Fred Phelps (of Westboro Baptist Protests) Near Death

SAT MAR 15, 2014 AT 11:52 PM PDT http://www.patheos.com/...
Fred Phelps (of Westboro Baptist Protests) Near Death

Nathan Phelps, Fred's son, announced his reckoning today on Facebook.

Confirmation with Nathan via phone has occurred. Family members who were excommunicated from the church have been told they cannot see Fred. Fred himself was, by this notice and now being revealed, excommunicated from his own church last year. And this is where it gets interesting.

While the 'God Hates' crusade that Phelps has been on has continued, last year Fred himself dropped away from the monster he created, was excommunicated and the public was prevented from interviewing or talking to Fred.

Did Fred have a change of heart?
Was it all a massive ruse?

In the end, Phelps hate mongering has probably done more good for the gay rights movement than could have been imagined as it put a real, tangible face on hatred and forced society to accept that the slippery slope also involved creepy weirdos like Fred. Fred's continuous picketting, protests and the like led more people to say "I can't be on the same side as this guy" and helps influence a generation that this kind of bigotry is wrong.

Last year, right before his ex-communication, Phelps faced confrontation of former members who wondered if Phelps himself wasn't a gay man who's self hatred manifested itself as it did.

Speaking in an interview with the Advocate, Drain speculated that Fred Phelps had at one point wanted to join the military, but suddenly changed his mind.

She said: “All I know is that he said he went to West Point, then all of a sudden he had a religious experience, and now he wanted to preach against sexual immorality, preach against the military, and ever since then things have kind of progressed.”

Drain went on to say that she thought his reaction to being asked by the media if he was gay himself was suspicious, in that it was particularly extreme.

“I never understood why, when [he was asked by the press], "Why are you so against the homosexuals? Did you have a homosexual experience? Do you have homosexual tendencies?" And he would get so mad, he would shut down. And he’d be like, "I can’t talk to this person anymore, they’re stupid."

“His reaction to that was stronger than any other question you can ask him. So I always wondered that — why does he get so mad? If I’m not gay, I’ll just say I’m not gay.”

Regardless, should this ex-communicated member of one of the most hate-oriented churches in America be laid to rest, it is likely to be a major scene.. there would probably be some level of protests.

But Fred, you old hate monger, you despicable human being.. Thank you for putting a real face on hatred and bigotry. Your hate, your venom, your sheer level of evil reminded people all over the country that they couldn't be on your side of this civil rights battle. And for that, I'll tip my glass, and be glad the world is rid of you when you're gone, and glad the world had to confront your madness as it did.