Whitechapel - God Hates the World

God Hates the World

thom_wong — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:05:59 -0800

Just finished watching the God Hates the World video over on Warren's blog. For those who haven't seen it, it's the Westboro Baptist Church changing the lyrics to We Are the World. The entire video is infuriating, but then you get to the last 30 seconds...and suddenly it seems far, far more serious. As a former church goer I am deeply ashamed. As a human being, I am angry and a little bit scared.

God Hates the World

Cat Vincent — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:13:01 -0800

Westboro Babtists are just one smelly turd in a whole bowl of shit usually called Dominionist Christianity.

A good place to start finding out just how these Futzy little buggers are doing their darndest to turn the world into Their Idea of God's Empire is the Livejournal Dark Christianity blog.
(Disclaimer - I was a moderator there until recently. I can promise the main guys there do good deep research and include a lot of ex-Dominionists who blow the whistle real loud. Unnecessary paranoia is kept to a minimum and non-Dominion Christians find a home there, along with athests, pagans and all sorts.)

God Hates the World

KitsuneCaligari — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:29:14 -0800

I don't get it. Why the upside down Canadian flag in the back, just after the 4.30 minute mark? What the hell kinda rallying banner is that?

So according to wikipedia, this lot hates everything and everyone, and according to this tune, read in the line "god hates the world/and all his people", they seem to now be in the throes of self-hatred, unless they are so divorced from the entire human race as to be alien to the very society they seem to wish to save. Such zealotry can only be rewarded by group psychic implosion and great big vats of curiously flavored Kool-Aid....

God Hates the World

badger — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:31:03 -0800

While we're at it, how do you feel about this Hosanna Church child sex case? I live in this town. (Hammmond, LA) The locals are casting it all as a matter of a Satanic cult, but that's nonsense. When these crimes were committed, they were committed by people who believed themselves to be Christian. If the article was written properly, one would note that the FBI did not find any pentagrams or animal blood. All of the Satanic nonsense has been tacked on after the fact because no one wants to come to terms that the problem is systemic to many of the local charismatic churches.

Westboro Baptist Church (which is tiny) is only a couple of shades away from these churches on the spectrum of radicalism. Another huge local church nearly identically with Hosanna still has the people rolling in the aisles, farting and belching out demons, unsure of whether non-whites actually have souls.

God Hates the World

graphicartistx — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:53:43 -0800

If any of these so called Christians took a minute to listen to themselves, hell, if any of them even read the Bible, they'd realize they are on the wrong side of the spectrum. There's such a thing called the Damascus Covenant written about in the New Testement which talks about Jesus fulfilling the old laws so "we" can live free. When's the last time any of these hypochristians even TALKED about the New Testement? If the Bible says "Judge not" then who the hell are they to judge?

Sorry to go off on a "religious rant" but these fuckers who claim to represent the word of God while being the most insidious people I have ever known pisses me off to no end. All they have to do to see why Christianity is "under attack" is look in the mirror.

God Hates the World

graphicartistx — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:56:13 -0800

For the record, I don't know if the Bible is true, I don't know if Jesus was real and I don't know if God is real either. I find blind faith to be as bad as no faith at all, but I have a hope, no matter how small, that THIS is not all there is.

God Hates the World

williac — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:08:07 -0800

When Warren said "If you can stomach it, the last twenty seconds are as close to pure evil as I’ve seen today." he wasn't kidding. I was mildly amused and had a couple laughs before then.

Now, I'm just uncomfortable.

God Hates the World

bschory — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:26:50 -0800

Comment as of 2:34: They're probably all related, and I'm sure they know each other (in the biblical sense)! *rim shot*

Comment at end: williac said it, nothing else can really say it that well. What the HELL? ...damn people need to get off my damn planet and stop stealing my damn air...

Comment 10 minutes afterward: All praise to the mighty Cthulhu! May he not spare my sanity so that I can avoid people like this and live in a nice room with thick wallpaper!

God Hates the World

Jay Kay — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:27:23 -0800

I just sighed and shook my head for most of it...until I got to what Warren said about the final thirty seconds. I nearly dry-heaved.

