Westboro Church Update: Award is now $10.9 million

[Temporal Renegade]

Just heard of the amount:

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/10/31/funeral.protests.ap/index.html

[wahrheit]

HAHA, serves them right. The Phelps won't have the cash, so hopefully the father of the dead soldier gets their house and "church" building and uploads a video of burning it down.

My cruel wishes aside, at least I hope that this might shut them down for good.

[Ocelot]

I don't know theb legal situation but I can imagine church assets being trasferred to Stacy before the church decl;ares bancrupty then Stacy setting up a phoenix church from the ashes of the old Westboro.

[timhau]

I don't know theb legal situation but I can imagine church assets being trasferred to Stacy before the church decl;ares bancrupty then Stacy setting up a phoenix church from the ashes of the old Westboro.

That's why I think the court should've taken a page from the Christian playbook and just nailed them all to a cross.

[Babylon Sister]

Remember, a lot of his children are lawyers. This will be appealed 'til hell freezes over. I'll be surprised if any of the judgement is paid.

[Moon-Spinner]

Here's an updated article with video links:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html

From article: "This will elevate me to something important," Phelps told reporters. "This was an act of futility."

Phelps' feeling of self-importance is sickening, but seems about right for somebody who thinks he's God's spokesperson here on Earth.


Also from the article:
The church had made a new sign to carry after the jury's decision, said his daughter, Margie Phelps.
"Our message is 'Thank God for 10.9 [million dollars],' " she said.
"By that mechanism [the award], the entire world will look over and see that America is doomed and that in doomed America there is no such thing as religious liberty."

Are these people that completely detached from reality? They seem so utterly deranged that they have no clue about what is going on around them. I can't imagine what kind of upbringing the children of Fred Phelps must have had to indoctrinate them into such a sick mindset.



Okay, I better stop now before I start ranting (oops, too late).

[This Guy]

Here's an updated article with video links:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html

From article: "This will elevate me to something important," Phelps told reporters. "This was an act of futility."

Phelps' feeling of self-importance is sickening, but seems about right for somebody who thinks he's God's spokesperson here on Earth.


Also from the article:
The church had made a new sign to carry after the jury's decision, said his daughter, Margie Phelps.
"Our message is 'Thank God for 10.9 [million dollars],' " she said.
"By that mechanism [the award], the entire world will look over and see that America is doomed and that in doomed America there is no such thing as religious liberty."

Are these people that completely detached from reality? They seem so utterly deranged that they have no clue about what is going on around them. I can't imagine what kind of upbringing the children of Fred Phelps must have had to indoctrinate them into such a sick mindset.



Okay, I better stop now before I start ranting (oops, too late).

There are some stories out on the net about what kind of childhood the kids had.

It's not a pretty story, nor is the ending happy.

These are sick people, and I think they do believe what they are doing is right. It's kinda scary.

[timhau]

Maybe they can now go and protest under the bridge? To, you know, the troll's natural habitat?

[KingMerv00]

Remember, a lot of his children are lawyers. This will be appealed 'til hell freezes over. I'll be surprised if any of the judgement is paid.

He can't appeal forever so he'd better come up with a legal argument that works instead.

[Susan Gerbic]

There are some stories out on the net about what kind of childhood the kids had.

It's not a pretty story, nor is the ending happy.

These are sick people, and I think they do believe what they are doing is right. It's kinda scary.

If someone has the time could they please post these. I am out the door for work and would love to read them when I get home. I understand one person could feel this way, but a whole family? There must be abuse?

Susan

[This Guy]

If someone has the time could they please post these. I am out the door for work and would love to read them when I get home. I understand one person could feel this way, but a whole family? There must be abuse?

Susan

""Daddy's Hands"



Mark Phelps feels nauseated whenever he remembers that night. He was hit over 60 times and his brother, Nate, over 200 with a mattock handle. Nate went into shock. Mark didn't. A boy who became a compulsive counter to handle the stress, Mark counted every stroke. His and Nate's. While their father screamed obscenities and his brother screamed in pain. Every 20 strokes, their mother wiped their faces off in the tub. Nate passed out anyway. That was Christmas Day. "

Read it all here (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/michael_haggerty/expose3.htm).

Then there is this - ""Growing up, it was chaos. It was intense and scary. There was a blowup at least once a week," she says. She speaks quietly, with calm intensity. She says she was never beaten with the mattock handle as, she attests, her brothers were. She doesn't flinch or pause when she says that he used a leather shaving strap on the girls. "He would do it in rounds. You'd think he would be finished, then he would get his anger up and do it again. God, that thing stung. You can't imagine. They left welts that looked hollow inside, like fat little horseshoes."

Still, she claims she got off easy, learning early to find ways to avoid her father's anger, and she says the girls had it better than the boys: "He never coldcocked us."

From here (http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1999/03/lauerman.html).

[timhau]

How come that isn't a criminal matter? Has the statute of limitations ran out?

[Temporal Renegade]

Here's an updated article with video links:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/funeral.protest/index.html

From article: "This will elevate me to something important," Phelps told reporters. "This was an act of futility."

Phelps' feeling of self-importance is sickening, but seems about right for somebody who thinks he's God's spokesperson here on Earth.


