More from the Christian Taliban.

From today's Joplin Globe:

Churches prepare for 'hate' brigade

Ministers' message to patrons; ignore protesters, pray for them

By Jeff Wells
Globe Staff Writer

Lured by a controversy at Webb City High School, a Topeka, Kan., group says it will protest Sunday outside five Joplin churches and a Webb City church, during services at those churches.

The group, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., also plans to protest outside Webb City High School on Monday morning, Nov. 29.

The group, based on previous protests elsewhere, could carry signs that say "God Hates Fags, God Hates America,'' and "Thank God for Sept. 11." Other signs depict gay sex.

The pastors of the targeted churches say they are encouraging their congregations to ignore the protests.

"We don't believe anyone is won to Christ through hate," said the Rev. Aaron Brown, of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Joplin. "I'm telling my people not to antagonize them."

Phelps, Brown said, appears to select larger churches from the mainline denominations because of what he views as their pro-homosexual positions.

"The official United Methodist stance is that homosexuality is not compatible with Scripture and Christian teaching, but that all people are of sacred worth," Brown said. "Homosexuality is clearly a sin in the Bible, but so is hating the sinner."

Brown cited I John 4:20-21 to support his statement.

The Scripture reads: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

"And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

Phelps' group claims to have conducted 20,000 anti-gay demonstrations across the nation in the past 14 years. The group picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming man who was beaten to death in 1998. More recently, the group has protested at the funeral of Ronald Reagan and at appearances by the Rev. Billy Graham.

"Mr. Phelps knows nothing about our church and what we stand for, and seems to be more in touch with sensationalized media reports than the Bible," Brown said. "He is doing more harm than good for the kingdom of God, and I feel sorry for him. He is enslaved by his own hatred."

The Rev. Michael McDowell, of the First Presbyterian Church of Joplin, said he has encountered the group at earlier posts in the Kansas City area.

McDowell said he informed his congregation of the planned protest in the church's newsletter.

"My voice is going to be pray for them," McDowell said. "Don't confront them, just come on in and worship."

The Rev. Steve Butler, of the First Baptist Church of Joplin, said he is telling church members to "be patient. Be kind. We will worship as usual and leave as usual. The Lord said to practice love toward everyone."

Butler said he wonders why Phelps would target his church, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. The denomination does not perform gay marriages, and supports one-man, one-woman marriage, he said.

Phelps' group, based at Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, started planning the local protests after reports of the controversy at Webb City High School. Administrators say a student may not wear gay-pride T-shirts because they violate the dress code.

Phelps' daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, told the Globe in an interview earlier this month that the group stages protests at other congregations because they preach tolerance.

"They all have the big lie that 'God loves everyone,' and they all enable sin by that device, with the big lie," she said. "They all look alike about this issue of homosexuality."