Bomb the lot of them. With chainsaws.

God Hates the World

John Smith — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:38:32 -0800

We've had Shirley Phelps-Roper on our radio show a couple of times-- the first was a forty five minute interview that was mostly her screaming Bible quotes. Their world-view is simply incredible. The second time was when we had on the guy who started GodHatesShrimp.com. I had a good idea and looked up the church's number-- we called live on the air and sure enough, Shirley answered. It worked out well, turns out Shirley's ready to debate any time, any place-- even if it's like 6:30 am Kansas time.

God Hates the World

Swift Benjamin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:39:48 -0800

Clearly, these people are, or have become, some kind of cult. That being the case, why can't they have the decency to just drink the Kool-Aid like the rest of their ilk and leave us alone. I swear I am never going outside again without a long stick with a nail in it.

....a long nail

....and rusty

God Hates the World

screaming meat — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:43:44 -0800

Comment as of 2:34: They're probably all related, and I'm sure they know each other (in the biblical sense)! *rim shot*

That town has a thousand or so people in it... and only two surnames.

Comment 1:30: She is surely the DEVIL?

God Hates the World

ravnos — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:47:28 -0800

Wait... I get to eat children? Sweet! Can I start with that one? ... she'd be good with some lemon and pepper... as all children are. (I can't remember what that's from... damn it).

God Hates the World

Sarpedon — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:57:35 -0800

my god. that last 20 seconds is indeed one of the most terrible things I've seen.
Now, it's been a while since I went to church but nowhere in the Bible that we read did it say anything about teaching children to hate everyone.

but I have a hope, no matter how small, that THIS is not all there is.

Yeah, the God I was brought up to believe in wouldn't have anything to do with these crazy people.
to quote a bumper sticker: "Jesus loves you, but everyone else thinks you're an asshole."

Was the "Jesus was a cunt" shirt someone from their church or what? Also the two women making out? what was that doing in there?

God Hates the World

Jay Kay — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:00:00 -0800

"Was the "Jesus was a cunt" shirt someone from their church or what? Also the two women making out? what was that doing in there?"

They would probably say that it's examples of why God hates the world. My guess is that they fabricated them--at least the "Jesus was a cunt" one.

God Hates the World

graphicartistx — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:05:50 -0800

Thanks, Sarpedon. Thought I may have ostracized myself for a minute there. Sometimes my emotions get the better of me, but damn those types of hypochristians get to me. But I know one thing; IF there is a hell (huge, Godzilla sized IF) and I end up there, I'm sure those idiots will be cell mates.

God Hates the World

MusiM — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:23:44 -0800

Every time I've almost came to the humanist side of thinking I see something like this video and I see that only a truly evil person could orchestrate that. It was funny until the last 20 minutes. Now I'm wishing for Ollie from the Mist to show up and fix things (like the movie/author or not, I cheered at the certain scene).

God Hates the World

Vespers — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:25:30 -0800

@DarkKnightJRK
Not likely. I know many a metalhead who wears shirts like that. Especially in places where 'christians' like that might see.

God Hates the World

Zachary Cole — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:14:28 -0800

Ugh. That ast bit with the kid made me ill. Fuck those guys, that was vile.

God Hates the World

SJD — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:53:28 -0800

If I believe in free speech is it wrong wanting them to shut the fuck up?

Ah well, I'm not of their species anyway.

I'm human.

-SJD

God Hates the World

Jay Kay — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:15:07 -0800

"If I believe in free speech is it wrong wanting them to shut the fuck up?"

Nah, that just makes you human.

"Not likely. I know many a metalhead who wears shirts like that. Especially in places where 'christians' like that might see."

Stop ruining my paranoid delusions, dammit!

Seriously, yeah, I can see your point.

God Hates the World

ARES — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:17:12 -0800

That Jesus Was A Cunt shirt was likely from the band Cradle of Filth.

I didn't watch the video, I've had enough of Phelps to last me a lifetime (approximately 5 minutes of visiting his website www.godhatesfags.com).

