Jury rules against Westboro cultists

The problem, TB, is that the Bible has so many damn contradictions that nobody has any real idea of what is and is not allowed. Thus, we have Phelps saying "God hates gays!" because he is actually able to quote from some passage.

I get that you don’t want to be lumped in with these guys. You are a Christian. You look to the passages of do unto others. However, just because you prioritized that as being the be all end all does not mean that others can’t.

There was a reason that Catholics had such a problem with condoms for so long.

 

Neither Christ nor his alleged Father seemed to have a problem with slavery.

 

Really? Why did he put Moses through all that bother then?

 

Moses misinterpreted what he really was supposed to do.

 

Well, When Moses received the 10 Commandments he wasn't instructed to ban slavery. There was every opportunity to do so.

 

One thing to remember about Baptists is there's Baptists and there's Baptists. Yes, very zen. But the term Baptist isn't a trademark, so while there's official groups like the Southern Baptist Convention or the American Baptists, pretty much any group of anyones can call themselves Baptists. Which means there's almost no way to outline a "typical Baptist" belief because there's no such thing as a typical Baptist -- they can run the gamut from liberal to fundamentalist. And that's why Phelps and his clan can call themselves Baptists with impunity. Nobody can come down from on high and tell them they can't. Well, with the one exception.

 

Thank God I'm a Presbyterian.

We're the "frozen chosen"

 

Technically, there were 10 opportunities.

So, by your logic, we can assume God is OK with homosexuality and porn and gambling and drinking and not using your turn signal since they aren't banned in the 10 commandments?

 

Yeah, that's great -- and who do we entrust to decide what "reasonable limits" are?

I'm sorry, this group is a bunch of assholes, but they are no different than the KKK, the skinheads, some of these whacko war protestors -- and frankly I am OK with them having their right to voice their views no matter how offensive or ridiculous it might be because that is the price you pay for living in a free society.

And I have no interest in giving governments or politicians even a little wiggle room to determine where they can draw the line.

 

I agree with this.

 

Here is a little cut and paste of a very good histroy of the KKK with respect to religion and specifically Christianity.

"The social, political and cultural factors influencing the rapid growth of the KKK between 1921 and 1925 are very complex and go beyond the scope of this brief article. Suffice to say that it was likely the acidic forces of modernity eroding away the fabric of the traditional beliefs and lifestyles of White Anglo Saxon Protestant communites , that explains much about the rise of the KKK. The forces of modernity gathered momentum exponentially following WW1, revolutions in transport, communication, mass media, agriculture, industry, Hollywood - sex had somehow escaped the bedroom to the back seats of automobiles!


The KKK offered disoriented people simple answers to complex problems. It articulated decisively what many conservatives, nativists and also some liberals were already concerned about - and it called them out of their apathy into organised action. The KKK would receive much tacit support from local and state governments. However, a major platform in the rise of the KKK was Conservative Protestant Christianity.

William Joseph Simmons and his right hand man Clarke shared an evangelical heritage. They were acutely aware of the power of evangelical Christianity over the Protestant masses and the vast inroads that Christian Fundamentalism had been making. Both the old and new Klan defined itself as Protestant. The issue which the KKK won most support from the churches was its vehemently anti-Catholic stance. Nationally, one of the KKK's main strategies was to win over the Protestant clergy. It should, I believe, remain an indictment upon American Protestantism that it did this so easily. While more liberal clerics and theologians were often outspoken against Klan activities, the KKK won remarkable support amongst local churches and ministers. The KKK was supported most notably by Methodists, Baptists and the Disciples of Christ; all of which had been the most susceptible to Fundamentalism. These were the three largest Protestant denominations in the U.S; between them numbering millions of adherents. This provided the KKK with a huge audience to sow their "gospel" of hate, racism and intolerance. This occurred in cities but had most effect in towns and rural centres where most people went to church. It was an era too when a minister or pastor carried a high community status. By 1925, the KKK had proselytised over 40, 000 clergy and a significant number became Klan officials.(iii) This in turn resulted in whole communities becoming pro-Klan."


I think it it should also be noted that Simmons was a Methodist preacher.

Now, I don't know if that makes the KKK a Christian group or not but it is interesting to note that Klan members often refer to themselves as Proud White Protestant Christians or something close to that so it wouldn't be a stretch to call the KKK a Christian organization, though I don't know that it is completely applicable.