Nate Phelps; The amazing journey from darkness to reason.

[Wolfman]

Nate Phelps is the son of Fred Phelps, of godhatesfags.com fame. I've been fortunate enough to become his friend over the past half year or so, and he's quite an amazing guy. His recent speech at the American Atheists conference was by far the most talked-about and moving presentations there.

He's now started his own website, www.natephelps.com (http://www.natephelps.com), to tell his story; and has joined up with 'Brother Richard', an ex-fundamentalist preacher, to establish a group called "Life After Christian Fundamentalism (http://atheistnexus.org/group/lacf)" at atheistnexus.org. I'd strongly recommend that people check them out.

I've also issued several invites for him to join us here...hopefully, he will, at some point :)

[tim]

No chance of him coming to TAMLondon, is there?

[Wolfman]

No chance of him coming to TAMLondon, is there?Suggest it to the organizers...if they can cover his costs to go there, I know that he'd be happy to go. Richard Dawkins would probably support the idea...he seemed quite moved and impressed by Nate's speech, also.

[Wolfman]

Oh, come on...surely more people are gonna' comment on this!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Haven't had time to look at it. But I will!

Maybe you could suggest the JREF add him for TAM VIII?

[Hokulele]

Post this over in R&P and watch the fur fly.

[Wolfman]

Nate Phelps is the son of Fred Phelps, of godhatesfags.com fame. I've been fortunate enough to become his friend over the past half year or so, and he's quite an amazing guy. His recent speech at the American Atheists conference was by far the most talked-about and moving presentation there.

He's now started his own website, www.natephelps.com (http://www.natephelps.com/), to tell his story; and has joined up with 'Brother Richard', an ex-fundamentalist preacher, to establish a group called "Life After Christian Fundamentalism (http://atheistnexus.org/group/lacf)" at atheistnexus.org. I'd strongly recommend that people check them out.

I've also issued several invites for him to join us here...hopefully, he will, at some point :)

[Wolfman]

Post this over in R&P and watch the fur fly.*Begrudgingly admitting that even Hokulele can have a good idea occasionally*

[Pink Booties]

that's so twenty-one days ago

ETA no fur flying yet?

[Hokulele]

I like the name he is using for his site. "Journey to Reason" indeed.

[Foster Zygote]

Thanks for that. I've just read everything on the Nate Phelps site. I'll look over the Brother Richard site later this evening. Please do continue to suggest to Nate that he check out the forum. I'm sure he'd find many friendly people here.

[Pink Booties]

Helping witta *bumpitty*

[Tricky]

I think we need to thank Wolfman for all he has done to make this reality. Wolfman was there for Nate when he was nervous and unsure what he should do. Wolfman helped give him confidence in his own worth and his own thoughts. You could call him a critical thinking midwife.

Thanks Wolfman. It isn't often when a solipsistic autosychophant cares so much for the imaginary voices in his head.:D

[ExMinister]

Nice job, Wolfman. Nate Phelp's convention speech is well worth reading.

http://atheistnexus.org/page/nate-phelps-2009-aa-speech

[Tricky]

Nice job, Wolfman. Nate Phelp's convention speech is well worth reading.

http://atheistnexus.org/page/nate-phelps-2009-aa-speech
Yes it is, if you can keep your gorge from rising at the atrocities of Nate's dad, a truly horrible man who abuses everything he touches.

[Wolfman]

I think we need to thank Wolfman for all he has done to make this reality. Wolfman was there for Nate when he was nervous and unsure what he should do. Wolfman helped give him confidence in his own worth and his own thoughts. You could call him a critical thinking midwife.I don't wanna' overstate my role. I provided encouragement to Nate, and helped edit his speech. But pretty much everything he's accomplished is due to himself...it took a lot of guts, and a lot of determination. And the constant support of his fiancee, who definitely deserves far more credit than I do.

[Springfork]

I've never heard of Nate until now. How does Fred feel about all this? Are they violent and do you think they'll try to harm Nate?

[Wolfman]

I've never heard of Nate until now. How does Fred feel about all this? Are they violent and do you think they'll try to harm Nate?They are aware of Nate, and certainly must be aware of his speech at the American Atheists conference. Besides the occasional denouncement of him (and his other three siblings who escaped), they don't seem to do much else. At least thus far, they seem to have stuck to a very deliberate strategy of non-violence (at least outside the home); in fact, they tend to rely on others resorting to violence, so that they can file lawsuits and get money.

Besides which, Nate is in Canada now, and Fred and his family are all effectively barred from entry to Canada.

[This Guy]

This is great news Wolfman!

Having read what I could find on the life the Phelps' kids had growing up, it's encouraging to see that the "escapees" are doing well, and have survived their childhood with their brains intact.