Also:

God Hates the World

muse hick — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:26:14 -0800

i think it's great -- let people get glimpse inside the minds of these sick fucks and who the hell would want to listen to them? they make themselves objects of ridicule by behaving the way they do.

God Hates the World

Cat Vincent — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:29:06 -0800

@ARES

For the win.
Dare I say, methinks they doth protest too much?

God Hates the World

Jay Kay — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:31:24 -0800

I agree with Cat--Ares = made of win.

God Hates the World

Demarc — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:33:48 -0800

These people had planned to protest my high school graduation. They were on their way to San Francisco anyway and we would be little bit of a warm up. Apparently, they didn't much like the Gay Straight Alliance at our school.
But they showed up a bit late and were protesting at the graduation for the school across town.
Most the people in my town just jeered them for having such a piss-poor protest. Californians know what a REAL protest looks like. These guys were just pathetic.

God Hates the World

Spadiee — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:18:19 -0800

We seem to deal with these people in Indiana on a yearly basis. They come to protest, we line up on the other side to protest them, they get what they want by getting media attention. Luckily, however, they've attracted far better attention than simple cameras and third-page notoriety.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=a661aba5-bdc8-418e-8a31-234c851a3f6a&k=54291&p=1

That is an article (I hope) from a Canadian newspaper regarding the eleven million dollar lawsuit that the group lost to the family of a dead soldier they protested.

The article also talks about how free speech advocates feel such a ruling sets a dangerous precedent for what can and cannot be said or protested. Yet I don't think that is what the suit means at all. If anything it is an affirmation of the sort of shit we've heard from our mothers all of our lives. Mine used to turn to me after I'd said something particularly nasty and say, "Eric, watch your mouth,". I'd always considered that to be some sort of power play or a way of controlling my words so that I did not embarrass my parents. In reality it was a warning about humanity as a whole. Every person is born, regardless of the law set down by long dead men, with certain rights that cannot be taken without force or pain of death. Freedom of choice, of speech, of beliefs etc. What the suit is saying, just like what our mothers have been saying, is that while we have these freedoms for life we also have the consequences associated with them. Choose to kill someone and you go to jail. Choose to believe in something strange or obscure and face ostracism. If you want to protest the death of a soldier then be my guest, I will not stop you, but there should be no surprise when a lawsuit is crammed up your unlit hole with cold hands for doing so.

Somehow I feel like I just had sex with human patriotism and that I am well spent from it.

I suppose I went on this rant so that posting the article didn't become a debate about the right of the government to declare such a suit against free speech. I apologize profusely if I've failed in my endeavor and I hope the children of those bratchnies make it out in the end.

God Hates the World

curb — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:45:11 -0800

I think the last 20 seconds would be more disturbing if it wasn't for the silliness of the 5 or so minutes before that. I worry about what kind of life that child might have, but considering that most of the teens in that video seemed barely able to stifle a laugh, I think she'll reach adolesence without being totally indoctrinated. As muse hick says, stunts like these serve to highlight just how ridiculous these people are. Particularly the references to God's 'Pent up rage'. If there's one reading of the bible I like, it's the 'God as a petty, passive aggressive little spinster who just loves giving you enough rope to hang yourself' reading.

God Hates the World

Oddcult — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:12:55 -0800

Is it wrong of me to actually wish we had more of these types over here in the UK, so I could get that lovely warm rush of rage that comes with going to stop them?

I mean... I want there to be less of this kind of thing in the world, but protesting it is a wonderfully safe way to feel righteous and excited and like having achieved something.

I suspect that this is more than a large part of the appeal to their side too.

God Hates the World

screaming meat — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:43:09 -0800

@oddcult

the Lord always provides

God Hates the World

Solario — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:19:52 -0800

I love Louis Theroux sooo much.

(Gah, damn HTML embed bullshit.)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4413388146858417528

God Hates the World

lamuella — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:37:46 -0800

Phelps is the finest existing example of someone trolling real life.

Even if he believes his insane shit, he's a troll. He only thrives when people pay attention to him.

Which is why my reaction to anything he or his clan of inbred fuck-troglodytes do is to say "That's nice, you bigoted shitbags, now go die somwhere" and then do something more productive.

