Hatewatch Tweets
Hatewatch is managed by the staff of the Intelligence Report, an investigative magazine published by the Alabama-based civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center.
Hatewatch Headlines
[USA]
Son Leaves ‘America’s Most Hated Family,’ And God, Behind
Religion News Service
/May 18, 2010
Nate Phelps, son of Fred Phelps, abandoned his upbringing decades ago and, in recent years, has embraced atheism.
Read full article
« back to Hatewatch Headlines
Sign up to receive a weekly update of Hatewatch Headlines.
on May 20th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
I do not blame him for leaving this so called church, but all Christian churches do not advocate the actions of the Westboro church? and to give up on God is sad indeed. I pray that he look deeper into the truth, the only thing we share, his distain is the criteria of this so called Christian church. I pray for him.
Just to shift gears I also feel and condemn the actions of any hate group (such as the church President Obama attended until he found it politically correct to distance him from). God Bless America
V/R
Noel
“Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines…”
(Song of Solomon 2:15, NKJV)
on May 20th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Noel, Obama’s church was not a hate group. Some fiery sermons were picked out from the good reverend’s many many sermons. He did not say anything about god hating white people, gays or any other historically disenfranchised group. He did however condemn American policy decisions and a history of white oppression against black people.
on May 20th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Thank you, SamDamnit.
He only did what preachers do; hold up a moral mirror for us all.
As for Nate Phelps, he is cared for and loved by God, regardless. (The same as the rest of us, even his family!).
on May 20th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I would add that what Obama’s ex-pastor said was accurate, unlike anything coming from Phelp’s bunch. At the same time, there is an entire “branch” of Christianity (if you want to call them that) generally referred to as Dominionism that are almost as bad as Phelps- and “certain denominations” are known to have even supported him and protested with him. (Hint- they’re the more militant ones!)
Indeed, in my opinion they are far worse because rather than offending people, their goal is converting this country to a theocracy, and the evidence is that they’ve been winning. They don’t insult, they force others to follow THEIR rules (and call it “obeying God”). That, to me, is more evil.
I would also add that I’ve met several walkaways (people who have left Pentecostal, Dominionist, or Fundamentalist churches), and it’s normal to go through at least a period of atheism. The severe damage done to one’s psyche by those “churches” is so bad that people often HAVE to reject God in order to maintain their sanity. Going atheist is not “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”- it’s often an adaptive or survival strategy, and I’ve also found that some people were “naturally atheist” before they walked, but kept it hidden for fear of punishment. I would also add that I’ve received far better treatment from atheists and non-Christians than from the churches, and they seem to have totally forgotten the teachings of the One they claim to follow (or twisted them into the inverse of what He said). They have shown more ethical consideration and morality than all of the churches I’ve encountered over the years.
on May 20th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
god hates the westboro babblers
on May 20th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
I congratulate both brothers for leaving it can be the hardest thing to do turning your back on your family. Christianity as Jesus preached much to the ultra-faithful horror is so close to what Marx and Engels expounded in their manifesto. Like all Christian nut bags they draw you in with Jesus and love and peace, once your in they start hitting over the head with old testament revenge and vengeance.
on May 21st, 2010 at 12:33 am
It is an insult to real Christianity to try to say that the Phelps hate cult has anything to do with Christianity. Jesus taught that sinners are to be loved, not hated, because if it were otherwise there would be no love at all in the world. We all fall short. Jesus sat down and ate with the most hated of sinners in His time.
on May 22nd, 2010 at 6:33 pm
“Real” Christianity is a curious thing. Everyone who is Christian claims that their brand of Christianity is the “real” one. (As far as fundamentalist Christian ideas are concerned WBC is correct. All fundamentalist Churches have Biblical laws and beliefs as a tenet, instead of living a Christlike life in service to their fellowman.) Well, I for one have seen just as much evil, ignorance and hate in the name of Christianity as I have seen good. Well, if I am honest, I have seen more of the nasty stuff than the good out of self professed Christians. Despite that, I believe that there are wonderful, caring loving Christians in the world; but they are often (in my experience) not the ones claiming to be the “real ones”. They go about their days doing good works.
I am pleased that the Phelps that left had the guts to go.
on May 23rd, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Actually, MirandaX, if you believe in a just, loving God you know that He does not “hate” anyone.
I agree with Allen to a point. It is an insult to Christianity (which means Christ-like) to say that most groups have much to do with the real meaning of Christianity. Certainly, the Phelps lot has little concept of it. Almost every “Christian” service I’ve attended tells me how bad I should feel, and that I’m a sinner, etc. I can’t imagine that God wants me to be depressed my whole life thinking about things I can’t change. They also tell me who’s going to hell as if they are the only ones who have a key to Heaven. I find that odd.
If you keep love in your heart and treat others with the respect that you would want for yourself I should think that would put you on the road to understanding the true meaning of God.
on June 17th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
noel, most of the people leaving Chrsitian chhurches do so because of the way Christianity is presented (and often forced) to them. since Christianity’s the predominant faith in this country, it leads to a rejection of all religions, regardless of denomination, Christian or not.
American Christianity is an outgrowth of Calvinism and Lutheranism. Calvin and Luther were two of the great haters in history, if you read about them, although they had some good points.
to a very major extent, Christianity as practiced today by many groups is pure idolatry. no other word fits.
the Lutheran-Calvinist doctrine of hard work mized with the notion of American capitalism leads to the Prosperity Gospel, which corrupts both. it’s developed since the Civil War and camie into full bloom in the 50′s-60′s.
it’s one expression of our religious idolatry, worshipping money as symbols of God.
televangelists are another, to a very very large extent.
the notion that Jesus is a homophobic right-wing, gun-toting Republican who’s anti-abortion and pro-death-penalty is yet another.
believe me, i’m no atheist, but i could dwell for quite a spell into the idolatry now worshipped as ‘American Christianity’.
there are true Christians that exist, following the precepts of Jesus. . .even in America. but they’re oh so very difficult to find. . .