Quotes from the American Taliban
A web page titled Quotes from the American Taliban. I'm not going to let myself comment. Just read it.
Comments
sarahmichigan on Jun. 7, 2005 5:12 PM
I am concerned, though not particularly surprised or outraged, by the quotes from the religous leaders. But the quotes from our elected representatives scare the be-jesus (pun intended) out of me.
And, don't you think the Rev. Phelps really needs a good ass-fucking? Why else would he be so obsessed with the homo-SEX-you-alls?
phecda on Jun. 7, 2005 5:54 PM
I find Phelps' comments on supporters of homosexuals especially amusing. I was at an event in Ann Arbor a few years back where Fred Phelps was protesting homosexuals near the Aut Cafe. The owners of the Aut turned it into a fund raising event so that people would donate a specified amount for every minute he spoke. The event was hugely successful, thus making Fred Phelps one of the top fundraisers for WRAP (Washtenaw Rainbow Action Party). Hope ole Fred's packing an asbestos bathing suit for that lake of fire he keeps talking about... ;-)
sarahmichigan on Jun. 7, 2005 5:57 PM
Yeah, my ex-girlfriend had told me the same story about the Aut Bar owners turning the "protest" into a fund-raising opportunity. Very cool.
matt-arnold on Jun. 7, 2005 6:00 PM
How did our local area get ol' Fred's attention? Does his church just have a very large travel budget and goes everywhere, or is the gay community in Ann Arbor unusually visible by national standards?
phecda on Jun. 7, 2005 6:28 PM
Phelps does tours, but the specific issue he was in the area for probably revolved around Ypsilanti Proposition 2 which was a referendum on equal benefits for domestic partners.
The amusing thing IIRC is that the majority of his congregation is blood kin.
paranthropus on Jun. 7, 2005 7:01 PM
Not surprising, but very, very disturbing.
I used to console myself by thinking that once Christians understand that they are being manipulated as part of a political movement, they would rebel against this kind of insane hatred. Now I'm beginning to think differently. I believe that these people are actually crafting a new religion using the time honored method of all religions: take a little bit of something old (traditional Christianity), add a bit of something new (the writing of America's founders, suitably mythologized), allow to simmer for a few centuries, then add a dash of politics.
I'm afraid that these quasi-Christians soon won't even care if they are rejected by traditional Christianity, they'll be so busy sniffing their own sh*t and calling it milk chocolate. Maybe we are there already. Are there any good organizations in Michigan devoted to fighting this crap?
matt-arnold on Jun. 7, 2005 8:49 PM
Theocracywatch.org lists the following: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Alliance for Justice, Political Research Associates, People for the American Way, Interfaith Alliance, and Americans for Religious Liberty. I'm not sure how many have local branches here.
sarahmichigan on Jun. 7, 2005 11:52 PM
I know that there's an active arm of American Atheists in SE michigan.
http://www.michiganatheists.org/
Americans United has an awesome (if rather depressing) monthly newsletter.
There's also a fairly cool interfaith group that supports gay and lesbian people from a religious viewpoint, and I'm on their email list.
http://www.togetherinfaith.com/
raendrop on Jun. 8, 2005 1:50 AM
*sigh* Sad. So, so sad. And not a little scary.
Anonymous on Jun. 8, 2005 5:07 AM — Fred Phelps
Download this and print it out. It's lengthy, but VERY interesting.
--beaker
Anonymous on Jun. 8, 2005 5:10 AM — Re: Fred Phelps
oops. Link.
http://blank.org/addict/
uplinktruck on Jun. 10, 2005 12:04 AM
A couple of W's quotes were taken out context. I recognized them and know where they came from. Even still I have to agree that Bush and some others in government have a severe case of religion that really needs to be checked at the door when they come to work.
The comments from the religious types don't really surprise me much. Fred Phelps wins the prize as most in need of a straight jacket. Fear not. What Fred and his congregation have forgotten is what comes around goes around.
Most of these folks need to sit down with Mon Senor (sp?) Francis O'Dell. Years ago during an interview he was asked about the religious driven violence in Belfast. He replied without missing a beat, "Religion is like a fine Irish Whiskey. They're both marvelous things when taken in moderation."
Please, please remember that conservative does not always mean religious, homophobic zealot. And as Father O'Dell demonstrated, religious doesn't have to mean up tight zealot either.
Leave a Comment