Fred Phelps preached hate, but his death is no reason to celebrate

[struggle4progress]

By Steven Petrow
Thursday, March 20, 1:34 PM

... Yes, I understand what drives many to such extreme emotions (and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to a vein of it myself); after all it’s only human to want to fight back against hate.

Instead, what if those on the receiving end of Phelps’s ideology did the opposite, which is to say, let him go quietly — and without protest — into that good night? Imagine the karma lesson that would be to all those who have supported Westboro Baptist.

Revenge against Phelps — or, frankly, any hateful or toxic person — doesn’t really allow for healing. Joseph Burgo, a psychoanalyst and an author, told me this week: “For those of us who have felt hated and shamed by people like Phelps, the temptation is to turn tables and triumph over their demise. You might think of it as ‘giving back’ the hatred and shame that was inflicted upon us, but this reaction binds us to the other person as long as we continue to feel that way.” He then added that we need “to break the hold of these destructive emotions and move on” ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/fred-phelps-preached-hate-but-his-death-is-no-reason-to-celebrate/2014/03/20/0fd06408-b050-11e3-95e8-39bef8e9a48b_story.html?tid=ts_carousel

[CBGLuthier]

1. See, that is how I feel. I feel I am better than him and will not stoop to his level.

He is dead and his share of the shit is over. I don't know why people hate them so much anyway. All they accomplished with their little campaign was to become true pariahs unwelcome anywhere in this country.

[atreides1]

2. That's one thought

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

3. Oh, boy....

....here we go with the stories preaching about "humanity" and "forgiveness" telling us how we SHOULD feel about this scum. I personally witnessed a funeral where two physically disabled young sons and a grief stricken wife survived a man. Phelps' group demonstrated at the funeral. THEY.DEMONSTRATED.AT.FUNERAL.

This feeling of satisfaction is a delicious one right now.

[struggle4progress]

4. Be not too hard

... be not too hard for soon he'll die
often no wiser than he began
be not too hard for life is short
and nothing is given to man ...

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Do you think Donovan, who wrote that song, was talking about hate mongers?

So very much not a Joan lyric. Nice song. About people who struggle and own nothing, not about people who are rich from selling hate and fear of others.

[Kurovski]

5. Joy is joy, the heart holds no judgement.

Giddiness is not contempt.

Relief is not anxiety.

Stuffing feelings is not positive.

He created no joy in life.

NO JOY.

And now...he does.

Praise Jesus!

As a man sows, so he shall reap.

[LongTomH]

6. George Takei's latest comment:

"Today, Mr. Phelps may have learned that God, in fact, hates no one. Vicious and hate-filled as he was, may his soul find the kind of peace through death that was so plainly elusive during his life."

I concur!

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Oh goody...more preaching!

His hate preaching was bad enough, now comes the "but we should be nice" bullshit. FUCK HIM! Unlike the vast majority of this board, I have actually met the man. I stood TOE TO TOE with him. He was a vile, heartless, soulless individual, and I'll be damned if I am told how I should "mourn" is passing! I have seen his minions at various events, and even had a friend's funeral disrupted by his hat-mongers; so, no, I will not be silent, I will not "wish his soul well," I will not pretend I don't have contempt for this POS. He is dead, but his legacy lives on. I will "mourn" him by continuing to fight against this evil ilk and those who are like them, but I will not be "tut-tuted" and told how I should or shouldn't acknowledge his death, and I will not be told my brand of "mourning" makes me less of a gay man!

FUCK HIM! FUCK HIS LEGACY!

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Give the people what they want and joy will resound. I can see why those who support

other raging anti gay clerics and preachers would want to see Fred Phelps treated kindly in death. Reading the truth about the pain he delivered in the name of their faiths is difficult for them and makes them have uncomfortable questions spring to mind about their own frothing clerical Superstars....
Fred is Dead. Now Bill Donohue of Catholic League is America's leading anti gay religious nut. The river of straight hate never stops flowing.
Fred was useful to the Donohue and Francis types, his extremist nature made their garden variety bigotry seem almost kindly. Without Fred to hide behind, their own hate mongering will stand out as it should for the brutal, horrific bigotry that it is.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. OP upset! In the name of Francis Superstar, OP commands teh gay to obey!!!!

So tired of the sermonizing straight folks....

[Behind the Aegis]

11. I agree.

Of course, the author is gay and George Takei's twitter jpeg is being spammed all over the place in a not so subtle way of saying, "see gays, this is how you are supposed to act."

[Bluenorthwest]

17. George is a nice man, but also a man who was not present in the streets of his city

as a gay man when protest was the job of the day. He was still 'discreet' and now that he's old and rich he sits home and tweets. I love George because I have forgiven his years of not doing his part, not because he's a font of wisdom.

[struggle4progress]

13. The author is a former officer of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

[Bluenorthwest]

16. And what's that got to do with my opinion?

My opinion is about the intention with which you posted this. The context is your other posts, about other religious, anti gay and anti choice figures.

[struggle4progress]

18. The OP consists entirely of an excerpt from today's Washington Post

You're free, of course, to dislike the Pope, though I don't really understand how that's related to the OP

On general principle, I would prefer not to become embroiled in a pointless discussion about whether you can divine my intent or why you might think you can, as that seems destined to spiral down into a dull vortex of uninteresting questions, such as the existence of ESP and the psychological wellbeing of people who believe in ESP and other such issues that I consider unproductive

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Why not?

How evil does someone have to be for his or her death to be a reason to celebrate? Where do we draw that line?

[Maedhros]

14. We butt heads often enough, struggle4progress, but I agree with you completely on this.

Takei's quote nails it.

[Gothmog]

15. Juanita Jean has the best idea as how to respond to this death-Ignore Phelps

http://www.juanitajean.com/2014/03/20/yes-i-know-that-fred-phelps-died-today-im-doing-the-meanest-thing-i-can-do-to-him-i-ignoring-him/