The Westboro Baptist Church, centered in Topeka, Kansas and headed by Fred Phelps, is comprised of some 80 devout followers, 80 percent of whom are related. The church has been in existence for 16 years and has recently encountered a spike in media attention within the past few months as a result of the members' reactions to recent tragedies such as Sept.11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina and now, the Virginia Tech school shootings. The actions of the church are upsetting citizens throughout the nation, including numerous students here at American University.
Originally, the church had planned to protest at the funerals of the Virginia Tech students who were killed in this month's deadly shootings. Similar to previous tragedies, the Westboro Baptist Church believes that the Virginia Tech massacre is a sign God is furious with America's acceptance and practice of homosexuality, according to the church's spokeswoman, Shirley Phelps-Roper.
"Get this straight - God sent this South Korean madman to kill 31 of your children at Virginia Tech," Phelps-Roper said.
The church agreed to cancel all planned protesting and pickets in trade for three hours of radio time with Mike Gallagher on April 24, during which members including Phelps-Roper took calls from the public.
"We're reaching millions and millions of listeners on Gallagher's show and a whole new audience," Phelps-Roper said.
Phelps-Roper said she and her fellow church members protest at the funerals of soldiers because funerals are where the public absorbs the church's message that as long as America continues to practice and accept homosexuality, the country will be doomed.
"This is where you are all paying attention. This is the area where the wrath of God is truly real," Phelps-Roper said. "You are now looking at the end product of what you have sewn. You need to look at the facts. The evidence."
Alison Nicholl, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she was disturbed by the church's reactions.
"It sickens me to think that these people could look at the victims' families and say that their loved ones are burning in hell," Nicholl said.
Lauren Goldstein, a freshman in the School of Communication, said she supported Gallagher's decision to trade radio time rather than see the church protest at Virginia Tech funerals.
"Radio is a much more constructive medium to voice their beliefs. Protesting at funerals - especially those of murdered college students - is just grotesque," Goldstein said.
Associate Catholic Chaplain of Kay Spiritual Life Center Dr. Karin Thornton refuted the Westboro Baptist Church's decision to picket funerals.
"A funeral is a time for support, not blame," Thornton said. "Protesting at a funeral is simply no way to make a contribution to the spread of a religion."
Daniel Escoto, a freshman in SOC and member of AU's Queers and Allies, said the Westboro Baptist Church's blatant homophobia is disgusting.
"I think that they're pretty unintelligent. If they don't have anything better to do than to hate on a minority group, then that's a cop-out religion," Escoto said.
Thornton said that while the Catholic Church does not approve of homosexual marriages, it tolerates homosexuality.
"People are born the way they are. We need to support homosexuals. The Westboro Baptists Church's approach is misguided and misdirected," Thornton said.
Phelps-Roper described her dismal outlook for the future of America.
"This is a doomed nation. These [tragedies] that are coming apace are not going to stop," she said.
