Oklahomily - Bad cases make bad law

Recently one of the religious who helped organize Shepherd’s prayer vigil (and a frequent Phelps target), Father Roger Schmidt of Kansas City, Ks. received a caustic letter from Phelps’ daughter, Margie, explaining why the Westboro group was protesting another funeral in nearby Tonganoxie:

"This nation ... has crossed the line and has sinned away its final days of grace," she wrote. "These dying soldiers and hurricanes are common methods used in the Bible to punish a rebellious nation and, more important, are just a warm up. The Destroyer is on the way and you don't have enough snotty words to stop him."

This is typical of the charm, or lack of it, used by Phelps and his group to promote their message across middle America. It is unusual in that it is tailored to anger nearly every segment of the American public -- liberal, conservative, religious, pagan. The Westboro people specialize in equal opportunity offensiveness.

That offensiveness was on display August 13 when a Westboro delegation came to Broken Arrow (our home town) to protest at the funeral of Marine Sgt. James R. Graham III. We won’t go into detail except to say that the group seems to take delight in stirring up anger among not only funeral goers but those who show up to “counter protest” the Westborians.

That was our introduction to Phelps and his crew. Since then we have loosely followed his “crusade” and the hurt and angry people it leaves in its wake.

One consequence is that several states, including Oklahoma, are debating the passage of laws that would ban protests at funerals.

The Oklahoma legislation, Senate Bill 1020, would make it illegal to picket within 500 ft. of a funeral, or a church where a funeral is about to be held, from one hour prior to the funeral or burial and until two hours after completion. Violators would face $500 fines and/or 30 day jail terms upon conviction. This legislation is sponsored by state senators Mary Easley and Mike Mazzei, both of Tulsa.

On its face the bill seems innocent enough. Heaven knows a funeral ought to be a time of respect for the deceased and the survivors, a time for reflection on what death signifies, a passage from this life to the next. There is already enough grief and pain among mourners, who need reassurance that the promise of eternal life will be met for God’s faithful. Phelps and his group go over the line, repeatedly, in their absolute certainty that most people these days are going to hell.

Thus our emotional inclination is to support the bill.

But for very good reasons that transcend the pain we are witnessing, we cannot.

If history has taught us anything, it is that a government that begins restrictions of rights such as free speech and free assembly will not stop. Today it will be the righteous passage of a bill blocking funeral protests. But tomorrow it might be a bill blocking prayer vigils outside of abortion clinics. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Or perhaps, in order to preserve public order in the near future, religious and church groups will be banned from having floats in “holiday” parades since their presence might anger the non-religious in the crowds and trigger unrest. Or how about this scenario in the near future: Mardis Gras parades have become common in most American cities and feature simulated gay sex and nudity, so in order to preserve public order the state now forbids religious groups and churches from picketing or protesting the parade route, since their provocative presence might lead to civil unrest?

Although the Westborians are busy beavers, their activities affect but a tiny fraction of all the funerals taking place in this country. Few funeral protests took place before their arrival, and there are not a lot of people rushing to do copy-cat protesting, and for a very good reason:

It’s a stupid way to protest. It converts no one. It is not evangelical in nature; it is just the opposite.

The chief victim of the Westboro group is itself. By the time its members have come and gone, the Westboro reputation takes another pounding. The irony is that the members do not see it, which is a classic sign of a true cult. As difficult as it is for us to fathom, they do not see themselves as hate mongers. In a recent letter to the editor to the Wichita Eagle, Margie Phelps wrote:

"There is a God, standards, eternity and hell. America has institutionalized sin in every quarter. Children are taught from the cradle that "it's OK to be gay," and that any form of sexual irregularity or self-indulgence is fine. The idea of obeying God and submitting to His will is mocked.

"I'm persuaded from the Scriptures that there is a consequence to such moral mischief, and this nation has incurred the condign wrath of God. Given these beliefs, I would be hateful and selfish not to publish a message of warning.

"If you believe in hell, you should warn people to flee that awful place. That's true patriotism. It's like saying you love your child, while watching him step out into a six-lane highway without saying a word. That's not love; that's hate."

If this was all you ever read of the Westboro philosophy, you would be hard pressed to find fault with it. The letter testifies to the fact that the Westboro members believe what they are preaching. Many of their beliefs are not far from the Christian mainstream, although their conclusions set them off by themselves. In one sense you have to admire their sense of dedication to spreading what even they realize is an unpopular message. You next thought, however, is to realize that the enemies of Christianity are using the Westboro example to tar and feather all Christians.

What the letter does not tell indicate is that they believe in absolute predestination to such an extent that they reject the concept that God loves all of His creation, and offers hope of reconciliation until death for each individual. The Westborians believe they are offering hope, but it is a gloomy “thank God I’m not like that tax collector over there” triumphal hope for themselves and general hopelessness for all others.

Anger is not a proper response to them.

But prayer is always a proper response. So is reflecting on scripture.

Consider what Jesus told His disciples: "But to you who hear what I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28) This is the antidote to messages of hate.

Have pity and feel a bit of sadness for those whose training in the ways of God and understanding of Jesus Christ has been so limited as to miss the divine compassion of the Master. Remember the wonderful story of Jesus who “looked with love” even at the young man who could not bring himself to divest of his fortune (Mark 10:17-27) Although it ended badly with Jesus lamenting how hard it was for a rich man to get into heaven, the same Jesus reassured His crestfallen apostles that there was still hope. With man “it is not possible” for some to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but with God “all things are possible.”

Remember too how Jesus, looking down from the cross at His tormentors and executioners, and through them to all of human history at each one of us -- said, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”

We could ask for no better response to the Westboro bunch than to echo Him: “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”