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Snyder V. Phelps No
Snyder v. Phelps No. 09–751
131 S. Ct. 1207 (2011)
Argued October 6, 2010
Decided March 2, 2011
On March 10, 2006 the Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of fallen Marine, Lance
Corporal Matthew Snyder. The Snyder family sued the Church, accusing them of defamation,
invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion, and infliction of intentional emotional distress, a
tort under state law. On October 6, 2010, Snyder v. Phelps No. 09–751 was brought before the
courts. The Justices' of the court did not reach a decision until March 2, 2011 (Oyez Project).
Fred Phelps and the members of the Westboro Baptist Church believe that God is punishing the
United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, especially in America's military. For the past 20
years they have picketed many military funerals across the country. They also condemned the
Catholic Church for the scandals involving their clergy. On March 10, 2006, at Matthew Snyder's
funeral, Fred Phelps and six other members of the church, all of which were his family, peacefully
displayed their signs which stated, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "Fags Doom Nations," "Priests
Rape Boys," "Semper Fi Fags," God Hates You," Pope in Hell," and "Thank God for 9/11"
(Cornell). Prior to picketing this funeral the members of the Westboro Church notified the
authorities to insure the fact that they would not be violating any laws. They staged the picket on
public land adjacent to a public street, 1,000 feet away from the church the
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The Definition Of Christianity Is A Religion
The definition of Christianity is a religion that teaches about who Jesus is and why he was sent to
save us. I believe being a Christian consists of loving inward, outward and upward. I as that I never
knew who God was growing up, but I always knew he existed. I am a courageous Christian woman
that has been a Christian for almost three years now. I know now what it is like to live for God's
glory. Before I became a Christian I was a very lost soul. What I mean by this is, I lived a very
hateful life. I hated me. I hated you. Most of all I hated God. How could God create someone like
me? I am a heroin addict in recovery and did whatever it took to and went to any lengths to get my
drugs. I was living a life full of sin. Today, I know I was born into a sinful world and it 's what I do
with it that matters. Since becoming a Christian I have learned what love is. God is love. I show my
love for God by showing my love for others. I am the head cook for two separate community
dinners. I meet with elderly Christians that no longer can get to church. I help with the cold weather
shelters to make sure homeless have a warm place to sleep at night. I know that my acts of love and
kindness towards others is not what 's going to get me into God 's kingdom, but it sure does add
value to the lives of others as well as mine. There is only one way I get to heaven and that is to
accept that Jesus died for my sins and to ask for forgiveness. So what I a have learned in the last
three years
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How Did The Spread Of Separationism
In the year 1517, a monk by the name of Martin Luther revolutionized the entire religious world by
starting the Reformation movement within Europe by just posting his 95 Theses to the Castle
Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany. The spread of the Reformation ideals took time until it
eventually made its way to England in the early 17th century. England, throughout the years, was
constantly changing politically and religiously, with some monarchs leaning towards Protestantism
with an iron fist and other rulers directing the country to an extremist Catholic empire. Even when
the "Elizabethan Settlement", which was treaty that ended the religious wars between the Protestants
and Catholics within England, was made there were still outcries within England for greater
reforms.
The Puritans and the Separationists were those who called for a "pure" church within England. The
Queen and even the Church of England would not put up with such communities and forced
religious conformity, thus ending a brief period of religious peace within the country. The Puritans
and Separationists had no other choice but to flee to the New World.
The Separationists called for a separation between church and state. They lived and breathed each
and every single word the Bible and believed that the bible didn't in fact teach religion as a
hierarchy. On http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/trail.htm it also states, "They preferred a
simple worship liturgy which emphasized a Holy God. They felt that the
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Theme Of Intolerance In The Crucible
A theme that is prevalent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is intolerance. In the play, intolerance
can be seen acted out by the people of Salem, as anyone who does anything that goes against
Puritarian beliefs is accused of being a witch. Minute abnormal behavior by some people is reported
and is enough to lead them to be imprisoned. Intolerance is depicted throughout the play and can
even be seen to in our own society. We have issues of Black rights, the LGBTQIA, deporting
Mexicans, and banning Muslims, that bring to light the intolerance our society holds. Firstly, let's
discuss how intolerance is presented in The Crucible. Miller presents a world in Salem,
Massachusetts during the 17th century where everyone is dominantly Puritan. They were extremely
religious and held strict principles of religion. So when individuals slightly deviated from the norm,
suspicion was cast upon them. Take for example when John Proctor's wife is accused of witchcraft
in Act Two; his lack of presence at the church and his inability to recite the Ten Commandments,
along with other statements, is enough for his wife to go into questioning. As does Giles' wife,
whose only crime was reading a book, but because she read anything that wasn't the Bible it put her
under suspicion. These were extreme cases of intolerance, where people in this society who did
anything that didn't coincide with what everyone else was doing caused them to be accused of
working with the devil. This intolerance stems from a strong conviction of the people's Puritan
ways. When you have a set of views that are set in stone, it becomes very easy to be intolerant
towards everything else. There were countless accused of witchcraft, resulting from innocent people
who came to be questioned as they weren't a perfect "Puritan." The Crucible's presentation of
intolerance can be used to identify it within our own society. As mentioned previously, intolerance
occurs when you have individuals with strict outlooks of the world and are unwavering in their
opinion of it. Religion is often a means through which people can exhibit intolerance using their
religion as the basis to condemn other things. Generally, it is the extremist in these groups, and as
we read in
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Westboro Baptist Church Research Paper
Westboro Baptist Church is a Church full of many people who protest at many military funerals.
There are many people like the people in Westboro Baptist Church, those are the type of people who
hate America. In the year 2013, Westboro Baptist Church was counter–protested at a military
funeral. People who hate America and the people who fought for them, should be removed from this
country. Westboro Baptist Church is one of the many people who protest at military funerals, there
are many more who hate America even though we send people out to fight for them, if those people
think that America is not worth their love, then they should be removed and sent to the nearest
country, People should be able to understand, that America is a country that fights for everyone's
freedom, and their rights. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Westboro Baptist Church is from about a year ago, but it is still sad that they would protest at
funerals of people who fought for them. Westboro Baptist Church Should be shut down and
everyone that has ever had some type of connection with protesting at military funerals should be
arrested. It should not be right for someone to say that god killed them because their country allows
gays. If they understood freedom, and rights then they would not be protesting that "god hates gays"
and "god killed soldiers for punishment of allowing gays". This are the type of people who are
ruining America for everyone else. America may be the land of the free, but it is not the home of
protesters. Westboro is one of the many protesters but there are many other people out there in the
world, ready to take down
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Art Within Cave Dwellings Dating
One of the earliest evidences of the belief in a higher power comes from deep within the "Lascaux
Labyrinth", a deep cave "decorated by our Paleolithic ancestors in the stone age, seventeen thousand
years ago"(Armstrong 2). The great numbers and locations of art within the Lascaux and
surrounding region gives evidence that these were sacred places for the purpose of rituals, and some
have compared these dwellings to temples (Armstrong 3). Whether art within cave dwellings dating
back to the Paleolithic era, to magnificent churches rising to great heights around the world, the
wondrous temples of the Mayans, a mountain that appears to seamlessly morph into the city of
Machu Picchu, to trailers, tents and fortified compounds, belief in a power higher than one's self has
been deeply ingrained throughout centuries and a multitude of cultures. These different places are
what many refer to as a church, a place to record and follow the rituals specific to their belief and to
worship. Through the generations of the development of the human psyche, belief in a higher power
is taught young and ingrained for many, yet meaningless for some. Furthermore, throughout the
evolution of many centuries, it is inevitable that branches of these religions will follow a different
path, create new churches to better practice their views of religion, and for some, belief in a higher
power can be contorted to the preaching's and worship of hate. There is a fine line between
preaching scriptures and
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Argumentative Essay On Religion
Religion was discovered back in 2000 BC and is considered to be a trait common to cultures
worldwide to this day. Some use religion as a way to cope, to connect, but few could use religion as
a weapon against others. Since religion began, over 195,035,000 lives have been lost in tragedies
brought on in the name of faith. Regardless of the brutality religion has created, it has also caused
others to come together in order to speak out. As a result of religions regression in society, humans
are able to progress for the sake of defending human rights. Christianity is one of the largest
religions to stand with more than 2.22 billion followers. However, not all Christians share the same
stance on issues, whether it be political or moral. An example would be the Westboro Baptist
Church; a hate group known for its hostility towards those who do not meet up to their standards,
specifically members of the LGBT, Catholics, American soldiers, and Muslims. The church
originally received national attention in October, 1998, for picketing the funeral of a man named
Matthew Shepard who was beaten and tortured for being gay. Romaine Patterson, a friend of
Shepard's, recalled that she couldn't take her eyes off of the neon signs that read, "God Hates Fags",
"Matt in Hell", and "AIDS Cures Fags". From there, the church had displayed Shepard in their
memorial section on their website. The page states that the church does not support the fact he was
murdered, but that they picketed in order
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Westboro Baptist Church: A Deviant Hate Crime Group? Essay
Deviant behavior is anything that a person does that is out of the norm. Robbing banks, stealing
cars, and assaulting individuals are easily considered deviant behavior, but can people be deviant
while still being within their legal rights and without breaking any laws? One congregation that does
not break any laws, but is considered to be out–of–line, is the Westboro Baptist Church. The
Westboro Baptist Church has been called offensive and their actions are frowned upon by many. Is
the Westboro Baptist Church actually a deviant group in disguise? In order to get to know about the
Westboro Baptist Church, a person needs to know a little about who they are, where they came
from, and what they represent. The Westboro ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Bible does not teach messages about god loving everyone equally (God, 2011). The Westboro
Baptist Church discuss on their web site that the Bible has very strict rules about how a person is
suppose to live their life. (God, 2011). Being homosexual, or even allowing homosexuality to occur,
is against those rules (God, 2011). A person must follow the Bible to an extreme to be considered
sinless (God, 2011). One of the biggest questions that people wonder when they encounter the
Westboro Baptist Church, is how they can get away with what they are doing. Is the Westboro
Baptist Church violating any laws? The Supreme Court ruled eight to one, that the Westboro Baptist
Church is within their first amendment rights, and that their picketing, and attendance at fallen
soldier's funerals are within their rights (Richey, 2011). The court case was brought about by a father
of a fallen soldier who felt that the Westboro Baptist church had violated his son's rights by
protesting at his son's funeral (Jonsson, 2011). People were enraged at the court's ruling, and felt that
situations like those of the fallen soldier's could have been avoided if the Supreme Court had ruled
differently (Richey, 2011) It is likely that the case opened up the door for the Westboro Baptist
Church to feel more confident about their actions, since the Supreme Court basically stated that
there will not be any
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Westboro Baptist Church Case Study
Facts: Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps organized a protest on public property to make
their beliefs known to others, which is protected by the first Amendment. They do not believe in
homosexuality and wars they feel like support homosexuality. They have protest numerus military
funerals. Their Protest of Matthew Snyder's Funeral was on public property and they notified the
authorities before picketing the funeral.