God Hates the World

jona — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:47:42 -0800

The greatest arguement for mass, compulsory sterilisation

God Hates the World

Kosmopolit — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:49:49 -0800

I read a claim somewhere that WBC is essentially a scam.

They set out deliberately to provoke people into assaulting them then they sue them.

They probably believe the nonsense they spout, but the law-suit money is probably a nice little additional sweetener.

God Hates the World

jona — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:00:19 -0800

just when you think it can't get worse:

God Hates the World

jona — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:01:52 -0800

God Hates the World

hemlock_martini — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:40:43 -0800

In twenty years, their signs will read "GOD HATES ROBOTS."

In thirty years, their signs will read "GOD HATES ROBOSEXUALS."

God Hates the World

lex — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:06:23 -0800

Hmm, they should try getting a decent fuck. Apparently it helps. But who would dare explain the concept to them, especially that relatives and kids are verboten?

God Hates the World

SJD — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:03:16 -0800

hemlock_martini WINS.

But for the record I hate those ROBOSEXUALS too. :P

:D

God Hates the World

thom_wong — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:40:38 -0800

I want to ignore them, but I worry that ignoring them is tantamount to agreement. After finishing God is Not Great I'm wondering if we're not simply headed towards some sort of heated battle, legal or otherwise, as people of fundamental beliefs get more and more scared that their way of life is disappearing. Talk about alternative lifestyles...

God Hates the World

graphicartistx — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:49:26 -0800

Talk about "Adapting" and "Warding off Futureshock". These idiots are causing their own demise by refusing to accept they are wrong (and insane...the BAD kind of insane).

God Hates the World

underdog — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:22:32 -0800

When I see stuff like this, I'm always reminded of one of my favourite parts of the West Wing, when the president notices someone in an event who uses the bible to call homosexuality an abomination:

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I have you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits. "

I love that Louis Theroux documentary, I'd encourage everyone to watch it. The adults in that organisation are lost, and should be sterilised and locked away in a tiny box with a family of badgers with urinary tract infections, but their kids should be taken away from them asap and given to a family who will teach them about such novel ideas as "love" and "understanding".

God Hates the World

titivil — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:24:01 -0800

Even more frustrating than their inexplicable beliefs and their horrifying tactics (protesting funerals of both hatecrime victims and war casualties) is the fact that they are absolutely unreachable by rational and/or unreachable discourse. In the ten or so years that I've been hearing/reading of these feckless idiots, I've never once heard of a lapsed Phelps making the rounds, describing the horrors inside, etc. (If there was one, would love to hear of it.)

Their ideology is entirely circular, and anyone that disagrees is as hate-able by God as the fags they placard about. For instance, the dude in the photo above standing between "he's" and "gay" -- you think that hurt his feelings at all? You think he lost a minute's sleep? Even our American Klan gets pissed off and rushes the protesters, sometimes (not to invite any kind of moral equivalency of evil discussion).

They are some scary fuckers only in that they are utterly reprogrammed -- zombies that are already here.

God Hates the World

Kinesys — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:40:36 -0800

You know, I used to think church burnings were horrible.
What a difference a decade can make.

God Hates the World

blake peterson — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:19:57 -0800

They are some scary fuckers only in that they are utterly reprogrammed -- zombies that are already here.

I believe that's why the last 20 seconds or so are so reprehensible. It's as if you're seeing the indoctrination in realtime, how it works, how it starts; how it can be so completely and totally ingrained into their minds. They have a self imposed control-society that perpetuates itself through constant fear and righteousness. And they start it before individuals can make basic value judgments.

The scary part is that their certainty in how justified they are probably gives at least some of them extreme peace of mind. For them there is no existential quandary, no waffling on moral issues, no burden of independent judgment, no guilt. In a horrible, almost ethically unthinkable way, they are free.

I think there is an attractiveness that permeates that kind thinking; an attraction to the idea that one might never be culpable for one's actions. If you want to reach people like that, you'll have to provide a viable alternative to the bliss of blind faith, of enforced ignorance. I imagine, that to them, virtually nothing is worth braving the doubt that challenging their faith would require. Their entire world makes sense, and all they have to do is not think.

