One of my greatest sources of criticism towards Muslims is when decent, honorable Muslims are quiet when persons of their own faith commit evil in the name of Allah. Muslim terrorists fly planes into buildings…killing thousands of people…and they remain silent. Or when homicidal bombers blow up people at weddings or at the local diner…and it’s considered okay because they “just killed Jews”.
With that in mind…it is impossible to remain silent when I hear the vicious hate filled speech spewing forth from one who purports herself to be a Christian. May I say in no uncertain terms that this woman’s words distort the Word of God and in no way represent what God tells us in His Holy Bible. She does not represent Christianity…nor is she approved of or applauded by those who call themselves by the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Ms. Shirley Phelps Roper…by your own word you are condemned.
Shirley Phelps Roper and the people of the “Westborough Baptist Church” are at it again…or should I more accurately say they are still at it. This time their ugliness and deceit is beyond comprehension.
When I first became aware of this troublesome group…it was when news stories showed these sick, hate filled people protesting at the funerals of slain American soldiers. Not protesting the war…but instead they carried signs and shouted slogans including “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”. Their contention is that God has killed those young men (who sacrificed their lives for our nation’s protection and freedom…my description…not Shirley and gang) because our nation has allowed homosexuals to practice their ways freely.
That message was bad enough…but it pales in comparison to the hate they poured fourth this past week…in the midst of tragedy that is beyond human comprehension.
While the rest of the nation reeled at the events that took place in a small Amish school house this past week...Shirley Phelps Roper and gang geared up to go forth and spread hate, hurt and destruction.
Five precious little girls’ lives were cut short in an act of such monstrous proportion that it defies human comprehension. We will never know why or fully comprehend why God allows such acts of evil to take place. Especially those committed toward the most innocent and vulnerable in our society.
But Shirley’s voice was loud and clear with the message on why she and her hate mongering group believe that this tragedy took place. She made the rounds of TV and radio shows to jump on the band wagon and use this tragedy as a platform to pour forth more lies, hate and deception.
I don’t normally take the time to transcribe TV interviews…but in my effort to defeat this hatred…and let the truth of God’s word be known…I felt compelled to do so. I want to compare Shirley Phelps Roper words to that of scripture. I want her evil ugly words to be slain with the Sword of the Spirit…the Word of God.
Shirley when I hear your words of venomous hatred directed toward those families who are in great pain over the loss of their daughters…I don’t feel a lot of compassion for the events that shaped you and formed you into the hateful person you’ve become. If it were up to me…I would be happy to let you continue on your path to destruction…and let you reap the rewards of your pharisee like, self righteous life.
But it matters not what I say, think or what I believe is the right and just action that you deserve. Only God’s Word…and what He says matters.
Shirley…even as you pour forth hatred…God still loves you and desires that you would turn to him and seek forgiveness from your sins. He desires that none should perish…but all should come to repentance. That “all” includes you Shirley.
As ugly as your words and actions are…I am reminded daily that there have been many that appear beyond redemption. What’s impossible with man…is possible with God. God took the likes of Paul…and turned him from a man who was convinced of his own self righteousness, one who slew Christians into a man transformed by God’s power. Paul went from slaying Christians…to becoming one the most influential Christians ever to walk the face of this earth. He proclaimed the Gospel message boldly to all he encountered. God has continued to use his work be bring people to repentance and a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Shirley if God can change the life of a murderer like self righteous man like Saul (one who has the blood of many on his hands) into Paul…a man of sacrificial love for the lost…what might God do with you? How might God use your life for good…as a powerful example the transforming power of God love in the life of a repentant sinner? How Shirley?
Today is the day of salvation. Shirley I urge you…I implore you to turn from your self righteousness, hatred, ugly, evil ways. God stands ready to cleanse you from your sins…transform your life and use you to further his kingdom.
Below is an exchange that took place on the Fox News I when Sean Hannity and Alan Comles interviewed Shirley Phelps Roper. I’ve also inserted scripture and my comments in some places where I feel Ms. Phelps Roper distorts the Word of God.
Shirley Phelps Roper Fox Interview
Wednesday October 4, 2006
(AC = Alan Colmes, SPR = Shirley Phelps Roper, SH = Sean Hannity)
AC - Welcome back to Fox News. Members of the Westborough Baptist Church have been protesting at military funerals since June of last year carrying signs with anti-gay slogans. Yesterday they announced were planning to protest at the funerals of the Amish school girls shot to death in Lancaster Pennsylvania earlier this week. But they have since changed their plans. With us now from Westborough Baptist Church is Shirley Phelps Roper. You changed your plans because Mike Gallagher has offered you air time on his radio show because you want to get your message out. What is that message?