At Lance Corporal Matthew's Funeral, who was killed in Iran in 2006, they had signs that stated
"God hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,"" Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "Thank God for IEDs,"
along with others that were similar to these in nature.
Albert Snyder, Matthew Snyder's father could see the tops of the signs at the funeral however could
not read what they said. He learned about the content of the signs via the news and proceeded to sue
the church under the claim that it caused him sever emotional destress. Fred Phelps argued that
Westboro Baptist Church was protected by the First Amendment which deals with Free Speech. ...
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The Jury awarded him 10.9 million, however the judge lowered the awarded money to 5 million.
Phelps then brought the case to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals which reversed the ruling due to
the Westboro Baptist Church having free speech.
Issues: Whether Westboro Baptists signs and comments during their protest at Lance Corporal
Matthew Snyder's Funeral were matters of public concern and protected under the First
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Westboro Baptist Church Case Study
The Westboro Baptist Church is known for protesting at military funerals. They oppose of
homosexuality strongly. They can be on stand on streets holding signs reading "Fag troops" and
"Fag nation," as well as displaying many other disrespectful signs. In addition, they claim that "God
hates America" and "America is doomed." These extremists are very anti–military, anti–gay, and
anti–America altogether. In 2013, the hate group planned to picket the memorial of Sgt. Stefan
Smith, a Third Infantry Division soldier killed in Afghanistan a month before. As word spread of
Westboro's plans, community members launched a Facebook group organizing a counter–protest.
The group drew nearly two thousand supporters who planned "to create a human barrier/shield
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Westboro Baptist Church Preaches
The Westboro Baptist Church has long been regarded in the media as a group filled with hate and
detestation for virtually anyone who does not practice their teachings. In reality, the members of the
Westboro Baptist Church hold a strong belief that the messages that are portrayed through their
picketing and social media websites are actually acts of love that reveal the severity of the actions
that most humans partake in. Most of the members were born into the Church and therefore believe
that the words they proclaim are the absolute truth. Although most Americans do not agree with the
teachings and practices that the Westboro Baptist Church preaches, it is important to learn about and
try to understand the various aspects of the church in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The membership at the Westboro Baptist Church is largely composed of the Phelps family members,
related both by blood and by marriage (Spies, 2014). Many of these relatives are children,
grandchildren, and great–grandchildren of founder Fred Phelps. However, there are members who
do not have any relation to the family. According to two of Fred Phelps' children, Timothy and
Margie Phelps, "there are people from about six other families who belong to the church" (Spies,
2014). This shows that the Westboro Baptist Church is not an inclusive church, but is perceived that
way since the majority of the members are from the same family and background. Although the
Westboro Baptist Church welcomes anyone to come to their church for service, it is very difficult to
become a member of the Church. On the FAQ page on the Westboro Baptist Church's website, one
of the members responds to the question of "How do I join you?" (Westboro Baptist Church, 2015).
The answer given to this question stated that the person asking was either "a pretender...a
mocker/scoffer with an interior motive...[or] a sincere soul" (Westboro Baptist Church, 2015). Those
who wish to become members must also repent their sins and make sure they believe in everything
the Bible proclaims and Westboro preaches. The active members of the Church must also make sure
that her
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What Is Matthew Snyder's Funeral Argumentative Essay
In 2006, Matthew Snyder, a Marine Corporal was killed during combat in Iraq. Snyder's family had
made funeral arrangements at a Catholic church in their hometown of Westminster, Maryland. The
time and location of this service was made public by local newspapers, thus being easily accessible
by the public. Fred Phelps, the founder of Westboro Baptist Church located in Topeka, Kansas, was
made aware of this service and chose to travel to Maryland to picket it with his two daughters and
four grandchildren. The members of the WBC believe that God will forever despise and punish the
United States for its lenience towards homosexuality, especially within the military. In order to
ensure that their beliefs be known, Phelps and his members frequently
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Westboro Baptist Church Hypocrisy
Kevin Besser
Ms. Gawith
English IV
7 December 2015 Westboro Baptist Church Hypocrisy Compared to 17th Century Puritan
Ideologies
Throughout time with society people consistently fall into two main categories; people that judge,
and people who are judgmental. There is a considerable difference between these two types of
people. For instance, if one were too judge it could simply be to make a decision, but to be
judgmental one would look at another person and look down on them putting themselves above
them. Two prime examples of judgmental people are the people of the Westboro Baptist Church,
And Puritanism. The Westboro Baptist Church correlates alongside Puritanism ideologies
concerning Calvinistic theories, which ultimately caused them to ... Show more content on
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He and his family own the title as Ben Williamson say the most hated family in America. The
Westboro Baptist Church owns many famous common slogans from Christianity. Such as, God hate
America, God hates fags, Thank God for Dead Soldiers, Thank God for 9/11, Thank God for IEDs,
and Pray for More Dead Soldiers. This shows how extreme these people are compared to the
common christian. Though this church does not have as large as a backing as the Puritans did a few
hundred years ago. They still have a meek population of around 70, which doesn't seem that much.
This is even without taking into consideration that most of the 70 are family members of Fred
Phelps himself. Though it doesn't take a huge population to make a global impact it, for one person
could be the center of attention for weeks on the media.The way they gather this attention is to do
unique activities such as Protesting pro–homosexual events; picketing at dead soldiers‟ funerals and
other funerals of prominent personalities or tragedies; declaring judgment on nations and religions
including particularly Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism. Unto the beliefs of the Westboro
Baptist Church, they have a independent, primitive Baptist Church, and is strongly hyper–
Calvinistic. The Church has very similar beliefs to the Puritans, for their church is a part of an elect
system. This means only the elect will go to
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Westboro Baptist Church
Persuasive opinion paper
God hates fags, Thank god for dead soldiers, Thank god for Hurricane Katrina, Pretty harsh right?
These are all common phrases publically protested by a church called the Westboro Baptist church.
You would think such comments should be illegal to chant out in public considering that gay
marriage is now legal in some states and also that soldiers are out fighting for us, however members
of the Westboro Baptist church feel differently. Westboro Baptist church was established in 1955.
Located in Topeka, Kansas, Their goal is to "preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse
generation". They take on such goals by publically protesting these horrendous phrases on street
corners, gay festivals, and more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The final thing done by the Westboro Baptist church that catches the eye of many Americans is the
upside down flying of the American flag. According to the members, the upside down flag is a sign
of distress. They feel that the entire country is in mortal danger and the upside down flag is a
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Essay On Hate Crimes
The Stakeholders The Hate Crime Opponents The societal problem of hate crimes has many
stakeholders not only opposing hate crimes but also supporting them. Of the many stakeholders
opposing hate crimes, specifically those relating to a race–bias, Black Lives Matter is the most
prominent one in the media. Black Lives Matter, which was founded on July 13, 2013, is an activist
community that strives to end the world of "anti–Blackness, where every Black person has the
social, economic, and political power to thrive" (What We Believe). The Black Lives Matter
movement has recently been geared toward police brutality. Black Lives Matter believes that police
intentionally treat blacks differently and see them more as a threat than other races. They believe
that the police inflict violent behavior on blacks because of their skin color. The Black Lives Matter
website says, "We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived
sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious
beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location" (What We Believe). A prominent stakeholder
that opposes hate crimes relating to a religion–bias is Alliance Defending Freedom. Alliance
Defending Freedom is a Christian organization that fights to defend the religious freedoms
guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Dr. Bill Bright, an American evangelist, founded the
organization on January 31, 1994. The
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Westboro Baptist Church: A Case Study
Bill is a 34–year–old White male from Wichita, Kansas. He is an accountant that is currently
engaged to Sue. Bill is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church is hates gays and the Jewish
population. Additionally, this church protest the funerals of dead soldiers and victims of other crimes
because they believe that God is the reason for their death because of America's support for
homosexuals (God Hates Fags, 2016). The Westboro Baptist Church is classified as a hate group by
the Southern Poverty Law Center (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2016). Hate groups have been on
the rise since 2000 because of the growing demographics or other racial groups and their progress in
society (PBS, 2016). With the rise in hate groups the lesbian, gays, bisexual,
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The Importance Of Hate Speech
"The way that you know he`s failing is I`d almost still bang him. It`s just.....it`s just a man in a dress,
isn't it? " said Milo Yiannopoulos while giving a speech at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
where he denigrated a transgender university student in front of everyone showing her picture on an
enormous screen. Not only Milo, but there are numerous people in our society who misuses the right
of free speech by using hateful and awful words in their speech in the name of Free Speech. Even
the Congress does not take any action against the hateful speech, but the public tries their best to
stop the hate speech. However, it is the government`s responsibility to protect its citizens from any
mishappenings. Speech in the United States is as free as it could ever be because Congress does not
violate what an individual says, regardless of how odious; although, U.S. government should take
crucial steps against hate speech.