Also from the article:
The church had made a new sign to carry after the jury's decision, said his daughter, Margie Phelps.
"Our message is 'Thank God for 10.9 [million dollars],' " she said.
"By that mechanism [the award], the entire world will look over and see that America is doomed and that in doomed America there is no such thing as religious liberty."

Are these people that completely detached from reality? They seem so utterly deranged that they have no clue about what is going on around them. I can't imagine what kind of upbringing the children of Fred Phelps must have had to indoctrinate them into such a sick mindset.



Okay, I better stop now before I start ranting (oops, too late).


So, America is doomed because they lost the lawsuit? Oh. Well, everything's much more clear, now..... :rolleyes:

[saizai]

Video of CNN interview (Phelps only with audio):

7Rq2ztTEp5k

[Cello Man]

If I were to suddenly become God (ala Bruce Almighty), one of the first things I would do is manifest myself before Fred Phelps and his followers, just so they could see me turn my back on them.

[KingMerv00]

How come that isn't a criminal matter? Has the statute of limitations ran out?

Was there a law in that state?

[Apology]

If I were to suddenly become God (ala Bruce Almighty), one of the first things I would do is manifest myself before Fred Phelps and his followers, just so they could see me turn my back on them.

If I were God, Westboro Baptist would be in for one hell of a smiting.

[Apology]

How come that isn't a criminal matter? Has the statute of limitations ran out?
I was under the impression that it was statutorily legal for the area they were in, which is why they weren't arrested on the spot. This is why it became a civil issue rather than a criminal issue. Local laws can't be expected to anticipate and defend the public from a group of loonies bearing signs that say "God Hates Fags" and screaming at the cars outside a private funeral.

Local police probably would have stopped it if they had legal grounds to do so. Hate speech and intent to incite aren't crimes that are obvious and apparent like assembly without a permit, which they had. I can't say that the local police "supported" Phelps. He's been so litigious in the past that nobody wanted to take him on. We can't really take their failure to prevent the protest or arrest the protesters as a local endorsement of Phelps or his beliefs.

[Redtail]

If I were to suddenly become God (ala Bruce Almighty), one of the first things I would do is manifest myself before Fred Phelps and his followers, just so they could see me turn my back on them.

I'd transfer my power to my buddy Adam and let him appear to them in pink sequence with the angelic choir singing "It's Raining Men", and then he'd make them work at that club he dances at on Belmont in Chicago as "Back Room attendants handing out towels.

[TX50]

I was under the impression that it was statutorily legal for the area they were in, which is why they weren't arrested on the spot.


I think maybe "timhau" was referring to the alleged child-abuse.

[Apology]

I think maybe "timhau" was referring to the alleged child-abuse.

I do believe you're right, now that I've examined the context around his post. My mistake. LOL.

[ponderingturtle]

How come that isn't a criminal matter? Has the statute of limitations ran out?

Even if not, is there good evidence supporting their claims?

[Jimbo07]

Even if not, is there good evidence supporting their claims?

One of the many tragic issues surrounding abuse is that it's often difficult to prove in court, even if it really happened.

[ponderingturtle]

One of the many tragic issues surrounding abuse is that it's often difficult to prove in court, even if it really happened.

I get that, I want to believe the claims, but I would need real documentation from outside sources to convict.

[Temporal Renegade]

They've said that they have no intention of paying, and that they'll keep on doing 'the work God wants us to do'.

Should be interesting...

[Major Major]

After the sensational T. Cullen Davis trial, in which he was acquitted of the murder of his stepdaughter and of the soon-to-be-ex-wife's lover and the shooting of said s.t.b.x.w, in spite of two eyewitnesses and the consideration that the stepdaughter had to have known and trusted the murderer, Priscilla Davis (the s.t.b.x.w.) filed a wrongful-death suit against Cullen.

At which point he filed for bankruptcy, having Found Religion.

There are enough ways around such financial punishments as to make them essentially pointless. All the plaintiffs will get here is the pleasure of having won, and likely even then that will earn them more retribution.

[alfaniner]

OK, since I killed two of the six other threads on this topic -- I'll post it here too...
I thought it was funny, anyway...

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/17147295074a2673.jpg

[Diagoras]

Hmm, their website seems to be down. As an atheist bisexual, I am ecstatic to see this f***** pay.

I saw a documentary on them, and their theology seemed to be that they thank God for everything, even tragedies, because everything is supposed to be part of his divine plan. I wonder if they'll be thanking God for this ruling?

[firecoins]

Westboro Church and update don't go well together

[Temporal Renegade]

Westboro Church and update don't go well together

...Sorry about that.... :D

[Temporal Renegade]

OK, since I killed two of the six other threads on this topic -- I'll post it here too...
I thought it was funny, anyway...

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/17147295074a2673.jpg

:D :D :D :D

[KingMerv00]

They've said that they have no intention of paying, and that they'll keep on doing 'the work God wants us to do'.

Should be interesting...

That's ok, their permission isn't needed.

[Lonewulf]

If I were to suddenly become God (ala Bruce Almighty), one of the first things I would do is manifest myself before Fred Phelps and his followers, just so they could see me turn my back on them.

The first thing I'd do is clear up this global warming business.

But yeah, I'd be tempted to do the same thing. :boggled: