Fred Phelps: Difference between revisions

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Phelps and the WBC began pickting around 1991, in order combat homosexual activities at Gage Park. Although the protests started out small, and gained little attention, the church soon began gaining attention nationwide, the most notable event being the funeral protest of Matthew Shepard in 1998. Around 2003, the WBC began to protest the funerals of soilder killed in Iraq and Afganastan, claiming that they died for a doomed nation. Several laws were soon made to restrain the church protests. While not banning them from picketing, the laws passed made member keep a large distance from the funeral.

The church continues to hold daily pickets, but Phelps however has grown absent from them, mostly due his old age and health issues in his younger years. In recent years the church has shown signs of falling apart, due to fact that several members, mostly younger ones, have either left or were kicked out, a lawsuit that made international news around 2006, that was soon brought to the Supreme Court and other factors, such as Phelps' old age may contribute to the falling apart. On March 16th, 2014, it was confirmed by Phelps' estrangend son Nathan in a Facebook post that his father is poor health, stating that he is on the "edge of death", and is currently in a hospice in Topeka. It was later officaly confirmed by church spokesman [[Steve Drain]] that the reports are true. Nathan also stated that his father was excommunicated from the church in August 2013.

The church continues to hold daily pickets, but Phelps however has grown absent from them, mostly due his old age and health issues in his younger years. In recent years the church has shown signs of falling apart, due to fact that several members, mostly younger ones, have either left or were kicked out, a lawsuit that made international news around 2006, that was soon brought to the Supreme Court and other factors, such as Phelps' old age may contribute to the falling apart. On March 16th, 2014, it was confirmed by Phelps' estrangend son Nathan in a Facebook post that his father is poor health, stating that he is on the "edge of death", and is currently in a hospice in Topeka. It was later officaly confirmed by church spokesman [[Steve Drain]] that the reports are true. Nathan also stated that his father was excommunicated from the church in August 2013. Ironically, his excommunication came as the result of one of one of Phelps' few attempts to do something arguably benevolent, when the church's new board of elders - headed by [[Steve Drain]] - turned on him after an attempt on Phelps' part to intervene on behalf of his daughter Shirley, who had been all but removed from the church herself.

==Beliefs==

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 Phelps and the WBC began pickting around 1991, in order combat homosexual activities at Gage Park. Although the protests started out small, and gained little attention, the church soon began gaining attention nationwide, the most notable event being the funeral protest of Matthew Shepard in 1998. Around 2003, the WBC began to protest the funerals of soilder killed in Iraq and Afganastan, claiming that they died for a doomed nation. Several laws were soon made to restrain the church protests. While not banning them from picketing, the laws passed made member keep a large distance from the funeral.
-The church continues to hold daily pickets, but Phelps however has grown absent from them, mostly due his old age and health issues in his younger years. In recent years the church has shown signs of falling apart, due to fact that  several members, mostly younger ones, have either left or were kicked out, a lawsuit that made international news around 2006, that was soon brought to the Supreme Court and other factors, such as Phelps' old age may contribute to the falling apart. On March 16th, 2014, it was confirmed by Phelps' estrangend son Nathan in a Facebook post that his father is poor health, stating that he is on the "edge of death", and is currently in a hospice in Topeka. It was later officaly confirmed by church spokesman [[Steve Drain]] that the reports are true. Nathan also stated that his father was excommunicated from the church in August 2013.
+The church continues to hold daily pickets, but Phelps however has grown absent from them, mostly due his old age and health issues in his younger years. In recent years the church has shown signs of falling apart, due to fact that  several members, mostly younger ones, have either left or were kicked out, a lawsuit that made international news around 2006, that was soon brought to the Supreme Court and other factors, such as Phelps' old age may contribute to the falling apart. On March 16th, 2014, it was confirmed by Phelps' estrangend son Nathan in a Facebook post that his father is poor health, stating that he is on the "edge of death", and is currently in a hospice in Topeka. It was later officaly confirmed by church spokesman [[Steve Drain]] that the reports are true. Nathan also stated that his father was excommunicated from the church in August 2013. Ironically, his excommunication came as the result of one of one of Phelps' few attempts to do something arguably benevolent, when the church's new board of elders - headed by [[Steve Drain]] - turned on him after an attempt on Phelps' part to intervene on behalf of his daughter Shirley, who had been all but removed from the church herself.
 ==Beliefs==