Speech in United States is as free as it could ever be because Congress does not violate what an
individual says, regardless of how odious. According to the United States Supreme Court case
"Snyder V. Phelps", Westboro Baptist Church has been protesting at the military funerals for the past
20 years and it has protested at nearly 600 funerals to spread its belief that God hates United States
for its acceptance of homosexuality, especially in the US Military. Similarly, protesters went to the
funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder where they
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Free Speech Essay
When you think about America, the first thing that comes to mind is liberty. Liberty of the
government and its citizens is one thing that colonists exceedingly desired during the British
oppressive regime. When United States gained independence, the Founding Fathers drafted the
Constitution of the Unites States, a document that has been governing our country for more than 200
years. The constitution was drafted accordingly to ensure that people's opinions were heard. What
our Founding Fathers could not foresee is that in our 21st century, The Freedom of Speech not only
gives a person such a massive power, but also an opinion even if it is immoral and goes against
citizens' values.
Thesis statement
The First Amendment is the right that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Furthermore, not only hates groups express their opinion tremendously, but also the press tends to
over use its power. The issue with the press is that journalists often publish misleading and
unverified information about public figures. Thence it gives a bad image for figures such as
celebrities or politicians and manipulates the public opinion. For the past century, the Supreme
Court has been protecting journalists from being sued on "libel" and "slander". Not only it gives
such an enormous power over public opinion to journalists, it makes people question the unfairness
of the First Amendment.
Transition Paragraph
I chose this subject because foremost I am concerned with growing hate in this country. While the
United States government advocating for diversity, people still believe that all Muslims are terrorists
and gay people are immoral and dangerous as well. We live in civil tolerant society which is
necessary for mankind's survival and if we continue to stretch unlimited tolerance to those
individuals who are intolerant and immoral, we are simply going to become victims of the
aggression of intolerance from these individuals. Moreover, the destruction of another human being
is a criminal act and it doesn't matter whether a weapon is used or words.
II. BODY
Hate Speech
#1 On March 10, 2006 it was funeral of Matthew
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The Most Hated Family in America Essay examples
The Most Hated Family In America The topic of homosexuality has been a very hot topic over the
past several decades. The term homosexuality can be defined as the "sexual desire or behavior
towards a person or persons of one's own sex" ("Homosexuality"). There are many people who
either agree or disagree with the aspect of homosexuality, and there are others who are indifferent.
Many Christian churches around the world, especially in the United States, have stated their opinion
against homosexuality. They based their beliefs in the verses in 1st Corinthians 6: 9–10, which says,
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ... Show more content on
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If one reads this manual, especially how the Baptists base their doctrine, one would see that the
Westboro Baptist Church is wrong in many aspects, to such extent that they should not be called
Baptists. The Westboro Baptist Church's main purpose is to promote hate; hate towards America,
towards the world, and towards anybody who lives in this world and accepts homosexuality, or
"fags" as they call them, into our society ("God Hates Fags"). They use picketing as a source to
express their opinion is a very hateful way, to the point that it makes any person passing by
uncomfortable and even express their anger towards them. In "The Most Hated Family In America"
film, there are several instances where one can see the Phelps family discouraging the population by
yelling that they are all going to hell, and that God hates this world for accepting the ways of the
world. They don't care if the person is Christian or not, according to them, the world has no
salvation (Theroux). In page 62 of the Baptist manual, it states that Baptist should believe in
"justification", because it "includes that pardon of sin" (Hiscox). This is clear evidence that the
Westboro church does not go by the manual of Baptists. The most horrifying thing that these people
do is to picket at soldier funerals. With a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts, they stand in a
corner shouting,
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Westboro Baptist Church Case Study
Issue:
It is crucial that the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) maintains its position and strength in getting
our message out by any means possible. With technology, particularly social media, advancing so
rapidly, we need consider keeping with the times and utilize all the tools available to us.
Background:
Since the inception of the Westboro Baptist Church in 1955, we have been focussed on preaching
against all form of sin and spreading the message of God. In following the 5 Points of Calvinism, we
have also maintained aspects of his methods, by using print media to expand our theological
philosophy. Just as "the Protestant Reformation [sic] was one to the greatest positive forces [...]" of
that time, so too is the work we carry out today. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Use our website and picketing to spread our message. This has been effective for quite some time,
and the financial burden on the Church would remain the same. However, this not guaranteed to
remain effective. The second option would be to B] Begin an extensive social media overhaul in
addition to our current format. This would require the creation of several accounts, and updating our
current websites to direct people to these new social media accounts. This will almost certainly
result in increased costs for the Church, as in order to have the best results; we would need a social
media manager, which would be an additional cost on top of all our travel expenses. However, the
benefit should ideally be an explosion in our message reaching across the
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Fred Phelps Is The Leader Of The Westboro Baptist Church
Name and Citation: Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U. S. ___ (2011) Facts: Fred Phelps is the leader of the
Westboro Baptist Church which is considered to be extremist. Phelps and his followers believe that
God punishes those who are tolerant of homosexuality. Since, the United States has a high tolerance
of homosexuality, they believe that the United States is damned. The military also has recently
become more accepting of homosexuals in their ranks, thus the Westboro Baptist Church pickets
many military funerals. Albert Snyder's son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, was killed in a
Humvee accident on March 3, 2006. Phelps heard about Matthew Snyder's funeral and decided to
head to Maryland with six other followers to picket. The Westboro Baptist Church picketed Lance
Corporal Snyder's funeral with signs that displayed sayings such as: "God Hates the USA/Thank
God for 9/11," "Thank God for IEDs," and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." Before the members of
the church arrived, they contacted local authorities to let them know about their protest. They staged
themselves on public land that was parallel to a street, all the while agreeing and obeying that police
officer's orders. They showed their signs for about thirty minutes before the beginning of the funeral.
Members of the church also sang songs and recited verses from the Bible. The picketers never
stepped foot (they were about 1,000 feet away) on the church's property (where the funeral was
held) nor did they use profanity or
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Hate Speech According To The Westboro Baptist Church
When asking people what they think about the word "Baptists" they immediately think about people
who go to church or judgmental/hypocritical people, but those labels are false (Zhein Survey).
However, according to the Westboro Baptist Church website, they do judge people who are not only
of the LGBT group, they also judge Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Jews, politicians and even
American Soldiers. Because this church has a large amount of "success" they are able to get their
hate speech out around the United States (and maybe even other countries) to offend those who were
listed or those who believe those listed are okay in what they are doing. Westboro B.C is the reason
why those who aren't followers of Christ, won't ever be followers of Christ,
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Snyder V Phelps Case Study
Snyder v Phelps Many people have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church as they are widely known,
especially for their protests, and hate speech. The Snyder v Phelps case particularly focuses on an
instance where the Westboro Baptist Church protested in front of the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl.
Matthew Snyder. The question in which the Supreme Court was addressing was "Does the First
Amendment protect protesters at a funeral from liability for intentionally inflicting emotional
distress on the family of the deceased? ("Snyder v. Phelps")" The church and its founders were
facing charges that included, "defamation, invasion of privacy, and the intentional infliction of
emotional distress for displaying signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Fag troops" at
Snyder's funeral.("Snyder v. Phelps.")" The Snyder family won this case in district court, but ...
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The Court took the modest tack of identifying a category of protected speech–speech on a matter of
public concern–and refusing to make an exception to that category for Westboro's protest."
(Salamanca) Chief Justice John Roberts stated that, "Westboro conducted its picketing peacefully. It
alerted local authorities to its plan protest and fully complied with police guidance on where the
picketing could be staged. The picketing was conducted under police supervisions, some 1000 feet
from the church out of the sight of those at the church." There was a concurring opinion written and
filed by Justice Stephen J. Breyer, stating that "[he does] not believe that our First Amendment
analysis can stop at that point." There was also a dissenting opinion written and filed by Justice
Samuel Alito, the only justice that voted against Phelps. Alito stated, "Our profound national
commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in
this case."("Snyder v.
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Westboro Baptist Church Essay
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is known for their obscene protests where they display signs
that discriminate towards homosexuals. Although the members of the WBC considered themselves a
part of an actual church, the church mainly consists of the family members of its founder, Fred
Phelps (Clay, 2016). The church holds beliefs that are similar to Calvinism, a denomination of
Christianity. Similar to the Calvinists, the members of the church believe that they are a part of an
elect group of people that God has chosen to be his own (Clay, 2016). Because they are a part of
God's elect, they feel they must speak against the homosexuality that is present in America and in
other places of the world. They travel around the world protesting and shouting hurtful phrases that
cause people to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We felt that there is a certain amount of respect that everyone deserves and the WBC is crossing this
line and stripping people of this respect. As a result, there should be laws created to limit the amount
of emotional stress that this group can put onto the people they encounter. One way this can be done
is by not allowing the church to protest at certain events such as the funerals of deceased military
members. Although the WBC has the right and is protected by the first amendment, allowing them
to express their freedom of speech, they are using this to their advantage and are exploiting others. I
personally believe that the creators of this amendment had no intention for it to be used to protect
people who act like the members of the WBC. I do agree that the WBC have the right to their
freedom of speech and protest, however, they are in some ways, impeding and striping the rights and
freedoms of the people they encounter and the young members of the church who shout and hold
signs when they have yet to understand the meaning of
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Westboro Baptist Church In The Crucible
The Crucible Final Essay The world has always been broken. It is filled with those who just want to
hurt others. There are countless examples of this, such as mass shootings, murders, sexual
harassment, and too much more. When researching events in which people are antagonized, the
Westboro Baptist Church appears frequently. The members of this congregation speak in hatred.
