”The thing is, as much as I hate everything Fred Phelps has stood for and instituted, I remain firm in my stance that I will not be happy about anyone's death…”
So sayith an atheist commenting on Hemant Mehta’s “The Friendly Atheist” blog article on Fred Phelps’ illness and soon to be dead condition …according to his estranged son. http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/03/report-fred-phelps-founder-of-westboro-baptist-church-near-death/
Fred Phelps, the founder and patriarch of the Westboro Baptist Church, has made life miserable for thousands of people. The homophobic shenanigans at soldier’s funerals, et al, have alienated them even from the other fundamentalist Xtian groups. If you are unfamiliar with the depth of sickness of his hatred and how far his “church” of family followers takes it, Google him…I won’t go into further detail here.
So, what’s behind this sanctimonious holier than thou, ‘any man’s death diminishes me’ bullshit? Frankly I think it’s a bold face lie, hypocrisy, espoused by those who want to appear to be on a higher moral plane than us mere normal humans. And by normal human I mean people whose emotions are appropriate for the situation, not masked /suppressed /and denied because by so doing it is evidence of a more advanced, more evolved humanity.
I'll never understand the mentality of "never happy about someone’s death". I will avoid the inevitable invoking of "you know who" (that German guy from the early-mid-20th century), lest I be accused of employing Godwin's Law. But, the reality is- unlike John Donne's famous quote - there ARE in fact people whose death does NOT diminish me / us; indeed, their deaths enhance society and contributes to civilization.
"Oh my … Torquemada is dead?? I am wracked with grief! What a loss! I am diminished! Oh the humanity! He was such a Grand Inquisitor.” Please.
Look, if you genuinely can’t experience the full range of emotions death naturally evokes in normal humans – inconsolable grief, sadness, relief, neutrality, happiness, and perhaps others- then you’re not more morally evolved than me, you’re either a phony, catatonic, or an automaton . If you think “all life is precious” tell it to the flesh eating bacteria, brain boring parasites, and deer ticks – no doubt they’d agree if they could.
Fred is near death? Good! I hope his death is slow, prolonged and painful … as he prolonged and intensified the pain of the victimized targets of his hate. Feel free to demonize me for my lack of humanity, my not quite as advanced evolution and my lack of respect for the life of certain humans. I’m comfortable with it.
That's great news, Hump! It's almost enough to make me wish there really was a Hell.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the extremely limited info I could find about Phelps and his imminent departure, he managed to get himself excommunicated from his very own cult of hatred a while back. I wonder what happened there? Considering that the members were mainly his own offspring and their families, it must have been something pretty bad. I wonder if Fred took advantage of his position and got a bit too priestly with some of his flock. Nothing about him would surprise me.
Riley..
ReplyDeleteword is he was becoming abusive to the family members, so they excommunicated him. His daughter is now in charge.
Of course, I prefer to think he has come out of the closet . ;)
Regards,
Hump
I think the whole lot are psychopaths with of course religion making them even more psychotic. No loss felt for this scum bag.
ReplyDeletePhelps is near death? THERE IS A GOD!!!...oh, wait...lol
ReplyDeleteCan't happen soon enough...I hope the entire WORLD protests his funeral like he and his inbred family have countless times over the years.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers, Hump. I totally agree. I like the lingering pain and suffering part. Mitch
ReplyDeletePity all of the hatred he's sown over the years won't die with him.
ReplyDeleteOf course, all this talk of death reminds me of my Grandmother's advice, when she told me to "not speak ill of the dead." As a seven-year-old at the time, I had to ask what that meant. She told me, "When someone dies, say something nice about them or don't say anything at all."
So, in that spirit, up on hearing about Andrew Breitbart's untimely (and probably not cocaine-related) death, I exclaimed, "Andrew Breitbart is dead. Isn't that nice!"
Lol, OMFG, this is too good! I once saw a BBC documentary about that fucktard and his family. The BBC team even managed to be granted an interview with several of the grown up daughters. The inane & insane crap that spewed out of those young mouths was just simply awesome. True born-again psychos in their full glory.
ReplyDeleteI certainly concur in most of your expressed appreciation for the unlamented imminent, we hope, departure of Freddie the Freeloaded.
ReplyDeleteI took greater exception to his church having been raised in the town of Westboro….Massachusetts. Always felt soiled by his seeping pus.
I also agree with Hitchens comment (about “Rev” [em up] Fallwell)--- “I think it’s a pity there isn’t a hell fro him to go to.”
Hitch gloried in being “the authorized, official pisser-on of people’s funerals” so he was no doubt annoyed Fred attempted to twist that job.
I view Fred’s coming going to be an untimely death. Should have happened 30 years ago.
I cannot concur on wishing him a slow, painful death anymore than I would support torture of terrorists for “information.” I think torturing another reduces the torturer.
So I wish for a speedy absence of Phelps, but that just before he goes he has a similar epiphany that theists wish upon us: the realization he was totally, and vilely wrong, and his followers learn he caved in.
Unless he makes a miraculous recovery.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you on this one. Phelps specialized in taunting and tormenting the bereaved at funerals. He did everything in his power to intensify the misery of others. Whatever he's suffering now is more than deserved.
ReplyDeleteMost people understand this. Normal people in New York celebrated bin Laden's death, even though a few holier-than-thou types criticized them for it.