OPINION: Westboro Baptist Church at ComicCon

Posted by on Jul 21, 2010 in Features, Opinion, Special Features | 5 comments

San Diego Comic Con, just those four words can inspire so much joy in those of us who adhere to a more geeky side of life. It is a time when we can gather and enjoy the hobbies, enjoy the fandoms, and enjoy each other as we come together for the latest news in pop culture, comics, sci-fi, video games and horror. For us, it is a celebration of love, love for our chosen way of life, and love for one another. This year however, true villains are invading our time of joy: Fred Phelps and the members of his Westboro Baptist Church.

For those of you unaware, I’ll give you a very brief synopsis: they are the people who go to the funerals of soldiers who died defending our country and way of life, and they enact protests. Do they protest the war? No. Do they protest the loss of a soldier’s life? No. Their protests are for the funeral itself, saying that the soldier deserved to die. Yes, they feel that dead soldiers, along with tragedies like the shuttle explosion or 9/11, are signs that God is angry with us, and actively hates our country. Now, why would God hate our country, and allow such horrific things to occur? They have a very simple answer to that -God hates homosexuals. That’s right, according to them, because some people find love within the arms of other members of their own sex; God is going to blow us all up. Perhaps Mr. Phelps and his brood were absent the day they discussed peace, love and tolerance for your fellow man in Sunday school.

So what does this have to do with Comic-Con? Well, apparently the “Church” got the idea in their head that we worship the heroes found within our comics. That we have built them up into false idols, and that we believe praying to Batman will allow all of our wildest wishes and dreams to come true. Obviously these people aren’t playing with a full deck, but why take my word for it? Read below in the words of their very own pastor. Take it away disbarred attorney Fred Phelps,

“San Diego Convention Center 111 W Harbor Dr. WBC to picket Comic Con 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center. Are you kidding?! If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it. The destruction of this nation is imminent – so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.”

That my friends, is a direct quote of crazy; however some good will come out of all of this. Chris Mason has developed the “Phelps-A-Thon”, a pledge based donation system that harnesses the power of these madmen and turns it into a force for good. For every minute Phelps and his group of deviants protest a given event, Chris asks for people to donate some amount, much like your average walk-a-thon. These funds are then donated to a charity which represents the opposite of what Phelps and his ilk are protesting. In the case of SDCC, all proceeds will be donated to the Hero Initiative, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Following the dispensing of the funds, a thank you letter is written to Phelps, letting him know just how much money he raised for the causes that he hates with such vitriolic passion. Chris hopes that his organization, and the funds they raise at the protests, will convince Westboro to just give up and leave the rest of us alone. I share this hope, as I grow weary of seeing their message of hate being spread throughout our great nation.

My hope is that plenty of funds are raised, for two very worthy causes, and that the Westboro clan is forced to eat plenty of crow, as the true message of love is shown in the money being donated, and not their hateful speech. I do wish though that I could attend SDCC this year, for I would love nothing more than to get close to Fred, look him in his soulless, heartless eyes and tell him quite plainly, “F**k you.”

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  • ThePinkEgoBox

    I shall heartily endorse the Phelps-A-Thon, first of all, it’s donating to such great causes! Second, who the hell is this person to know what God thinks and wants? God shall do his judging when the time comes, it’s not for any of us to decide.

  • http://www.geek-life.com Jay

    Jesse, I did some research into this Phelps-A-Thon, and they were at our alma mater last year! THE KWHS LGBT group brought them in because the Phelps nuts were protesting their organization. I never felt so much pride to be a Conch.

  • Kevin

    ~Leviticus 18:22 thou shall not lie with man as with woman for it is abomination~ not that I agree with them at all but, they do have biblical authority to preach this kind of garbage…

  • Dan

    Check out the awesome counter-protest a bunch of geeks had: http://io9.com/5594111/the-sdcc-god-hates-fags-counterprotest-had-the-best-signs-ever/gallery/

    Love the signs. “ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD”

  • Pingback: Geek Life » Blog Archive » Opinion: Why America needs Fred Phelps

  • Stygian Jim

    Jay, great article, sorry I couldn’t attend SDCC either. I’d love to see the look on his face when he gets those thank you letters. That said, in answer to your “Eff You” approach to Phelps, it’d be best to just turn the other cheek, and turn in another check in his name. :)