westboro baptist church
Anonymous hacks Westboro Baptist Church’s website during live interview
A source from the internet group Anonymous was interviewed on a radio show, along with Shirley Phelps-Roper of the homophobic Westboro Baptist Church. During the interview, Anonymous hacked the church’s website.
Earlier this week, a press release aimed at the Westboro Baptist Church was posted around the internet that claimed to be from Anonymous. The Westboro Baptist Church responded to this by publishing their own release stating, “bring it, cowards.”
Anonymous then posted a follow-up press release denying that they did not publish the original press release.
These shenanigans were discussed during the interview on the David Pakman Show. Towards the end of the discussion, the Anonymous source said:
“I was just going to say in the time that Shirley was blabbing her religious preachings I actually did some business and I think if you check downloads.westborobaptistchurch.com right now you’ll see a nice message from Anonymous.”
The WBC’s website was hacked to display a Anonymous press release (see screenshot).
Throughout the interview, the Anonymous source references internet memes, such as claiming he has “over 9,000 sins.”
The family who runs the Westboro Baptist Church has been referred to as “America’s Most Hated Family.” Most of their protesting efforts are targeted at gays and soldiers, even though many of those protests get drowned out by counter-protesters.
(via Reddit)
The Westboro Baptist Church is too inappropriate for Google
Fun fact: When using Google’s Search Stories Creator, Google does not allow you to use the query “Westboro Baptist Church” because it is allegedly not “appropriate.”
Westboro Baptist Church greeted by over 500 counter-protesters in Blacksburg, VA
Six members from the Westboro Baptist Church traveled to Blacksburg on Friday to protest America’s growing acceptance of gays, the Obama administration and Jews who refuse to repent for the death of Jesus Christ.
Their songs and chants were mostly drowned out by the car horns and voices of counter-demonstrators whom stood along Prices Fork Road.
Their presence downtown drew about 500 counterdemonstrators. Many held nonsensical signs that read, “What the french toast?” and “Pickle Your Kumquat.”
See photos from this protest at The Times-Delphic.
Westboro Baptist Church appoints first gay minister
Topeka, Kansas — The Westboro Baptist Church has made history today, appointing its first openly gay minister. James Arrington, a 32-year-old minister hopes that he will set an example for others.
James Arrington is an openly gay minister who grew up in Topeka, Kansas.
In an interview with Equalitopia, Arrington said that he did not expect to be appointed a minister into the church. “I’m not sure exactly what it was,” he explained, “but I felt like I wouldn’t really fit into the church.”
Arrington hopes that being gay will set an example for the church’s members that God is accepting of everyone. “I plan on encouraging others in the church not to be afraid of their sexuality,” he said, “we just need to be ourselves and live by the word of God.”
Gay rights advocates call it a major victory for the LGBT movement, hoping that the Westboro Baptist Church will set an example for others.
The Westboro Baptist Church has not disclosed when Arrington’s first church service will take place, in fear that the public might protest the service.
(Photo: K. Ryan Jones)
Student turns Westboro Baptist Church protest into LGBT fundraiser
University of Illinois Chicago student Jason Connell turned an anti-gay protest of the Westboro Baptist Church into a fundraiser to raise money for LGBT rights groups.
The groups include the Human Rights Campaign, International AIDS Foundation and Chicago-based Jerusalem Open House.
Jason explains:
All the donations we collect today are going to be made in honor of the WBC and for everyone who donates I have some community thank you cards that we mailed to Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, thanking them because their presence here is what allowed this to happen.
Supreme Court to rule on anti-gay protests at military funerals
The Supreme Court said on Monday it would decide whether constitutional free-speech rights protected anti-gay protests by members The Westboro Baptist Church at funerals for U.S. military members killed in Iraq.
The justices today said they will hear an appeal from Albert Snyder, who sued and won a $5 million award after his son’s 2006 Maryland funeral was disrupted by protesters led by Fred W. Phelps Sr., a Kansas pastor. A federal appeals court said the award violated the Constitution’s free-speech clause.
Protests launched by Phelps and his congregants have been met with revulsion across the United States and around 40 states have now passed laws regulating demonstrations at funerals.
The case, which the court will consider in its 2010-11 term, is Snyder v. Phelps, 09-751.
(Full story: The Washington Post)
Westboro Baptist Church’s Protest Against DC Legalizing Gay Marriage Gets Drowned Out By Singing Pro-LGBT Clergy
Today, Washington DC legalized gay marriage, and as expected, the Westboro Baptist Church was there to protest while gay couples were applying for their marriage licenses. A group of supportive clergy drowned out the protesters by signing ”This Little Light of Mine.”
Slideshow: Thousands of High School Students Drown Out Westboro Baptist Church’s Anti-Gay Protest
A photo slideshow of the Long Beach Westboro Baptist Church protest.
Thousands of High School Students Drown Out Westboro Baptist Church’s Anti-Gay Protest
The Westboro Baptist Church planned an anti-gay protest outside of Long Beach Wilson High School, but were drowned out by thousands of anti-protesters.
“They wanted to make the school proud,” said Wilson High co-principal Sandy Blazer. “It was a nice, peaceful day considering we had 4,500 kids out here. I knew they would protest hate in a respectful way.”
(Found via NOH8 Campaign)
