WESTBORO BAFFLED

by Muther Mayhem

for God Discussion and the Antioch Voice

I’ve followed the exploits of the Westboro Baptist Church for many years, longer than the 24-hour news channels ever could. Back in my day, these “Christians” liked to protest the funerals of men who died of AIDS complications or gay bashings. American’s didn’t like to talk about the gays though, so it didn’t make the news much. I saw enough to make me sick for life.

Which made the recent Supreme Court ruling on Snyder v. Phelps that much harder to accept. The ruling protects the right of Fred Phelps and members of Westboro Baptist Church to hold anti-gay demonstrations outside of funerals for deceased soldiers. Overwhelmingly, the justices claimed that the demonstrations were on public property, on matters of public concern, and conducted peacefully. Eight to one in favor of this opinion, like eight quick punches to my gut.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m disgusted by the Westboro Baptists, but I respect the First Amendment of our Constitution and all the caveats it provides us, including Free Exercise of religious beliefs. Hell, seems like I want freedom of religion for all Americans more than many Christians want it (always so nervous around Muslims and pagans and non-believers). I realize the Westboro Baptists have a right to demonstrate in full view of the public, at gay pride parades and significant court dates and other public functions. I tolerate their offensive signs, like “God hates fags” or “God bless dead soldiers” because I have to.

In the end, none of that is directed at an individual. The Westboro Baptists are swinging their free speech in the air, not connecting to any one person. Each of us has that right.

And even when we talk about intruding on individuals, we must realize that certain people are accessible to the public because of who they are. For example, Barack Obama governs every American, including members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Its members have a right to demonstrate in front of the White House, and to picket with signs that say “God hates Obama”. The same principle applies to any person in the public’s view. The rich and famous donate to charities and pursue agendas all the time. Counter protest is inevitable.

But we’re not talking about any of that in Snyder v. Phelps. The Westboro Baptists made this demonstration extremely personal to Matthew A. Snyder, private citizen and former Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps. They posted announcements of his funeral date and location, they created a spectacle across from the event that resulted in rerouting the motorcade, and finally, as if that wasn’t enough exercise for their free speech, The Westboro Baptists used Snyder as the subject of an online rant about parents raising their children in sin, thus targeting the family as well.

Free speech was never in question in this case. What should have been at issue was the content and methodology of the free speech to determine damages. The Westboro Baptists are an opportunistic pack of media jackals attracting attention to their beliefs. They frequently cross that thin line in the First Amendment between open debate and stalking a private citizen. Justice Samuel Alito expressed it eloquently in his dissenting remarks:

“[Phelps] and other members of their church have strong opinions on certain moral, religious, and political issues, and the First Amendment insures that they have almost limitless opportunities to express their views… It does not follow, however, that they may intentionally inflict severe emotional injury on private persons at a time of intense emotional sensitivity by launching vicious verbal attacks that make no contribution to public debate.”

Alito goes on to cite several precedents that define the narrow strip of legal turf where free speech becomes assault. And though these qualifications are narrow, they apply in this case.

Not even the Westboro Baptists deny that their protests cause pain and emotional scarring. They don’t contest those charges when dragged before the courts. The Phelps’ strategy is to frame their demonstrations as something other than a series of personal attacks. But many times, they ARE personal, and not just directed at fallen soldiers. They’ve protested individual firefighters, policemen, civil servants, victims of natural disasters and shocking crimes. Never mind the AIDS funerals and gay bashing trials. The Westboro Baptists are vultures preying on the weakest among us: the grief-stricken.

I really wanted that to change last week. More than anything, I want America to respect the dead and those who mourn them. Period. We pull to the right when a funeral procession drives by, don’t we? Our jobs allow us to grieve when a loved one passes, right? I thought if damages were awarded to the Snyders in this case, maybe that would be the evidence other Christians needed to start caring. The obvious exception is the Patriot Guard, motorcycle heroes who travel wherever the Westboro Baptists decide to protest funerals in order to provide a buffer zone between the hate speech and grieving families. What do you suppose that says about the soul of Christianity in America, when our response to funeral protests is left to biker gangs?

There’s a deeper issue lurking beneath the surface here, people, one that’s not about politics or homosexuality at all. These extreme right wing nut jobs call themselves Christians, and they use the Judeo-Christian Bible to spout their hateful rhetoric. I see them demonstrating like they do and I wonder, Where are all the other Christians in this country? Don’t they want to weigh in on this? Don’t they care? Where is the backlash, people? This has exploded far beyond the whole gay thing. A sect of the Christian Church is picketing funerals in this country. Not picketing the idea of funerals in front of some government building, but actual dead soldiers and other private citizens, individually, drawing private moments into the public eye.

I’m calling Christians out on this one. I know there are many, many rational members who could step forward, not on behalf of government, but rather on behalf of Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. Do we really have to go into faith without works here? Exercise freedom of religious expression. Show some compassion for the families by counter demonstrating. Surround those funerals with crowds of quiet, respectful, loving people. Perhaps if enough Christians networked with one another, the funerals of soldiers could even be confidential. At the very least, they could pressure lawmakers to restrict the access nut jobs have to private funerals. Anything but turn the other cheek. Because there are plenty of examples where Christians must tolerate the Westboro Baptists, but personal attacks aren’t among them.