They condemn innocent people, who they don't know, and claim these people are sins or wrong, just
as residents of Salem in Arthur Miller's The Crucible did. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church
(WBC)share many traits with the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible; their persecution of
minorities and those different from themselves, stems from their belief that they ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
This church lies in Topeka, Kansas. It was established in 1955 and founded by Fred W. Phelps Sr.
According to the About Us section on the WBC's homepage, "WBC has constructed tens of
thousands of such public preaching demonstrations since June, 1991, at homosexual parades, and
other events including funerals..." (Westboro Baptist Church homepage) They "perceive the modern
militant homosexual movement to pose a clear and present danger to the survival of America."
(Westboro Baptist Church homepage) The members of the WBC, which consists of a small and
close–knit group of people, believe that homosexuality is wrong, that anyone who is not an"old–
school'' (Westboro Baptist Church About Us page) baptist like them, (such as the Amish and Jews),
are wrong, that God will punish everyone who doesn't have their views. These people believe all
these groups will burn in Hell. They protest funerals and take to the streets with their vile posters to
scream their ideas to others. They persecute others because they trust genuinely in the righteousness
of God. The members of WBC want people to repent their sins so that they can be with God, just the
characters in The Crucible
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Persuasive Essay On Religion
Religion was discovered back in 2000 BC and is even considered to be a trait common to all human
cultures worldwide to this day. Some use religion as a way to cope, to connect, but few could use
religion to exert hate onto others. In the name of religion, over 195,035,000 lives have been claimed
in tragedies. Despite this, the cruelties religion has placed on people had also caused others to come
together in order to speak out. As a result of religions regression in society, humans are still able to
progress in order to defend human rights. Christianity is one of the largest religions to stand with
more than 2.22 billion followers. However, not all Christians feel the same on certain issues,
whether it may be political or morals. An example would be the Westboro Baptist Church; a hate
group known for its hostility towards those who do not meet up to their standards, specifically
members of the LGBT, Catholics, American soldiers, and Muslims. The church originally received
national attention in October, 1998, for picketing the funeral of a man named Matthew Shepard who
was beaten and tortured for being gay. Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard's, recalled that she
couldn't take her eyes off of the neon signs that reading, "God Hates Fags", "Matt in Hell", and
"AIDS Cures Fags". From there, the church had displayed Shepard in their memorial section on
their website. The page states that the church does not support the fact he was murdered, but that
they picketed in order
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God Hates Fags: The Westboro Baptist Church
WBC impact to society is completely negative. Nothing they do or say is positive or helps us in any
kind of way, this is not a community or organization that people want to join. WBC is hated by the
larger society because of what they say and how they act. You would think that those always being
attacked would help them get the picture but it doesn't. The Westboro Baptist Church is located in
Topeka, Kansas and made up of Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps, nine of his 13 children (the other four
are estranged because they didn't agree with their family), their children and spouses, and a small
number of other families and individuals. Phelps has maintained tight control over the group. His
estranged son Nathan says that Phelps abused his children ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The church reportedly picketed a local restaurant every day for three years because the owner
employed a female knowing that she was a lesbian. Many of the targets for the church are chosen at
random. The church picketed a concert by Justin Bieber because he was not using his fame to
promote God. Other targets were Bill Clinton's mother, Sonny Bono, Lady Gaga, and Bob Dole.
Shirley Phelps–Roper, a frequent protester and one of Fred Phelps' children, would wear American
flags sometimes. She would hang them from her pants while protesting so that they would scrape
against the ground while she walked. She allowed her children to step on an American flag during
protests. The Church uses tactics like these to win media attention and spread its
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Louis Theroux: The Most Hated Family In America
"The Most Hated Family in America," is a 2007 BBC documentary film by Louis Theroux, who
followed members of the Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, Kansas, in order to document their
outrageous and controversial views. Theroux spent three weeks with the Phelps family, descendants
of Fred Phelps, who founded the Westboro Baptist Church in 1955. Members of the Westboro
Baptist Church strongly believe that soldiers killed in combat, are God's punishment for
homosexuality and the increased support and acceptance of homosexuality in America. They display
their views by having anti–gay protests and picketing the funerals of veterans, with signs like "God
Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." Theroux tells Shirley, the daughter of Fred Phelps,
that the church's protests are most likely putting people off the word of Jesus Christ, and she
responds by saying their job is not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They display themselves as "Holy–rollers" while spreading hate. I don't understand the views of the
Westboro Baptist Church because they seem to be completely opposite of the teachings of
Christianity. If given the opportunity, I would tell the members of the church that they need to refer
back to Matthew 7:1, James 4:11, and Luke 6:37, and work on themselves, before they try to tell
someone that they are "going to Hell." I would then commend Theroux, for lasting three weeks
around the Phelp's family. Watching this documentary helped me to understand how people
manipulate the bible, and any other holy book, to fit their agenda. What is understood from the bible
is up to interpretation, and it is easy for someone to twist the words of the bible to support their
beliefs. Although I completely disagree with the teachings of the Westboro Baptist Church, I
enjoyed watching this video because it shows that not everyone who can quote the bible should be
allowed to teach the word of
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Corruption Or Truth : Westboro Baptist Church
Corruption or Truth: Westboro Baptist Church Not affiliated with any southern baptist or general
baptist churches, the thirty–nine member (The Journal) Westboro Baptist Church is primarily known
for its continued protest against the LGBT community, the Catholic Church, and the military
(Wikipedia). The westboro Baptist Church's first public service was held on November 27,
1955(Wikipedia). This was the first time the church publicly condemned the world. Most recently
the Westboro Baptist Church have agreed with the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando,
Florida stating that God sent Omar Mateen to kill the gays because "God hates fags." While other
churches preach about loving one another as god has loved them, the westboro ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Last year, members of the Westboro Baptist Church picked a baptism of a child of a same–sex
couple. Their reasoning, the child of the couple shall be sent to hell because again, "God hates
Fags."
A former member of the Westboro baptist church, Lauren Drains, believes the former Westboro
leader, Fred Phelps, was homosexual orientation. She believes this because every time the man was
interviewed and asked questions such as, "Why do you shame the homosexual community?", "Do
you have any background with homosexuality," he would shut down and say "I am done these
reporters are stupid." (Sieczkowski).
Ironically, the Westboro Baptist Church was for the Pulse Nightclub shooting, however the
congregation says "God Hated Omar Matien," the shooter. Many people asked why would Westboro
not be for Matien because he killed tens of homosexuals. However, in the days and weeks after the
shooting CNN and other news station found some interesting news. Many of the Pulse Nightclub
workers said that June 12 was not the first time Omar Matien had been to the Pulse Nightclub. The
workers have come forth saying they have seen Omar Matien before at the Nightclub, stating that
they had also seen him dancing with other men. Because of these "sightings," the Westboro Baptist
Church believes Matien was homosexual; and becuase Omar Matien is no longer alive, the
Westboro
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Group Projects Are Always Difficult, Especially With...
Group projects are always difficult, especially with strangers. Going into this project I was
precautious, but the results proved me wrong. Our assignment, to write an informative group speech,
was focused around the Westboro Baptist Church. Our group consisted of 5 people who had just met
each other a couple weeks before. We got started right away on trying to come up with ideas for our
presentation style. Deciding on a news broadcast, we assigned each other subcategories to focus on.
Even though there was some obstacles and difficulties associated with this speech, we pulled
through at the last moment.
Leadership within a group is the influence used to help clarify a group's purpose or help guide a
group to achieve its goals. Within a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the end, we focused on the task and leadership was not an issue. Another key aspect we looked at
in our groups was our member participation. With the tendency to not have everyone in class that
our group faced, it was hard to check on equal participation. With group messaging and last–minute
meetings we were able to even out the participation. I found that Katie was our information seeker,
Allison our evaluator, Chelsea our orienteer, Justin our coordinator, and me the energizer. This
distribution of responsibilities and jobs was hard to coordinate with one another but learned to focus
on each other's strengths. While in group projects, one tends to find an unequal distribution of
participation within a group. Our group faced this same challenge with some people putting in more
effort than others. We faced some help seekers and withdrawers, as our book talks about, but were
able to corral them back into our speech. Problem solving and decision making is also a key concept
in group work. To start off, deciding our topic was the first big decision. We went around our group
seeing if anyone had any ideas of which topic and the presentation style to go with it. A few
murmurs were here and there and we decided on the church. Once the project was started, we found
a problem in our ability to meet up as a group. Our work time in class wasn't being utilized correctly
when we only had two people in class. We weren't able to meet outside of class because of our
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Speech On Freedom Of Speech
Through the onslaught of opinionated social media posts we scroll through every day, on a variety
of social platforms, we are constantly reminded of the First Amendment granting U.S. Citizens the
Freedom of Speech. Often I find myself wondering what was going through their head or how they
arrived at their conclusion, but I dare not restrict them from voicing their mind. Throughout the
2016 Presidential Election, a myriad of "political experts" over both party lines both consistently
and unapologetically posted nasty opinionated statuses, often riddled with a plethora inaccuracies as
facts, yet saw no real repercussions other than losing online "friends" or engaging in a full–blown
comment war on social media. In a world where 280 characters make this evening's headline news
story and where cyberbullying pushes children as young as 11 to the brink of suicide, the lines are
often blurred as to what extent the right to free speech should encompass.
