Two of our soldiers from Bismarck who were killed in Afghanistan will be laid to rest this Thursday and Saturday. As if this week won’t be hard enough on friends and family of these two brave men, the Fred Phelps cult has notified the town of its intent to protest the funerals.
Who are they? Well, Fred Phelps and his relatives have a “church” they call the Westboro Baptist Church. First off, they’re not a Baptist church. Second, they don’t teach a Christian doctrine. They’re just plain insane. They have a website titled godhatesfags.com where they spew hate and claim to be Christians, which they are not.
Before we go any further, let me be plainly clear about one thing: homosexuality is a sin. You don’t like that? Tough. Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take my church’s word for it. Take God’s word for it. The Bible is very explicit in the Old Testament and New Testament that homosexuality is a sin. Take it up with him if you don’t like it.
Rather than quote you verses on that subject, which I’m sure you’ve seen, let me stay on topic and point out that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Or how about a verse that I’m sure everyone in America has seen or heard at one time: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) That “whosoever” includes everybody, Mr. Phelps.
The Bible says that if you’re a liar, you must repent and trust in Jesus. Likewise, if you’re a thief, adulterer or murderer, you must repent and trust in Jesus. If you engage in homosexuality, you must repent and trust in Jesus. See the theme here? ALL SIN IS SIN. It doesn’t matter how great or how small, how culturally acceptable or how disgusting.
If you’re a member of the Phelps cult, listen to this: “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” (1 John 2:9) “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:11) “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15). I think that’s pretty plain about where they stand. If they’ve got a burden about homosexuality they should be out trying to deliver the gospel in a loving way, not simply going out and hating. God isn’t glorified in that.
In times past there have always been those Christians, a group of whom the Phelps cult is NOT a part, who like to point the finger. It started with the first believers, who looked down on the Gentiles. Paul had to whip them into shape: “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3:9-11) We’re reminded that we were ALL sinners before coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If God can forgive us, who are we to say he can’t forgive someone else?
Having said that, what this cult (I don’t think cults like being equated with the Phelps Phamily) does is not scriptural, is not appropriate, and is not indicative of Christianity.
Hopefully we can count on them being no-shows, as this article says they often do. According to this Bismarck Tribune article, they’ve notified police of their intent to protest but have not acquired a permit.
Our church, a REAL Baptist church, has done some street evangelization where we hand out Bible literature, maybe hold a sign with a Bible verse on it, and invite people to church. That group was broken up by police because a permit was required. If the Phelps cult doesn’t have a permit, and actually do show up this week, I hope the same ordinance is used to break up their hate rally as it was against a group of Bismarck residents inviting people to church.
Look…there are thousands of people out there, including some presently or formerly homosexual friends of mine, who would love to call me a hater for this post. I’m willing to put up with that; all I’ve done is say what the Bible says. Not just what Clint thinks or what my church or its doctrine say. Just the Bible. I know that’s called “intolerance” and a number of other buzzwords…but I can’t help that. All I can do is say, lovingly and rationally, that we’re all sinners of one sort or another. Fred Phelps and his inbred bunch, though…they’re in a category of their own.