Recently, my church prayed that Westboro Baptist church would know God's love. If anyone needs to know God's love those people do.
Yesterday, a friend posted this article about a response to them:
Mississippi town figures out simple, effective way to stop Westboro Baptist Church funeral protest
While I don't like condoning someone being beating and the witnesses "not knowing anything", I think the rest of this response was awesome.
I also love the way the Patriot Guard Riders handle military funerals at which protesters are present. With the family's permission, they use their motorcylces and themselves to form a screen between the protesters and the funeral procession. They sing patriotic songs to drown out protester's chants. There is no violence, no confrontation as part of the strategy. They are there to both honor and protect fallen soldiers. More about them here: Patriot Guard Riders
Sometimes people are accused of hate by those who disagree with them. It's not always true. People can make a statement against a particular behavior without hating those who participate in it. In fact, it may be just the opposite. By the same token, groups that promote things that the Bible disagrees with do not necessarily hate God or Christians. They may simply not believe in God or they may love Him. Disagreement does not equal hate.
In the case of Westboro, though, hate is obvious. They preach it, teach it, announce it to the world. I don't think we should hate them back. Stand against their teachings and their actions at military funerals, yes. But not hate. That would make us too much like them. Personally, I don't want to go there.
I hope that some day the people of that church know God's love so that they can share it. Let's pray for that day.
Blessings on you!
"If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?" 1 John 4:20
Yesterday, a friend posted this article about a response to them:
Mississippi town figures out simple, effective way to stop Westboro Baptist Church funeral protest
While I don't like condoning someone being beating and the witnesses "not knowing anything", I think the rest of this response was awesome.
I also love the way the Patriot Guard Riders handle military funerals at which protesters are present. With the family's permission, they use their motorcylces and themselves to form a screen between the protesters and the funeral procession. They sing patriotic songs to drown out protester's chants. There is no violence, no confrontation as part of the strategy. They are there to both honor and protect fallen soldiers. More about them here: Patriot Guard Riders
Sometimes people are accused of hate by those who disagree with them. It's not always true. People can make a statement against a particular behavior without hating those who participate in it. In fact, it may be just the opposite. By the same token, groups that promote things that the Bible disagrees with do not necessarily hate God or Christians. They may simply not believe in God or they may love Him. Disagreement does not equal hate.
In the case of Westboro, though, hate is obvious. They preach it, teach it, announce it to the world. I don't think we should hate them back. Stand against their teachings and their actions at military funerals, yes. But not hate. That would make us too much like them. Personally, I don't want to go there.
I hope that some day the people of that church know God's love so that they can share it. Let's pray for that day.
Blessings on you!
"If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?" 1 John 4:20
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