Freedom of Speech particularly stands out to me from my experience as a young child living in
Topeka, Kansas, where the Westboro Baptist Church laid much of its groundwork and still calls
home. Not surprisingly, the Westboro Baptist Church members (and their children) picketing with
atrocious signs, while vocally blaring disparaging and vile remarks to those standing in their wake
littered a multitude of my earliest memories. Subsequently, their almost inescapable presence
unwantedly festooned the backdrop of many churches,
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Snyder V. Phelps Case Summary
Background: The (Snyder v. Phelps) case dealt with the First Amendment and what it protects. A
congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church was protesting Matthew Snyder's funeral and caused
the family a lot of emotional distress. Matthew Snyder was a former Marine who died while serving
a tour in Iraq. The protestors were holding up signs that said, "Semper Fi fags, God Hates the USA,
Thank God for IEDS." (Lee Epstein, Pgs 469–72). The Westboro Baptist church has picketed many
military funerals. They resent that the military will allow homosexuals to fight for their country. In
June 2006, the father, Albert Snyder filed the lawsuit against the Westboro Church. He claimed that
the protest caused the family intense emotional distress and that the church intentionally meant to
inflect the distress. The Westboro Baptist church said that what they did was protected under the
First Amendment. Although this is the first court case that's been brought up against the Westboro
Baptist church and made it to the Supreme Court. They've done forms of protests for many years.
For example they've picketed anything they believe to have in relation to homosexuality. They've
even protested some of the Kansas ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Westboro Baptist Church was represented by the Daughter, Margie Phelps. The church was
accused of causing the Snyder family of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and the intent to
cause emotional distress. The Westboro Baptist Church claimed that they went through the process
and filed the papers for a legal protest. The picketing took place a thousand feet from the fenced in
area, none of the protestors approached the family, and they didn't obstruct the attending of the
funeral. (Epstein, Pg 470). The district Judge Richard Bennett, awarded the family five million
dollars in damages. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the judgment violated the
First Amendment's protection on religious
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How Does Fundamentalism Affect Our Modern Day Society?
Fundamentalism was first talked about during the debate by the Fundamentalist–Modernist in the
1920's. Fundamentalism is defined as a type of religion that upholds very strict beliefs from the
scripture they worship. There are several people and groups such as John Nelson Darby, William
Bell Riley, and one group that, been in the news a lot lately, Westboro Baptist Church. The members
of Westboro Baptist Church are known in modern day as a group of people known for hate speeches
against homosexual, Jews, and politicians. The definition of fundamentalism could lead one to
believe that the members of the Westboro Baptist Church are in fact fundamentalists; however, they
are just the opposite of that. When thinking about fundamentalism and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Knowing how far to push fundamentalist teachings is very important for fundamentalist. Members
of Westboro Baptist have publically lacked the knowledge of when a line has been crossed and what
makes a fundamentalist differentiate from a terrorist.
For some people, categorizing Westboro Baptist Church as a fundamentalist group could be quite
the stretch. Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, is a church that was founded by Fred
Phelps in 1955. As previously mentioned, this group is known for their hate speeches and preaches
against all form of sin such as homosexuality, adultery, divorced, and remarriage.4 These sins are
listed in the bible and shouldn't be committed but there are more sins in the bible that they are also
ignoring such as: not feeding god's children that are hungry, accepting a bribe, wearing the clothing
of the opposite sex, not forgiving others, and gambling.
Most Baptist groups have the general beliefs of a typical Christian. When it comes to following
Gods words presented to us in the Bible we must know our limits of what we can say and direct on
others on what to believe. If members of Westboro Baptist Church are followers of Christianity, they
are missing the most important thing that is taught to us as Christians: not to hate. Christians are
taught that they should love everyone and treat them as they would want to be treated. As taught in
this "strictly" Christian group they are suppose to protest with signs that have
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The Power Of The Westboro Baptist Church
"Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and–as
it did here–inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the
speaker. As a Nation we have chosen a different course–to protect even hurtful speech on public
issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate. That choice requires that we shield Westboro
from tort liability for it's picketing in this case." –Closing Statement of Snyder Vs. Phelps It's 2006,
your son just passed away fighting a war overseas in Iraq. He just came home and you are now
burying him. During the funeral service, you hear chanting in the background. Picketers holding
signs and shouting phrases such as "God Hates Fags", "Thank ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Snyder is the only case in an event like this; we only have one record of this type of free speech
happening in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church
in the verdict 8–1. The majority opinion from Chief Justice John Roberts stated, "What Westboro
said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to "special protection"
under the First Amendment and that protection commit be overcome by a jury finding that the
picketing was outrageous". This shows that the Westboro Baptist Church is protected under the First
Amendment from any legal persecution. This is because, the speech is viewed as unpopular instead
of obscenity, because its not referring to one named person, but a group of people, making it not
targeted and legal under the First Amendment as it becomes a matter of public
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The Westboro Baptist Church, A Radical Christian Group
The Westboro Baptist Church is a radical Christian group known for their hate. They often protest
Military funerals with signs that read "God hates America" along with other various and more vulgar
signs. Even though they are a widely disliked group, they have been protected by the first
amendment. Which has led to many debates and even a case in the supreme court on whether or not
their protest against America and her people should be protected by this amendment, Hopefully that
question will be answered in this essay. The Westboro Baptist Church, evil as they are, should be
protected by the first amendment. First lets review the first amendment. "Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
They also believe that they are the chosen few who will be the only ones going to Heaven because
according to them they are the only ones who are following God 's word accordingly. Their children
are raised learning songs of how God hates the USA and they have even made smaller signs for the
younger children of the church to join in their protests. They believe all of the tragedies that happen
in America is God punishing the Nation for it 's policies on homosexuality, divorce, and abortion
laws, etc. Along with this they believe Obama to be the Anti Christ and the first sign of the
apocalypse. Though it is also important to address that not everyone in the family is rotten. Many of
the members over the years have left the church, primarily the younger kids as they gotolder. To
which Westboro responds "If you are a true follower, you lose members of your family." (Fred
Phelps Jr.). On March 10th 2006, The Westboro Baptist church picketed the funeral of Marine Lance
Corporal Matthew A. Snyder. On June 5th 2006, the family sued WBC for defamation, invasion of
privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. WBC had even gone as far as to say that the
Snyder 's raised their son for the devil. They dishonored the fallen soldiers memory on the internet
and in their protesting. In 2007–2008 the courts primarily ruled in favor of the Snyder 's and had
ruled that Snyder family was owed money. The price
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The Westboro Baptist Church : When Does The 1st Amendment...
Francois Reihani
Dr. Yoder
PPD 240
05/03/15
The Westboro Baptist Church: When does the 1st Amendment trump the Public Interest?
Introduction
The Westboro Baptist Church is a group that has been in the spotlight for the last two decades
because of their unusual tactic of picketing at soldier's funerals. The act is motivated by the notion
that America's moral are being corrupted by their acceptance of homosexuality. The act of picketing
of soldier's funerals according to the group is motivated by the fact that it is a time when mourners
are emotionally vulnerable and they think of their mortality. They believe that by picketing in
soldier's funerals their message is stronger. However, this tactic has caused much consternation from
both the public and the government. In the interest of the public, state legislatures have enacted laws
against the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church. The landmark case of Snyder v. Phelps would
have been the deciding factor against the group, but the Supreme Court held in favor of the group
because their actions were protected by the First Amendment. This then would present the notion
that the First Amendment trumped public interest in the decision. However, that is not the case
because the case was an IIED case among others, it was a personal one. As long as the group
coordinates with public authorities and does not break laws, then their acts are nothing more than
nuisances that should not get in the way of celebrating the life of the dead.
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Examples Of Westboro Baptist Church Free Speech
Westboro Baptist Church and Free Speech
Controversy
Since its inception the Westboro Baptist Church has expressed an agenda of fanatical Baptism where
they promote homophobia, anti–Semitism, and the message that God hates everyone but the WBC.
In the last thirty years, the WBC has protested events such as funerals in order to give attention to
their agenda.
Their actions have caused pain and distress to many families but no legal action has been
successfully taken against them because they have been ruled to be protected by the 1st Amendment.
Westboro Baptist Church Background
Founded in 1931 in Topeka, KS
The church was taken over by Fred Phelps in the 1950s after he was hired as an associate pastor
The approximately 75 current members are mostly from the Phelps family, including children as
young as five who are made to participate in the protests
History of Protests: Anti–Gay Protests (Some examples)
Protests against homosexuals or any pro–LGBT: protested a vacuum store for selling Swedish
vacuums after the Swedish gov't arrested a preacher for hate speech (Crowe 2009). funeral of
Matthew Shephard, protested and had 6' monument build as a memorial to Shephard being in hell
for defying God and tried to have it installed at a courthouse (Westcott 2006). protests against same–
sex marriage protested Sago Mine memorial because they claimed the disaster was God's
punishment for homosexuality
History of Protests: Anti–Semitic
Protests against Jewish
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Does God Exist? Essay
Does God Exist?
