Westboro Baptists: True Christians

1.1 The Westboro Baptist Church, headed by Fred Phelps, who preaches "God hates fags" and similar misanthropic messages, has been harshly criticized by other Christians. Some have even denied that Westboro Baptists, because of their hateful statements and such activities as protesting at solders' funerals, are not Christians at all.

1.2 Since I am no longer a Christian, I am no authority on who is or is not Christian. However, I can remember what the church of Christ taught me, and will use that reasoning here.

1.3 So: if the Westboro church is not Christian, what about your church? In other words, if Westboro is not really Christian because they are wrong in their attitude toward homosexuals, then all Baptists may not be Christians because they are wrong in their "once saved, always saved" attitude.

1.4 Jesus plainly said to the Laodicean church, the entire church, "I will spew you out of my mouth".There are many other references to show that once saved is not always saved, but the simplest proof is that Christians have a relationship with God, and relationships have obligations on both sides. Salvation is God's obligation, and obedience is ours. "Once saved, always saved" is false, and I can find false things in almost any church.

1.5 But if hating gays really means you are not a Christian, what if you hate Africans enough to enslave them? If practicing slavery means you are not a Christian, then the entire antebellum South was not Christian. Also, some Christians in the Bible practiced slavery, since Paul told masters not to be harsh with their slaves.

1.6 What if you hate not only homosexuals, but also witches, and even burn them alive? If people who burn homosexuals and witches cannot be Christians, then the entire medieval church was not Christian. Most of us today would agree that a person who hates Jews cannot be a Christian. But if antisemites cannot be Christians, then most of Christian history is full of non-Christians.

1.7 Therefore whether we like them or not, the Westboro people are indeed Christians. Rather than condemn them, it may be better simply to refute their behavior from the Bible itself.

1.8 Now it is true that in the Old Testament, God called homosexuality "an abomination". It is also true that the Sodomites wanted to "know" the young men in Lot's house. The word "know" does mean to have sex, because Lot then offers his daughters, that the men could "know" them. There are, of course, sleazy and specious arguments against the meaning of these verses, but they still say plainly what they say.

1.9 Also the apostle Paul, speaking to the Roman church, left no doubt when he referred to men "burning in their lust for one another...and receiving the due penalty in their bodies". I know that some people try to fudge this verse also, but again the meaning is plain. It is up to Christians to accept what the Bible says.

2.0 For all their hateful speech, at least the Westboro Baptists accept what the Bible does say about homosexuality itself. And of course the scientific and social evidence that homosexual orientation is normal does not bother them at all. Actually, being Bible believers, they are not interested in any factual evidence that contradicts the Bible.

2.1 Since homosexuality is an immutable trait, manifesting very early in a person's life, it is likely that people are born with this orientation. This presents Westboro (and other like-minded Christians) with the following dilemma. Since homosexuals are born that way, one of two things is true. Either God made homosexuals and we must "reinterpret" the Bible to accept them*, or else the Bible is just plain wrong.

2.2 Perhaps the Westboro people would also be interested to know that as Christians they are under the New Testament, not the Old, and that no one in the New Testament uses hateful, abusive language as they do. In the spirit and practice of the New Testament, following Jesus and the apostles, sinners (such as homosexuals) should be gently taught the Gospel in the hope that they will "believe unto salvation". The overarching principles of New Testament teachings are not hatred and condemnation, but love and forgiveness through the grace of God.

2.3 However, even if Westboro is guilty of ignoring the main message of the Bible, at least they do not fly airplanes into Gay bars while shouting, "Jesus is great!" At least they do not blow themselves up at military funerals. In fact I am not familiar with any church that practices terrorism. But I digress.

2.4 In sum, Westboro Baptists, despite their awful intolerance and disrespectful behavior, are certainly obedient Christians. They believe the Bible is God's Word and they obey exactly the parts of it they like.

*See also "The Evolution of Religion".