God Hates the World

ARES — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:28:21 -0800

Anyone see Jesus Camp? Scary stuff, about as much as it was funny.

My favourite part was the 9 year old who said (paraphasing of course): "When I was 5 years old I realized my life wasn't very satisying, so I came to god." Now he preaches to other kids. Don't play kickball or with LEGOs or anything, jesus fucking christ.

God Hates the World

Nil — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:39:01 -0800

*shudders*

That video - horrible and terrifying as it was - is going on my regular viewing list. Living as I do in a thankfully fairly open, liberal community, it's easy to forget that people like that are out there. Watching that has just kicked the old anger back into gear, and that's exactly what I need.

God Hates the World

Admiral Neck — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:45:00 -0800

screaming meat
@oddcult

the Lord always provides

Man, we're so unimaginative we have to copy even the really shitty ideas coming out of America, don't we. I've been dancing the happy dance over the failure of Christian Voice's suit against the BBC for screening Jerry Springer The Opera, but reading that page I see they're going to appeal. This kind of thing is what actually makes the baby Jesus cry, if you'll forgive an old man for reaching for a worn-out internet cliche.

Perhaps someone here can make up a t-shirt that says, "Nobody rocks the cock like Fred Phelps", a la Krysta Now in Southland Tales.

God Hates the World

Zachary Cole — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:54:59 -0800

underdog: I do think that Brtlet wouln't oppose seeing his brother stoned to death. Ole Jebodiah remembers being trapped in a meat locker...

;)

- Zachary -

God Hates the World

John Smith — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:01:04 -0800

@Kosmopolit -- "They set out deliberately to provoke people into assaulting them then they sue them."

Well it wouldn't surprise me. Fred and his daughter are both lawyers, I believe.

God Hates the World

screaming meat — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:06:19 -0800

@admiral neck

I actually e-mailed this to them. Strangely, no reply.

@underdog

The bible also condones incest which is funny considering... Genesis 19:30-35 Bible fans!

God Hates the World

Elohim — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:03:06 -0800

I believe Fred Phelps got his licence revoked for being a total arsehole - and a perjurer if memory serves...

God Hates the World

screaming meat — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:03:54 -0800

There is a God *drum roll*

God Hates the World

Admiral Neck — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:22:36 -0800

screaming meat, good work. I checked out your blog before and saw you'd been discussing it, and it was good to know that someone else was keeping an eye on them. Always worthwhile to keep watching the idiots. I guess Britain's fundamentalists aren't going to help us out by attending funerals with hate-slogans so we know where they are (they just stand around outside Television Centre instead).

God Hates the World

screaming meat — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:26:48 -0800

They'll get to it eventually, Admiral. I have to admit I am addicted to God TV. Few shows make me laugh (in both fear and amusement) so much.

It's like watching a doomsday clock.

Anyway, television centres good. Tall buildings, lots of sniper spots.

God Hates the World

kaosdevice — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:43:43 -0800

I live in the city those nimrods have their base of operations in (Topeka, KS). For better or worse they are just ignored around here and are on pretty much media black out. Because of that they don't protest around here much at all. Remember we've also been dealing with these idiots since the late 80's and Fred Phelps his whole life. They have a walled compound smack dab in the middle of the city that has more surviellance cameras then your average airport, still they are constant targets of graffitti and vandalisim.

Anyone else notice that Fred wasn't in that music video? (That I saw anyway),

Anyway, two of Fred's sons left and disowned him. His son Mark wrote a letter to the city paper disowning him. His other son wrote a book talking about growing up in WBC but I couldn't find a link for it. Several other of his family members have also tried to detach themselves from WBC with varyinig degrees of success.

God Hates the World

LBA — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:59:14 -0800

there has to be a more powerful word than disgust to describe how I feel about those people, I just can't think of it.

God Hates the World

sacredchao — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:25:41 -0800

I hate that man so much. I often wish horrible things on people, Michael Vick being another current recipient of my completely impotent wrath, and many an idle hour has been spent wishing testicular cancer and gay drug addict prostitutes on Fred Phelps.

If only karma was real...