In this essay I am going to create a balanced argument from over the years which many people have
used to base their beliefs on whether or not God exists. Furthermore the topic of God is such an
important issue in the past few years due to the Iraq war and recent terrorist attacks. It is of
importance because in the Iraq war we have a predominantly White–Christian country occupying a
predominantly Middle eastern–Muslim country, each with opposing religious beliefs. Which if left
to escalate any further could spark a world wide uprising of opposing fundamentalist groups. All
because of this entity called, God. To prove whether God exists or not millions of people have
created arguments to sway a mind in what they think ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However atheist have a way to counter this argument with the use of a Geiger Counter. This is a
meter that gives the infamous "Click" when radiation is present in an area. Alerting the senses that
the area around them is radioactive. So far no theist has produced an instrument that makes a
"Click" or any sort of alert, even through prayer, that God exists. In defiance of needing some sort of
alert to prove that God exists, theists say "We can look around at God's creation and have all out
senses alerted by nature itself." This argument is relatively new to the philosopher's world and it has
been dubbed 'The Atheists Nightmare'. However it still relies on looking at nature itself as proof that
God exists. This argument is based around the idea that a banana carries the characteristics of being
created by an intelligent designer, simply because it is the perfect food for a human being. The basis
of the argument is that they are five edges around a banana that fit exactly into the contours of the
human hand. Which make it easy to grip and will not slip out of your fingers. Another feature is that
it is colour coded so it is easy tell whether it is ripe or not. When the banana's skin is green it isn't
ripe just yet. When the banana is ripe the skin will turn into it's commonly known yellow colour, and
when the banana has become over ripe it turns a black off putting colour. God in his infinite wisdom
has also created a convenient "tab" at the top
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Westboro Catholic Church Persuasive Speech
As a representative of the Westboro Baptist church, I would like to inform you that we have had one
of our annual meetings to discuss the perceived problems in our community, and have come to a
conclusion. Homosexuality is rampant in the streets, and other, much more dangerous religions are
beginning to appear in our homeland, threatening the entire population. Therefore, we must take
action. As a church, we have collectively decided that God has waited too long to take a course of
action, as the world has escalated into pure madness, and will do His work with our hands. We have
spent much too long picketing soldiers and fags funerals, and must move into the second phase of
our ultimate goal; to see every last one of you burn in hell. No longer will we just make you
incredibly uncomfortable while you're mourning your loved ones deaths, we will actually open fire
into the crowd of people paying their respects. Planning on having a gay marriage? We will just
blow up the church which it is being held in because obviously the religious leaders have no morals
or values to speak of. Think it's moral to be a Muslim? We'll just attack every one of your mosques.
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lesser countries to the U.S.A. would have had us removed long ago for violating the constitution
which regards hate speech as a crime, but not America, who protects us as a religious group.
Regardless, we believe that even though the vast majority of the population have let us exist in
peace, that they should all burn in hell alongside the sodomizers that they know as homosexuals. As
Obama is the antichrist and the American population has chosen him, to be their leader, they are
obviously all corrupted by Satan already and therefore must be punished for not electing a more
righteous leader, preferably someone who attends our
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

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Snyder V. Phelps No

  • 1. Snyder V. Phelps No Snyder v. Phelps No. 09–751 131 S. Ct. 1207 (2011) Argued October 6, 2010 Decided March 2, 2011 On March 10, 2006 the Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral of fallen Marine, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder. The Snyder family sued the Church, accusing them of defamation, invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion, and infliction of intentional emotional distress, a tort under state law. On October 6, 2010, Snyder v. Phelps No. 09–751 was brought before the courts. The Justices' of the court did not reach a decision until March 2, 2011 (Oyez Project). Fred Phelps and the members of the Westboro Baptist Church believe that God is punishing the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, especially in America's military. For the past 20 years they have picketed many military funerals across the country. They also condemned the Catholic Church for the scandals involving their clergy. On March 10, 2006, at Matthew Snyder's funeral, Fred Phelps and six other members of the church, all of which were his family, peacefully displayed their signs which stated, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "Fags Doom Nations," "Priests Rape Boys," "Semper Fi Fags," God Hates You," Pope in Hell," and "Thank God for 9/11" (Cornell). Prior to picketing this funeral the members of the Westboro Church notified the authorities to insure the fact that they would not be violating any laws. They staged the picket on public land adjacent to a public street, 1,000 feet away from the church the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 2.
  • 3. The Definition Of Christianity Is A Religion The definition of Christianity is a religion that teaches about who Jesus is and why he was sent to save us. I believe being a Christian consists of loving inward, outward and upward. I as that I never knew who God was growing up, but I always knew he existed. I am a courageous Christian woman that has been a Christian for almost three years now. I know now what it is like to live for God's glory. Before I became a Christian I was a very lost soul. What I mean by this is, I lived a very hateful life. I hated me. I hated you. Most of all I hated God. How could God create someone like me? I am a heroin addict in recovery and did whatever it took to and went to any lengths to get my drugs. I was living a life full of sin. Today, I know I was born into a sinful world and it 's what I do with it that matters. Since becoming a Christian I have learned what love is. God is love. I show my love for God by showing my love for others. I am the head cook for two separate community dinners. I meet with elderly Christians that no longer can get to church. I help with the cold weather shelters to make sure homeless have a warm place to sleep at night. I know that my acts of love and kindness towards others is not what 's going to get me into God 's kingdom, but it sure does add value to the lives of others as well as mine. There is only one way I get to heaven and that is to accept that Jesus died for my sins and to ask for forgiveness. So what I a have learned in the last three years ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 4.
  • 5. How Did The Spread Of Separationism In the year 1517, a monk by the name of Martin Luther revolutionized the entire religious world by starting the Reformation movement within Europe by just posting his 95 Theses to the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany. The spread of the Reformation ideals took time until it eventually made its way to England in the early 17th century. England, throughout the years, was constantly changing politically and religiously, with some monarchs leaning towards Protestantism with an iron fist and other rulers directing the country to an extremist Catholic empire. Even when the "Elizabethan Settlement", which was treaty that ended the religious wars between the Protestants and Catholics within England, was made there were still outcries within England for greater reforms. The Puritans and the Separationists were those who called for a "pure" church within England. The Queen and even the Church of England would not put up with such communities and forced religious conformity, thus ending a brief period of religious peace within the country. The Puritans and Separationists had no other choice but to flee to the New World. The Separationists called for a separation between church and state. They lived and breathed each and every single word the Bible and believed that the bible didn't in fact teach religion as a hierarchy. On http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/trail.htm it also states, "They preferred a simple worship liturgy which emphasized a Holy God. They felt that the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 6.
  • 7. Theme Of Intolerance In The Crucible A theme that is prevalent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is intolerance. In the play, intolerance can be seen acted out by the people of Salem, as anyone who does anything that goes against Puritarian beliefs is accused of being a witch. Minute abnormal behavior by some people is reported and is enough to lead them to be imprisoned. Intolerance is depicted throughout the play and can even be seen to in our own society. We have issues of Black rights, the LGBTQIA, deporting Mexicans, and banning Muslims, that bring to light the intolerance our society holds. Firstly, let's discuss how intolerance is presented in The Crucible. Miller presents a world in Salem, Massachusetts during the 17th century where everyone is dominantly Puritan. They were extremely religious and held strict principles of religion. So when individuals slightly deviated from the norm, suspicion was cast upon them. Take for example when John Proctor's wife is accused of witchcraft in Act Two; his lack of presence at the church and his inability to recite the Ten Commandments, along with other statements, is enough for his wife to go into questioning. As does Giles' wife, whose only crime was reading a book, but because she read anything that wasn't the Bible it put her under suspicion. These were extreme cases of intolerance, where people in this society who did anything that didn't coincide with what everyone else was doing caused them to be accused of working with the devil. This intolerance stems from a strong conviction of the people's Puritan ways. When you have a set of views that are set in stone, it becomes very easy to be intolerant towards everything else. There were countless accused of witchcraft, resulting from innocent people who came to be questioned as they weren't a perfect "Puritan." The Crucible's presentation of intolerance can be used to identify it within our own society. As mentioned previously, intolerance occurs when you have individuals with strict outlooks of the world and are unwavering in their opinion of it. Religion is often a means through which people can exhibit intolerance using their religion as the basis to condemn other things. Generally, it is the extremist in these groups, and as we read in ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 8.
  • 9. Westboro Baptist Church Research Paper Westboro Baptist Church is a Church full of many people who protest at many military funerals. There are many people like the people in Westboro Baptist Church, those are the type of people who hate America. In the year 2013, Westboro Baptist Church was counter–protested at a military funeral. People who hate America and the people who fought for them, should be removed from this country. Westboro Baptist Church is one of the many people who protest at military funerals, there are many more who hate America even though we send people out to fight for them, if those people think that America is not worth their love, then they should be removed and sent to the nearest country, People should be able to understand, that America is a country that fights for everyone's freedom, and their rights. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Westboro Baptist Church is from about a year ago, but it is still sad that they would protest at funerals of people who fought for them. Westboro Baptist Church Should be shut down and everyone that has ever had some type of connection with protesting at military funerals should be arrested. It should not be right for someone to say that god killed them because their country allows gays. If they understood freedom, and rights then they would not be protesting that "god hates gays" and "god killed soldiers for punishment of allowing gays". This are the type of people who are ruining America for everyone else. America may be the land of the free, but it is not the home of protesters. Westboro is one of the many protesters but there are many other people out there in the world, ready to take down ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 10.