I plan to check out the links later.

I hope Nate does join us here on the Forum. I have no doubt he could add some very informative input to many of the conversations in the R&P section!

[Moochie]

I've never heard of Nate until now. How does Fred feel about all this? Are they violent and do you think they'll try to harm Nate?

Here's (http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5624) an article written about Nate's journey and linked to on his site. If you read the comments, the first one's from Nate's sister, who's apparently the apple of her father (Fred's) eye.

The sister (Shirley), comes across as very Kurious_Kathy-like, I think.



M.

[bickerer]

I took the time to watch the 90 minute video "Fall From Grace" on the Life after Fundies site, as well as read everything that I could, and I have to be honest, I've come away with a completely different opinion of the Phelpsesss after that video. I used to react to their name with spitting anger and fist waving, but they really are a pitiable bunch. They appear to be intelligent, thinking people who have got the whole thing bass-ackwards, and are so far off the beaten track, they've no possible hope of getting back on. Good luck to Nate and the few who made the break for freedom, I can't imagine what life was like in that household, and I am ill for the children still trapped in it. Is Westboro Baptist considered a tax exempt church, even though the congregation is made up entirely of family? That can't be right.........

[Gilmar]

This is really outstanding, Wolfman. I'd run across something else Nate posted a few months ago, about escaping from his family. (Maybe it was linked from one of your posts.)

[Tricky]

Wolfie, what's the chances of getting Nate to post here? I'd sure like to get to know the man.

[Wolfman]

Well, he's rather busy now, with setting up his website, and working on his book. He's joined AtheistNexus (http://www.atheistnexus.org), and posts there more often (he became good friends with the founder of the site during the conference). I think perhaps he's worried about spreading himself too thin. I'm sure that with his 'coming out', he's getting tons of invitations to join every atheist group on the planet.

He's aware of this site, and I've invited him several times...is up to him after that.

[Tricky]

Well, he's rather busy now, with setting up his website, and working on his book. He's joined AtheistNexus (http://www.atheistnexus.org), and posts there more often (he became good friends with the founder of the site during the conference). I think perhaps he's worried about spreading himself too thin. I'm sure that with his 'coming out', he's getting tons of invitations to join every atheist group on the planet.

He's aware of this site, and I've invited him several times...is up to him after that.
Well maybe we should get a big card and have lots of people here sign it and say "God may not love you, but we do!" As we well know, this site doesn't take any time at all and nobody ever spends half their day posting here.:rolleyes:

[threejr]

Nice job, Wolfman. Nate Phelp's convention speech is well worth reading.

http://atheistnexus.org/page/nate-phelps-2009-aa-speech

That was heartbreaking to read. I hope Nate has found peace and happiness in his life.

[jasonpatterson]

What an absolutely amazing story. I feel for the guy; I know many of us have come from religious families, but it's safe to say that nobody in the country had as far to go as he did.

[Puppycow]

Good for Nate!

[Foster Zygote]

...Nate's sister, who's apparently the apple of her father (Fred's) eye.
I wonder if that means he beats her less than the others.

[Tanstaafl]

Well maybe we should get a big card and have lots of people here sign it and say "God may not love you, but we do!" As we well know, this site doesn't take any time at all and nobody ever spends half their day posting here.:rolleyes:


Nope, 80% minimum.

[A Christian Sceptic]

Well maybe we should get a big card and have lots of people here sign it and say "God may not love you, but we do!" As we well know, this site doesn't take any time at all and nobody ever spends half their day posting here.:rolleyes:

"Your parents and certain siblings may not love you, but we do!"

[Hokulele]

Nah, Nate would probably like Tricky's version better.

[Darth Rotor]

Yes it is, if you can keep your gorge from rising at the atrocities of Nate's dad, a truly horrible man who abuses everything he touches.
Please don't abuse the word "atrocity" like that. Please leave that term to the exercised in bloodshed that it was designed to convey.

Phelps is a piece of work, and a waste of oxygen, but it bothers me that you, a decent wordsmith, abuse the term atrocity in this wise. There are respectable atrocity commiters in the Sudan whom you have dissed by putting them into the Phelpsian framework. Shame on you. Even they don't deserve that.

DR

[Tricky]

Please don't abuse the word "atrocity" like that. Please leave that term to the exercised in bloodshed that it was designed to convey.

Phelps is a piece of work, and a waste of oxygen, but it bothers me that you, a decent wordsmith, abuse the term atrocity in this wise. There are respectable atrocity commiters in the Sudan whom you have dissed by putting them into the Phelpsian framework. Shame on you. Even they don't deserve that.