SPR – The message is that God has put his standard in the earth. He expects his creatures to obey it. If you obey, he’ll bless you. If don’t he will curse you. America has sinned away her day of grace. America is doomed.
AC – You’re giving me what sounds like a bunch of talking points. Why would you cause more pain to this community? The Amish community which is so not even involved in much of what is considered modern day and these families who have suffered. Do you have sense of how much additional pain you would be causing these families by protesting at the funerals of these young girls?
SPR – There isn’t anyway to fix that situation for them. It’s not going to be any less painful if we are there or we aren’t there. They did that to themselves. And you say that they’re not involved.
AC – What do you mean when you say they did that to themselves?
SPR – I mean they sit over there and create their own form of righteousness instead of…
AC – Did those girls deserve to be killed?
SPR – Well they did get killed and they did that. Who controls the hearts of men? It was at the hands of an angry God that those girls are dead.
AC – Did they deserve to die?
SPR – They did deserve to die.
What was Jesus response when his friend Lazarus’ life was cut short at a young age?“Jesus wept.”
God tells us that we are to “Weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn.” – Romans 12:15.
Jesus didn’t add to the pain of Mary and Martha at the loss of their brother. He didn’t condemn Lazarus as a sinner deserving of death. He didn’t state that God smote him because of his sinful ways. Was Lazarus a sinner? Yes…indeed he was. As are you and I and all of humanity.
Shirley, you intentionally and purposely twist scripture in your effort to pour out your agenda of hatred. The Bible does declare that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23. “There is no one righteous, no not one.” – Romans 3:10. There was only one righteous man that walked the earth…and that was 2,000 years ago. Today he sits at the right hand of the Father.
But God also tells us that through His Son Jesus Christ he sought to save us from our sins. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John 3:17.
AC – How can you possibly make a statement like that?
SPR – Because that’s exactly what happened and it happened at the hand of your Lord your God.
AC – How could you possibly say that young girls who have done nothing wrong, who are innocent, who are just a few years old, who have never sinned, who have never done anything, deserve to die? How could you possibly make a statement like that?
SPR – You told me that you serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…who says that when Adam sinned, all sinned. There are no innocent human beings and their parents….
When the Disciples questioned Jesus about who had sinned causing a man to be born blind…what was His response? “Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” – John 9:3.
Were the blind man and his parents sinners? Absolutely…but God sometimes allows things in our life because he has a greater purpose in mind that will bring glory to God. It may have nothing to do with our sin…but instead is the result of living in a sinful world. That means at times there may be adversity in our lives…and we may never fully comprehend its purpose here on earth.
Shirley…you remind me of Job’s friends Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite who initially went to comfort him in his distress. Instead they ended up doing the blame game and were certain that the disaster that God had permitted to fall upon Job was as a result of his sin.
Not only was Job rightfully angry…but so was God. “After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.” – Job 42:7-9
AC – You protest funerals of soldiers. You protest funerals of anybody who it seems dies under any circumstances. Anybody who is not a member of your church is a sinner and hated by God.
SPR – Don’t go to that. That anyone who is not…if you don’t serve God you’re dead.
AC – Who serves God besides people in your church?
SPR – Well you tell me. I don’t see anyone on the landscape.
AC – There’s nobody except people in your church.
SPR – I don’t see that.
AC – Which is basically people in your family.
SPR – I don’t see that.
AC – Members of your family are the only people on earth that serve God and everybody else deserves to die.
SPR – You need to get out on these streets and warn your neighbor that his sin is taking him to hell. Fulfilling the royal law to love neighbor as yourself.
Jesus declared that the greatest commandment was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." – Matthew 22:37-40
Shirley…Jesus loudest condemnation was towards the self righteous, arrogant, prideful religious leaders of his day…the Sadducees and Pharisees. That is exactly what you’ve become. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” – Matthew 3:7. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." – Matthew 16:6.
SH – Hey Shirley, you are really a sick woman. You are a sick, soulless…
SPR – Slight cold, but thank you.