  • 11. Art Within Cave Dwellings Dating One of the earliest evidences of the belief in a higher power comes from deep within the "Lascaux Labyrinth", a deep cave "decorated by our Paleolithic ancestors in the stone age, seventeen thousand years ago"(Armstrong 2). The great numbers and locations of art within the Lascaux and surrounding region gives evidence that these were sacred places for the purpose of rituals, and some have compared these dwellings to temples (Armstrong 3). Whether art within cave dwellings dating back to the Paleolithic era, to magnificent churches rising to great heights around the world, the wondrous temples of the Mayans, a mountain that appears to seamlessly morph into the city of Machu Picchu, to trailers, tents and fortified compounds, belief in a power higher than one's self has been deeply ingrained throughout centuries and a multitude of cultures. These different places are what many refer to as a church, a place to record and follow the rituals specific to their belief and to worship. Through the generations of the development of the human psyche, belief in a higher power is taught young and ingrained for many, yet meaningless for some. Furthermore, throughout the evolution of many centuries, it is inevitable that branches of these religions will follow a different path, create new churches to better practice their views of religion, and for some, belief in a higher power can be contorted to the preaching's and worship of hate. There is a fine line between preaching scriptures and ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 12.
  • 13. Argumentative Essay On Religion Religion was discovered back in 2000 BC and is considered to be a trait common to cultures worldwide to this day. Some use religion as a way to cope, to connect, but few could use religion as a weapon against others. Since religion began, over 195,035,000 lives have been lost in tragedies brought on in the name of faith. Regardless of the brutality religion has created, it has also caused others to come together in order to speak out. As a result of religions regression in society, humans are able to progress for the sake of defending human rights. Christianity is one of the largest religions to stand with more than 2.22 billion followers. However, not all Christians share the same stance on issues, whether it be political or moral. An example would be the Westboro Baptist Church; a hate group known for its hostility towards those who do not meet up to their standards, specifically members of the LGBT, Catholics, American soldiers, and Muslims. The church originally received national attention in October, 1998, for picketing the funeral of a man named Matthew Shepard who was beaten and tortured for being gay. Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard's, recalled that she couldn't take her eyes off of the neon signs that read, "God Hates Fags", "Matt in Hell", and "AIDS Cures Fags". From there, the church had displayed Shepard in their memorial section on their website. The page states that the church does not support the fact he was murdered, but that they picketed in order ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 14.
  • 15. Westboro Baptist Church: A Deviant Hate Crime Group? Essay Deviant behavior is anything that a person does that is out of the norm. Robbing banks, stealing cars, and assaulting individuals are easily considered deviant behavior, but can people be deviant while still being within their legal rights and without breaking any laws? One congregation that does not break any laws, but is considered to be out–of–line, is the Westboro Baptist Church. The Westboro Baptist Church has been called offensive and their actions are frowned upon by many. Is the Westboro Baptist Church actually a deviant group in disguise? In order to get to know about the Westboro Baptist Church, a person needs to know a little about who they are, where they came from, and what they represent. The Westboro ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The Bible does not teach messages about god loving everyone equally (God, 2011). The Westboro Baptist Church discuss on their web site that the Bible has very strict rules about how a person is suppose to live their life. (God, 2011). Being homosexual, or even allowing homosexuality to occur, is against those rules (God, 2011). A person must follow the Bible to an extreme to be considered sinless (God, 2011). One of the biggest questions that people wonder when they encounter the Westboro Baptist Church, is how they can get away with what they are doing. Is the Westboro Baptist Church violating any laws? The Supreme Court ruled eight to one, that the Westboro Baptist Church is within their first amendment rights, and that their picketing, and attendance at fallen soldier's funerals are within their rights (Richey, 2011). The court case was brought about by a father of a fallen soldier who felt that the Westboro Baptist church had violated his son's rights by protesting at his son's funeral (Jonsson, 2011). People were enraged at the court's ruling, and felt that situations like those of the fallen soldier's could have been avoided if the Supreme Court had ruled differently (Richey, 2011) It is likely that the case opened up the door for the Westboro Baptist Church to feel more confident about their actions, since the Supreme Court basically stated that there will not be any ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 16.
  • 17. Westboro Baptist Church Case Study Facts: Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps organized a protest on public property to make their beliefs known to others, which is protected by the first Amendment. They do not believe in homosexuality and wars they feel like support homosexuality. They have protest numerus military funerals. Their Protest of Matthew Snyder's Funeral was on public property and they notified the authorities before picketing the funeral. At Lance Corporal Matthew's Funeral, who was killed in Iran in 2006, they had signs that stated "God hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,"" Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "Thank God for IEDs," along with others that were similar to these in nature. Albert Snyder, Matthew Snyder's father could see the tops of the signs at the funeral however could not read what they said. He learned about the content of the signs via the news and proceeded to sue the church under the claim that it caused him sever emotional destress. Fred Phelps argued that Westboro Baptist Church was protected by the First Amendment which deals with Free Speech. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The Jury awarded him 10.9 million, however the judge lowered the awarded money to 5 million. Phelps then brought the case to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals which reversed the ruling due to the Westboro Baptist Church having free speech. Issues: Whether Westboro Baptists signs and comments during their protest at Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder's Funeral were matters of public concern and protected under the First ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 18.
  • 19. Westboro Baptist Church Case Study The Westboro Baptist Church is known for protesting at military funerals. They oppose of homosexuality strongly. They can be on stand on streets holding signs reading "Fag troops" and "Fag nation," as well as displaying many other disrespectful signs. In addition, they claim that "God hates America" and "America is doomed." These extremists are very anti–military, anti–gay, and anti–America altogether. In 2013, the hate group planned to picket the memorial of Sgt. Stefan Smith, a Third Infantry Division soldier killed in Afghanistan a month before. As word spread of Westboro's plans, community members launched a Facebook group organizing a counter–protest. The group drew nearly two thousand supporters who planned "to create a human barrier/shield ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 20.
  • 21. Westboro Baptist Church Preaches The Westboro Baptist Church has long been regarded in the media as a group filled with hate and detestation for virtually anyone who does not practice their teachings. In reality, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church hold a strong belief that the messages that are portrayed through their picketing and social media websites are actually acts of love that reveal the severity of the actions that most humans partake in. Most of the members were born into the Church and therefore believe that the words they proclaim are the absolute truth. Although most Americans do not agree with the teachings and practices that the Westboro Baptist Church preaches, it is important to learn about and try to understand the various aspects of the church in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The membership at the Westboro Baptist Church is largely composed of the Phelps family members, related both by blood and by marriage (Spies, 2014). Many of these relatives are children, grandchildren, and great–grandchildren of founder Fred Phelps. However, there are members who do not have any relation to the family. According to two of Fred Phelps' children, Timothy and Margie Phelps, "there are people from about six other families who belong to the church" (Spies, 2014). This shows that the Westboro Baptist Church is not an inclusive church, but is perceived that way since the majority of the members are from the same family and background. Although the Westboro Baptist Church welcomes anyone to come to their church for service, it is very difficult to become a member of the Church. On the FAQ page on the Westboro Baptist Church's website, one of the members responds to the question of "How do I join you?" (Westboro Baptist Church, 2015). The answer given to this question stated that the person asking was either "a pretender...a mocker/scoffer with an interior motive...[or] a sincere soul" (Westboro Baptist Church, 2015). Those who wish to become members must also repent their sins and make sure they believe in everything the Bible proclaims and Westboro preaches. The active members of the Church must also make sure that her ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 22.
  • 23. What Is Matthew Snyder's Funeral Argumentative Essay In 2006, Matthew Snyder, a Marine Corporal was killed during combat in Iraq. Snyder's family had made funeral arrangements at a Catholic church in their hometown of Westminster, Maryland. The time and location of this service was made public by local newspapers, thus being easily accessible by the public. Fred Phelps, the founder of Westboro Baptist Church located in Topeka, Kansas, was made aware of this service and chose to travel to Maryland to picket it with his two daughters and four grandchildren. The members of the WBC believe that God will forever despise and punish the United States for its lenience towards homosexuality, especially within the military. In order to ensure that their beliefs be known, Phelps and his members frequently ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 24.
  • 25. Westboro Baptist Church Hypocrisy Kevin Besser Ms. Gawith English IV 7 December 2015 Westboro Baptist Church Hypocrisy Compared to 17th Century Puritan Ideologies Throughout time with society people consistently fall into two main categories; people that judge, and people who are judgmental. There is a considerable difference between these two types of people. For instance, if one were too judge it could simply be to make a decision, but to be judgmental one would look at another person and look down on them putting themselves above them. Two prime examples of judgmental people are the people of the Westboro Baptist Church, And Puritanism. The Westboro Baptist Church correlates alongside Puritanism ideologies concerning Calvinistic theories, which ultimately caused them to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... He and his family own the title as Ben Williamson say the most hated family in America. The Westboro Baptist Church owns many famous common slogans from Christianity. Such as, God hate America, God hates fags, Thank God for Dead Soldiers, Thank God for 9/11, Thank God for IEDs, and Pray for More Dead Soldiers. This shows how extreme these people are compared to the common christian. Though this church does not have as large as a backing as the Puritans did a few hundred years ago. They still have a meek population of around 70, which doesn't seem that much. This is even without taking into consideration that most of the 70 are family members of Fred Phelps himself. Though it doesn't take a huge population to make a global impact it, for one person could be the center of attention for weeks on the media.The way they gather this attention is to do unique activities such as Protesting pro–homosexual events; picketing at dead soldiers‟ funerals and other funerals of prominent personalities or tragedies; declaring judgment on nations and religions including particularly Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism. Unto the beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church, they have a independent, primitive Baptist Church, and is strongly hyper– Calvinistic. The Church has very similar beliefs to the Puritans, for their church is a part of an elect system. This means only the elect will go to ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 26.