DR
From the American Heritage Dictionary:

"atrocity - Appalling or atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness."


My father was a strong believer in, “spare the rod, and spoil the child”? In the early years his weapon of choice was a barber’s strap. However, it was used so often that it eventually frayed at the business end, and his blows would wrap around like the end of a whip, opening up wounds on our hips. So one day he called a meeting of all the children, and presented his newest disciplinary tool. Presumably, the larger the rod, the less spoiled the child, so my father presented us with a mattock handle. He demonstrated its effectiveness that day by giving it a test run on my older brother, Mark. One blow and Mark’s face turned white.

I stand by my usage. If you demand bloodshed before it is an atrocity, I think this qualifies. Small tragedies can be just as atrocious as large ones.

[korenyx]

Here's (http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5624) an article written about Nate's journey and linked to on his site. If you read the comments, the first one's from Nate's sister, who's apparently the apple of her father (Fred's) eye.

The sister (Shirley), comes across as very Kurious_Kathy-like, I think.



M.



I think Shirley is the one who works for the state of Kansas but does not want to pay her taxes because the state is evil! :boggled:

[A Christian Sceptic]

Nah, Nate would probably like Tricky's version better.

Maybe, but why put the blame on what you (and Nate apparently) believe to be a fictional character and give the real cuplrits a pass?

[Hokulele]

Maybe, but why put the blame on what you (and Nate apparently) believe to be a fictional character and give the real cuplrits a pass?


I had read Tricky's post as more of a wry tongue-in-cheek comment than any sort of statement of fact. Sort of an in-joke amongst us atheists.

In addition, the less public attention given to the members of the Phelps clan still enmeshed in the insanity, the better, IMHO.

[Elizabeth I]

I wonder if that means he beats her less than the others.

That was my first thought too!

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

"atrocity - Appalling or atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness."

I stand by my usage. If you demand bloodshed before it is an atrocity, I think this qualifies. Small tragedies can be just as atrocious as large ones.


I think DR was expressing his disgust at the whole Phelps universe in perhaps too subtle facetiousness:

There are respectable atrocity commiters in the Sudan whom you have dissed by putting them into the Phelpsian framework. Shame on you. Even they don't deserve that.

[Magyar]

I am somewhat torn about how I feel about this.
On a personal level I am overjoyed at hearing about Nate's personal strength and intellect. He is an example to us all that overcoming ones fears and facing the reality of the world, no matter how painful at times, ALWAYS leads to a better place.

On the other hand, it always creates and fuels the "no true scotsman" fallacy when it comes to religion. Yes papa phelps is an extreme example, but the millions of parents who push and shove their children into pews and threaten them with eternal damnation via kindness and social pressures is endless and they get a free pass because of people like Phelps.

We often hear about Galileo's troubles with the church and xian apologist invariably talk about how the church didn't Kill G and now even apologized. But my mind ALWAYS wonders to the 100's if not 1000s of other tinkerers, scientists and inventors that could have been, but for the church's terrorizing people.

[Wolfman]

One thing I'd like to point out here, people...

...yes, what Nate went through was terrible. But its hardly something religious people have a monopoly on. Way back, in the days when I was a Christian, I was doing street work to help homeless get shelter, food, counseling, etc. There was a girl there, 16 years old, who was a prostitute and drug addict...she had virtually no sense of self-worth at all.

She'd been systematically raped and abused from childhood. At 15, she'd had her father's baby (wasn't reported). At 16, she ran away.

Her father, according to her, was a complete atheist. Bragged that he'd never gone to church in his life. And she, in turn, blamed all of his abuses on the fact that he was an atheist...because he had no moral standards to guide him, he felt that he could do anything he wanted, and not get punished.

Folks, there are evil bastards out there. And whether they're religious or atheist, they'll find excuses to do the things they do.

[six7s]

Nate Phelps is the son of Fred Phelps, of godhatesfags.com fame. I've been fortunate enough to become his friend over the past half year or so, and he's quite an amazing guy. His recent speech at the American Atheists conference was by far the most talked-about and moving presentation there.

He's now started his own website, www.natephelps.com (http://www.natephelps.com/), to tell his story; and has joined up with 'Brother Richard', an ex-fundamentalist preacher, to establish a group called "Life After Christian Fundamentalism (http://atheistnexus.org/group/lacf)" at atheistnexus.org. I'd strongly recommend that people check them out.

I've also issued several invites for him to join us here...hopefully, he will, at some point :)Yes

[Roadtoad]

Been reading about this since I found the thread.

I posted a response on the Ubyssey site. I hope I didn't go too far.

I'm hoping Nate shows up. I've got a lot of respect for him after reading the articles.