extended family.

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Speaking as a card carrying (joking about the card part) atheist I'd say the above pretty much sums thing up. The worst that can be leveled against Christianity at large regarding WBC is that it does not get said often enough.

It is the upstanding member of a Church who will lie to your face and stab you in the back that gives ordinary Christianity a bad name, but that part would be all but solved if such were called out. They rarely are, at least not as long as they contribute cash regularly.

directory said:

One barrier between myself and organized religion, Christianity or otherwise, is the presence of people like Fred Phelps– high-profile sensationalist figures whom I would consider to be bigots appropriating the teachings of their faiths as a justification for their own prejudices. I would consider him to be a caricature of the "extremist" figure that atheists like to use as strawmen in anti-religious arguments. I know that a lot of Christians (some of them very conservative) have condemned Phelps, and that major Baptist organizations distance themselves from him, but is there any vein for sympathy for his preaching among the general run of Christians? I acknowledge, of course, that the majority of Christians hold homosexuality to be sinful, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they need enthusiastically accept "God hates f*gs" rhetoric and similar messages.

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Hello Directory,

Actually, I've never heard Phelps (and his kin) preach. All I know about Westboro comes from what I've seen on the news or have read in various internet articles just after Westboro has stirred up trouble. (...and as I type this, I'm looking up additional information on specifics...)

As to your question, I don't think that much of Westboro's attitude is in line with mainstream Christian faith and/or the Gospel message. Westboro's membership is fairly small, and their affiliation is "independent," as opposed to being part of a larger corporate structure which requires some level of accountability, such as is seen in the Southern Baptist Convention; so it is almost safe to say that Westboro is somewhat on the cultic side of things, just short of a "Jim Jones" repeat.

The only thing I can say that Westboro expresses which is in line with mainstream Christianity is the biblical injunction that for all humanity, "now is the time to repent!" However, the way in which that injunction is to be expressed, and the way it is to be ministered as a provocative statement, does not seem to be something Westboro has mastered in a way that is truly faithful to the overall context of the New Testament message. They seem to forget that when Christ was being nailed to the Cross, He said, "Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do!" In this case, they seem to either forget, or to be unable to express, that the full force of God's mercy and grace comes before the full force of His eventual judgment.

Peace
2PhiloVoid

I think that certain personalities are very attracted to extremism and the attention that it attracts. I imagine that goes for some Christians too.

I think they are embarrasing too , but what can anyone do?

directory said:

One barrier between myself and organized religion, Christianity or otherwise, is the presence of people like Fred Phelps– high-profile sensationalist figures whom I would consider to be bigots appropriating the teachings of their faiths as a justification for their own prejudices. I would consider him to be a caricature of the "extremist" figure that atheists like to use as strawmen in anti-religious arguments. I know that a lot of Christians (some of them very conservative) have condemned Phelps, and that major Baptist organizations distance themselves from him, but is there any vein for sympathy for his preaching among the general run of Christians? I acknowledge, of course, that the majority of Christians hold homosexuality to be sinful, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they need enthusiastically accept "God hates f*gs" rhetoric and similar messages.

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WBC has much more to do with lawyers coming up with a money-making scheme than it to do with Christianity. I have never met another Christian who has shown sympathy toward them and I've met many who won't even grant that they are Christians. The truth is that God loves everyone, even while we were still sinners, and that does not exclude gay people.

directory said:

One barrier between myself and organized religion, Christianity or otherwise, is the presence of people like Fred Phelps– high-profile sensationalist figures whom I would consider to be bigots appropriating the teachings of their faiths as a justification for their own prejudices. I would consider him to be a caricature of the "extremist" figure that atheists like to use as strawmen in anti-religious arguments. I know that a lot of Christians (some of them very conservative) have condemned Phelps, and that major Baptist organizations distance themselves from him, but is there any vein for sympathy for his preaching among the general run of Christians? I acknowledge, of course, that the majority of Christians hold homosexuality to be sinful, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they need enthusiastically accept "God hates f*gs" rhetoric and similar messages.

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The evangelical churches who are solid biblical find such 'churches' a disgust. They are nothing but extreme parasites infecting society and Christs true churches. They are cultist in origin with a typical fame hungry Leader and they give a black eye to real Christianity. To scorn fallen Soldiers at their memorial is a sign of evil. They aren't concerned about seeing sinners such as the sexually perverted overcome their addictions and they should be exposed as Romans 5 commands us to for they don't represent God . They are pseudo Christians who are fooling themselves.

The consensus among virtually every kind of Christian from just about every background concerning the WBC is that they are an extremist and destructive hate cult. To even refer to them as a "church" is usually enough to make most Christians cringe.

-CryptoLutheran

ViaCrucis said:

The consensus among virtually every kind of Christian from just about every background concerning the WBC is that they are an extremist and destructive hate cult. To even refer to them as a "church" is usually enough to make most Christians cringe.

-CryptoLutheran

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True indeed.

Westboro is an extremist group that is not representative of mainstream Christianity. I do not support their message or their tactics.

Not from me or anyone I know at my church.

As I've always said, Westboro Baptist Church is a family of lawyers masquerading as a tax exempt religious organization.