Reading some articles last night it seems he was excommunicated after a power struggle between the board of elders led by Drain and Shirley Phelps ( I think... Doing this from memory). After the board of elders won Fred Phelps advocated that the members of the church ought to treat each other better. So they booted him.
This claims the board of elders defeated Shirley to get control.
I spoke to Nate the other day, he's obviously emotionally struggling with the whole thing and has been receiving a lot of support from his FB page, friends and even some family.
Must be such a weird situation for him, having this kind of father leaves so many scars and hurt but in the end he's still his father and he wasn't always this evil oaf he became.
__________________ Allskonar fyrir Aumingja!!
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That's bull####. Absolute bull####. Unchallenged hate becomes gospel. Hatred towards homosexuals was the norm until people started speaking out against it. You challenge abhorant views, not walk away and leave the charges uncontested.
You don't challenge them with equally abhorant views though.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
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The whole issue of challenging these Baptist fundamentalists vs. ignoring them is tricky. On one hand, I agree that it is often preferable to battle things like this head on, but on the other hand, it has given them way more press and attention than they deserve. They only have like 80 members (and mostly all from the same family). Not too many organizations with such few numbers get as much attention as they do.
They were around for more than 40 years before they received attention for picketing funerals (for a man killed by gay bashers), and it would have been ignored, people probably still wouldn't know who they are. The attention they got from it is what has made them do it more. It sucks, but it probably would have been better to let them stay obscure by just ignoring them.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
The whole issue of challenging these Baptist fundamentalists vs. ignoring them is tricky. On one hand, I agree that it is often preferable to battle things like this head on, but on the other hand, it has given them way more press and attention than they deserve. They only have like 80 members (and mostly all from the same family). Not too many organizations with such few numbers get as much attention as they do.
They were around for more than 40 years before they received attention for picketing funerals (for a man killed by gay bashers), and it would have been ignored, people probably still wouldn't know who they are. The attention they got from it is what has made them do it more. It sucks, but it probably would have been better to let them stay obscure by just ignoring them.
At the same time, I think you can make the argument that their activities had a negative effect on spreading their message.
I mean, it's not like WBC has grown into a megachurch or something. This is small group most of which are direct descendants of Phelps or married to those descendants. Neither the attention paid to them by the media nor the silence of those who have chosen to ignore them has helped their hate to spread.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
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Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
At the same time, I think you can make the argument that their activities had a negative effect on spreading their message.
I mean, it's not like WBC has grown into a megachurch or something. This is small group most of which are direct descendants of Phelps or married to those descendants. Neither the attention paid to them by the media nor the silence of those who have chosen to ignore them has helped their hate to spread.
How do you know that the null result of their activities isn't because of all the diverse groups that have stood up against them in unison?
