Megan Phelps is the daughter of Fred Phelps the spiritual leader of the Westboro Baptist Church. The Church is best known for its openly anti-gay stance and protest rallies at the funerals of US soldiers who lost their lives defending our nation. The Church claims that the death of these soldiers is gods retribution for the sins of our nation and by picketing and protesting they hope to bring consciousness and sympathy to their cause.
In 2012 she left the Church citing inconsistencies with Church’s internal dogma. A recent podcast with Sam Harris, Megan explained that the Church has “answers” for any challenge brought against it’s theology. These answers seem completely logical and consistent with their literal reading and interpretation of the textual bible. Regardless of the style of biblical interpretation all religious traditions have formulated “answers” to defend its position against challenges to the faith internal or external.
The members of the Westboro Baptist Church consider themselves instruments of gods true will on earth. I am sure the Islamist fundamentalists would scoff at that notion, and consider the Westboro folks as just another infidel. What all these religious groups have in common is that they all have the “answers” that prove their case. When children and vulnerable adults are indoctrinated into any faith the sad truth is that much thought has been given to keeping the faithful in line and answers are prepared to rebuff those who will question.
Megan Phelps was a person who questioned the “logic” of her faith. To her parents and as defined clearly in the old testament, she is a “rebellious child”. She left the faith and as a consequence her parents and her committed family members no longer speak with her. If Megan lived in ancient Judea there is a good chance she would be stoned as a punishment for her rebelliousness.
Megan’s faith based family can feel good with their abandonment of their daughter. After all they are doing gods will on earth. As an example to other children who would entertain a rebellion against god, Megan’s loss was to them a well won sacrifice. The notion that an individual can sacrifice a child based on an unsubstantiated system of belief is horrifying, and yet it is being done all over the world in all religious faiths.
Rebellious children in my opinion should be viewed by parents as a gift. The fact that a child does not ascribe to the parents ideology is nothing more than an opportunity for the parent to experience personal growth and development through introspection and soul searching. A child who disagrees with a parents world view is a child who is seeing the world differently by using their intelect. Religious parents who threaten with ultimatums do irreparable harm to themselves and their children. The opportunity for the parent of the rebellious child is to carefully consider the other point of view and create a framework where families can continue to function and live with each other. Respect and loving relationships are possible when the feelings are genuine and authentic. Any god who would tolerate anything else is not worthy of any consideration.
The conditional love championed by the god of the old testament has found a home in the Westboro Baptist Church and in the hearts and minds of those parents who use religion to subjugate and control their children. These people, like the god they serve offer rewards to those who follow and punish those who rebel. Religion in this regard is susceptible to abuses that cause suffering that is much more wide spread than many realize. Victims of this abuse are often captive to ideologies they would otherwise disavow.
Big Brother Burt feels that religious organizations that encourage the faithful to threaten and bully their subordinates are abhorrent. No actual creator of the universe would need to rely on such strategies to further his agenda. Humans who see an opportunity to subjugate others are all too willing to use the power within religion to further their objectives. The Westboro Baptists, Isis and groups of all faiths who use fear to keep faithful in line are a source of evil in our world. They are not godly, and regardless of their claims they are only interested in improving their lot at the expense of others. THESE FOLKS NEED NO REAL PROOF OF A DEITY. If real proof were capable, I suspect they would find a way to deny it.
Megan I have nothing but respect for you and the many others who have suffered at the hands of these self righteous, self serving maniacs. For those of us whose formative years were robbed by these narcissistic parents and family members, we have persevered overcome great odds and reversed cycle of abuses that will greatly benefit future generations. May we all see a day when this hatred and cycle of violence is defeated once and for all. Big Brother Burt.