SH – twisted human being. You are…where is your soul that you come on the air here and these young innocent girls here are going to die. And you are going to open up the family’s wounds and pour salt on it. Where’s your heart? Where’s your soul? Where’s your compassion? Where’s your love?
SPR – Our message is for the living and that is the only loving thing to do.
SH – What about the living families that lost their daughter? Who loves their daughter.
SPR – They did that to themselves.
SH – No…because some animal killed them in cold blood.
SPR – Sent by who? Who controls the hearts of men?
SH – Do you sin?
SPR – Who controls the hearts of men? Who controls the hearts of men?
SH – Did you ever sin? Did you ever commit adultery? Did you ever sin? Did you ever lust in your heart? Did you ever get angry? Did you ever sin? Have you ever sinned here Miss Perfect here?
SPR – You’ve got the deck chairs on the Titanic. Well of course you know that I’ve sinned.
SH – You have? So you are a sinner. So why didn’t you die?
SPR – So you’re saying therefore…
SH – Did you deserve to die?
SPR – Well of course all of us deserve to die.
SH – So you sit here…
SPR – But I’m not the one who did die and my message is for those living people who brought that pain upon themselves.
SH – This is what I see about you Shirley…
SPR – They need to obey the commandments of the Lord their God.
SH – Your entire life is now sort of focused on bringing pain to other people. The families of innocent girls who died. The families of innocent soldier who died. God hates fags. You put…
SPR – Innocent? Don’t you throw that word around.
SH – Innocent.
SPR – It has no definition when you get done with it.
SH – Innocent…those children were more innocent than you. They didn’t sin like you admitted doing.
SPR – Those children…those children were killed at the hands of a raging mad God. To punish those families. To punish the state of Pennsylvania because you’ve got a governor in that state that who got on Fox News and lambasted us because we serve God.
SH – And you want to…hang on a second. And you want to do…and you…
SPR – And then you’ve got those people in Pennsylvania who think they can sue us and fix this problem.
SH – So because you didn’t…hang on a second. So because you didn’t like Ed Rendell and what he said, you are now going to protest at the funerals to bring pain to the families. Explain this.
SPR – To connect the dots. To connect the dots from point A your filthy manner of life and your rebellion against God…
SH – What are your sins Miss Perfect?
SPR – and your conduct against the service of God to point B the dead children.
SH – I want to know what your sins are.
SPR – Well I’m not going to talk to you about any of such thing. I don’t glory in my shame like you seem to do.
SH – No…I just find this amazing that everyone is a big sinner except you and you admit to being a sinner.
SPR – How about…you obey the commandments of the Lord your God.
SH – Which ones did you break?
SPR – Obey the commandments of the Lord your God. You don’t fix this by saying two wrongs make a right. That’s what you seem to be saying.
SH – No what I’m saying.
SPR – You may not say what God requires of you.
SH – You know what I’m saying. Although I’m speaking to our audience beyond you, because you’re brain dead. And what I’m saying to you is that you are a soulless, thoughtless, mean…
SPR – Thoughtless?
SH – Cruel human being.
SPR – Thoughtless?
SH – What you are doing is mean.
SPR – We go out here year after year after year on our own nickel to warn this nation that if you obey God he will bless you.
SH – Listen, listen, listen. I’ve got that. Now listen very closely.
SPR – Why don’t you just try it?
SH – Listen to what I’m saying.
SPR – Why don’t you just try it?
SH – Here’s what I’m trying to tell you.
SPR – Obey the commandments of the Lord your God.
SH – Okay I’ve got that.
SPR – And get his blessings.
SH – Now you listen to me.
SPR – There is only one remedy.
SH – Here’s what your remedy is.
SPR – Repent like the men of Nineveh or you this nation is doomed. You think it’s bad so far? You are going to find bodies
SH – You know what you are?
SPR – stacked up so that you can even bury them.
SH – You are a religious nut.
SPR – Then you will obey when God says (unintelligible…talking over one another).
AC – Shirley…we’ve got to run. Do you deserve to die to?
SPR – Well all of us do. Everyone of us.
AC – Since God is going to smite you at some point?
SPR – No I said we all deserve to die. But the mercy of God given to people who serve him is what prevails.
AC – I can’t even get mad at you because you are so pathetic.
SPR – Look hon.
AC – What you are saying is horrible and so mean spirited.
SPR – You can do all that and call me names. It doesn’t fix this. You have got the wrath of God pouring out on your head. You need to fix that by obeying (unintelligible). Repent.
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