Fred Phelps is Dead!!!

[Panacea]

He died earlier today. Surprised no one has commented on it here yet. http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/us/wes...html?hpt=hp_t3

The man was totally despicable. A complete waste of oxygen I could have been breathing. Got far too much attention.

I forgive him (I know many here won't).

I hope his funeral goes off with a whimper.

[Kheldarson]

I just think that giving his death much attention just continues his legacy. There's other things in life to concentrate on, yeah?

[siead_lietrathua]

i dunno Kheldarson. i think a short hurrah is allowed knowing that people won't have to put up with his shit anymore. plus, i personally think with the patriarch gone, it won't take long for WBC to crumble into disorder. but only time will tell.

now, i don't think people should do anything like protest HIS funeral or anything. it would just give them ammo to make him into a martyr, which would only make the WBC stronger. he needs to be left to rest in peace if for no other reason than to fuck with the WBC's persecution complex.

[Kara_CS]

His death won't matter to WBC. The woman you always see somehow holding up like, 6 signs at once and screaming on TV? That's his daughter, Shirley. She's every bit as batshit as he was. I've heard she was removed as their "official" spokesperson, but even so, the rest of the cult isn't much better. He built a legacy of hate and they are more than ready and willing to continue carrying on from here on out.

[Ginger Tea]

I knew he was dying then dead via imgur (silly place to know these things) but I am quite happy to not bring his death up as its better to forget he's dead and then be able to say "Oh he's dead? I didn't know that." as if the news wasn't newsworthy.

And frankly that's all he needs, one simple foot note in a column somewhere in the wilderness part of a newspaper, no big "Ding dong the witch is dead" fan fare, just splutter off out of sight out of mind, don't do anything to bring attention to his funeral especially if the media decide to give it air time.

[HYHYBT]

The 'church' threw him out for being too nice, of all things, and, if I heard right, might even protest his funeral themselves. Of course, their tactics lately have been to announce a lot more protests than they show up for...

[TheHuckster]

According to the articles I've read, there won't be a funeral.

I really don't know if this will actually bring the "church" into chaos and a power vacuum. The church is less an organized group and more of just a very hateful and amazingly ignorant family. Their patriarch is dead, which only means the next person in line will become the new patriarch. There might be a little bit of infighting, but a quick excommunication will silence any attempt at letting someone else take over.

Fred Phelps has been in declining health for a few years now, and the church has already had to declare someone to inherit his leadership. Some have indicated they don't have a leadership at all, and haven't for the past few years, but I figure there has to be some elder members who have some leadership.

This will not be the last we've heard from the church. They will continue to picket virtually anything that is even remotely accepting of gays (they've picketed Jerry Fallwell's funeral, and he was very anti-gay, but I guess because Fallwell didn't consider homosexuality to be a capital offense, that's enough to get you on their bad list). I'm not sure how much Fred Phelps had a influence on their funding, though, so they might need to scale back their trips, which only means their poor hometown of Topeka will probably see more local pickets.

[Rageaholic]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

[the_std]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

I think it's a "more deserving" guy...

I hope everyone takes the opportunity of him passing for some pretty passive-aggressive "mourning". Do a good deed for someone, join an LGBT protest group, donate to an LGBT charity or something in his honour...

Rather than feeding the WBC cycle of hate and anger, do something that will help the world instead.

[Rageaholic]

^

I hope no one protests the funeral either. That would just give the bastard attention and feeding the trolls of WBC.

[Talon]

So he's worm food now. My condolances to the worms.

I forgive him.

I can't imagine why. He's done nothing to merit forgiveness for the empty wretched life he led.

If there is a funeral, I hope no one bothers to picket it. Partly because nothing would be a greater insult to his remaining flock than indifference. Partly because he simply isn't worth the effort.

[Kheldarson]

I can't imagine why. He's done nothing to merit forgiveness for the empty wretched life he led.

Forgiveness isn't simply for the forgiven one: lt's also for the forgiver. Specifically, it says "I will not carry hate for you".

And for a man like Phelps, that's probably the worse thing ever.

[Mytical]

Hate breeds hate. It is a vicious cycle, and one that should be stopped. Somebody has to let go of the hate. While I think the WBC and their ilk are wastes of skin, celebrating anybody's death is not in me. No matter how much I didn't like the person, or their beliefs. Instead I will post this one comment and then ignore his death. Let the hate die where it lived.

[Aethian]

He's done more good for the LGBT community then I think he or his family/church ever thought they did. Because those who were on the fence didn't want to be associated with that guy or that church.

I too forgive and hope his soul finds the peace and forgiveness he needs to rest easy. That the sins and hate he showed can be washed away.

[Duelist925]

My initial response: "Ding dong the witch is dead, which old witch, the wicked witch!"

Secondary: I truly hope he finds the peace in death that he so obviously lacked in life.

Thirdly: See the first.


More seriously, Im glad he's gone, and I will now do my best to forget he ever existed, except as a bad example.