  • 27. Westboro Baptist Church Persuasive opinion paper God hates fags, Thank god for dead soldiers, Thank god for Hurricane Katrina, Pretty harsh right? These are all common phrases publically protested by a church called the Westboro Baptist church. You would think such comments should be illegal to chant out in public considering that gay marriage is now legal in some states and also that soldiers are out fighting for us, however members of the Westboro Baptist church feel differently. Westboro Baptist church was established in 1955. Located in Topeka, Kansas, Their goal is to "preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation". They take on such goals by publically protesting these horrendous phrases on street corners, gay festivals, and more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The final thing done by the Westboro Baptist church that catches the eye of many Americans is the upside down flying of the American flag. According to the members, the upside down flag is a sign of distress. They feel that the entire country is in mortal danger and the upside down flag is a ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 28.
  • 29. Essay On Hate Crimes The Stakeholders The Hate Crime Opponents The societal problem of hate crimes has many stakeholders not only opposing hate crimes but also supporting them. Of the many stakeholders opposing hate crimes, specifically those relating to a race–bias, Black Lives Matter is the most prominent one in the media. Black Lives Matter, which was founded on July 13, 2013, is an activist community that strives to end the world of "anti–Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive" (What We Believe). The Black Lives Matter movement has recently been geared toward police brutality. Black Lives Matter believes that police intentionally treat blacks differently and see them more as a threat than other races. They believe that the police inflict violent behavior on blacks because of their skin color. The Black Lives Matter website says, "We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location" (What We Believe). A prominent stakeholder that opposes hate crimes relating to a religion–bias is Alliance Defending Freedom. Alliance Defending Freedom is a Christian organization that fights to defend the religious freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Dr. Bill Bright, an American evangelist, founded the organization on January 31, 1994. The ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 30.
  • 31. Westboro Baptist Church: A Case Study Bill is a 34–year–old White male from Wichita, Kansas. He is an accountant that is currently engaged to Sue. Bill is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church is hates gays and the Jewish population. Additionally, this church protest the funerals of dead soldiers and victims of other crimes because they believe that God is the reason for their death because of America's support for homosexuals (God Hates Fags, 2016). The Westboro Baptist Church is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (Southern Poverty Law Center, 2016). Hate groups have been on the rise since 2000 because of the growing demographics or other racial groups and their progress in society (PBS, 2016). With the rise in hate groups the lesbian, gays, bisexual, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 32.
  • 33. The Importance Of Hate Speech "The way that you know he`s failing is I`d almost still bang him. It`s just.....it`s just a man in a dress, isn't it? " said Milo Yiannopoulos while giving a speech at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee where he denigrated a transgender university student in front of everyone showing her picture on an enormous screen. Not only Milo, but there are numerous people in our society who misuses the right of free speech by using hateful and awful words in their speech in the name of Free Speech. Even the Congress does not take any action against the hateful speech, but the public tries their best to stop the hate speech. However, it is the government`s responsibility to protect its citizens from any mishappenings. Speech in the United States is as free as it could ever be because Congress does not violate what an individual says, regardless of how odious; although, U.S. government should take crucial steps against hate speech. Speech in United States is as free as it could ever be because Congress does not violate what an individual says, regardless of how odious. According to the United States Supreme Court case "Snyder V. Phelps", Westboro Baptist Church has been protesting at the military funerals for the past 20 years and it has protested at nearly 600 funerals to spread its belief that God hates United States for its acceptance of homosexuality, especially in the US Military. Similarly, protesters went to the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder where they ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 34.
  • 35. Free Speech Essay When you think about America, the first thing that comes to mind is liberty. Liberty of the government and its citizens is one thing that colonists exceedingly desired during the British oppressive regime. When United States gained independence, the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution of the Unites States, a document that has been governing our country for more than 200 years. The constitution was drafted accordingly to ensure that people's opinions were heard. What our Founding Fathers could not foresee is that in our 21st century, The Freedom of Speech not only gives a person such a massive power, but also an opinion even if it is immoral and goes against citizens' values. Thesis statement The First Amendment is the right that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Furthermore, not only hates groups express their opinion tremendously, but also the press tends to over use its power. The issue with the press is that journalists often publish misleading and unverified information about public figures. Thence it gives a bad image for figures such as celebrities or politicians and manipulates the public opinion. For the past century, the Supreme Court has been protecting journalists from being sued on "libel" and "slander". Not only it gives such an enormous power over public opinion to journalists, it makes people question the unfairness of the First Amendment. Transition Paragraph I chose this subject because foremost I am concerned with growing hate in this country. While the United States government advocating for diversity, people still believe that all Muslims are terrorists and gay people are immoral and dangerous as well. We live in civil tolerant society which is necessary for mankind's survival and if we continue to stretch unlimited tolerance to those individuals who are intolerant and immoral, we are simply going to become victims of the aggression of intolerance from these individuals. Moreover, the destruction of another human being is a criminal act and it doesn't matter whether a weapon is used or words. II. BODY Hate Speech #1 On March 10, 2006 it was funeral of Matthew ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 36.
  • 37. The Most Hated Family in America Essay examples The Most Hated Family In America The topic of homosexuality has been a very hot topic over the past several decades. The term homosexuality can be defined as the "sexual desire or behavior towards a person or persons of one's own sex" ("Homosexuality"). There are many people who either agree or disagree with the aspect of homosexuality, and there are others who are indifferent. Many Christian churches around the world, especially in the United States, have stated their opinion against homosexuality. They based their beliefs in the verses in 1st Corinthians 6: 9–10, which says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... If one reads this manual, especially how the Baptists base their doctrine, one would see that the Westboro Baptist Church is wrong in many aspects, to such extent that they should not be called Baptists. The Westboro Baptist Church's main purpose is to promote hate; hate towards America, towards the world, and towards anybody who lives in this world and accepts homosexuality, or "fags" as they call them, into our society ("God Hates Fags"). They use picketing as a source to express their opinion is a very hateful way, to the point that it makes any person passing by uncomfortable and even express their anger towards them. In "The Most Hated Family In America" film, there are several instances where one can see the Phelps family discouraging the population by yelling that they are all going to hell, and that God hates this world for accepting the ways of the world. They don't care if the person is Christian or not, according to them, the world has no salvation (Theroux). In page 62 of the Baptist manual, it states that Baptist should believe in "justification", because it "includes that pardon of sin" (Hiscox). This is clear evidence that the Westboro church does not go by the manual of Baptists. The most horrifying thing that these people do is to picket at soldier funerals. With a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts, they stand in a corner shouting, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 38.
  • 39. Westboro Baptist Church Case Study Issue: It is crucial that the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) maintains its position and strength in getting our message out by any means possible. With technology, particularly social media, advancing so rapidly, we need consider keeping with the times and utilize all the tools available to us. Background: Since the inception of the Westboro Baptist Church in 1955, we have been focussed on preaching against all form of sin and spreading the message of God. In following the 5 Points of Calvinism, we have also maintained aspects of his methods, by using print media to expand our theological philosophy. Just as "the Protestant Reformation [sic] was one to the greatest positive forces [...]" of that time, so too is the work we carry out today. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Use our website and picketing to spread our message. This has been effective for quite some time, and the financial burden on the Church would remain the same. However, this not guaranteed to remain effective. The second option would be to B] Begin an extensive social media overhaul in addition to our current format. This would require the creation of several accounts, and updating our current websites to direct people to these new social media accounts. This will almost certainly result in increased costs for the Church, as in order to have the best results; we would need a social media manager, which would be an additional cost on top of all our travel expenses. However, the benefit should ideally be an explosion in our message reaching across the ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 40.
  • 41. Fred Phelps Is The Leader Of The Westboro Baptist Church Name and Citation: Snyder v. Phelps, 562 U. S. ___ (2011) Facts: Fred Phelps is the leader of the Westboro Baptist Church which is considered to be extremist. Phelps and his followers believe that God punishes those who are tolerant of homosexuality. Since, the United States has a high tolerance of homosexuality, they believe that the United States is damned. The military also has recently become more accepting of homosexuals in their ranks, thus the Westboro Baptist Church pickets many military funerals. Albert Snyder's son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, was killed in a Humvee accident on March 3, 2006. Phelps heard about Matthew Snyder's funeral and decided to head to Maryland with six other followers to picket. The Westboro Baptist Church picketed Lance Corporal Snyder's funeral with signs that displayed sayings such as: "God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11," "Thank God for IEDs," and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." Before the members of the church arrived, they contacted local authorities to let them know about their protest. They staged themselves on public land that was parallel to a street, all the while agreeing and obeying that police officer's orders. They showed their signs for about thirty minutes before the beginning of the funeral. Members of the church also sang songs and recited verses from the Bible. The picketers never stepped foot (they were about 1,000 feet away) on the church's property (where the funeral was held) nor did they use profanity or ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 42.
  • 43. Hate Speech According To The Westboro Baptist Church When asking people what they think about the word "Baptists" they immediately think about people who go to church or judgmental/hypocritical people, but those labels are false (Zhein Survey). However, according to the Westboro Baptist Church website, they do judge people who are not only of the LGBT group, they also judge Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Jews, politicians and even American Soldiers. Because this church has a large amount of "success" they are able to get their hate speech out around the United States (and maybe even other countries) to offend those who were listed or those who believe those listed are okay in what they are doing. Westboro B.C is the reason why those who aren't followers of Christ, won't ever be followers of Christ, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 44.
  • 45. Snyder V Phelps Case Study Snyder v Phelps Many people have heard of the Westboro Baptist Church as they are widely known, especially for their protests, and hate speech. The Snyder v Phelps case particularly focuses on an instance where the Westboro Baptist Church protested in front of the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder. The question in which the Supreme Court was addressing was "Does the First Amendment protect protesters at a funeral from liability for intentionally inflicting emotional distress on the family of the deceased? ("Snyder v. Phelps")" The church and its founders were facing charges that included, "defamation, invasion of privacy, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress for displaying signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Fag troops" at Snyder's funeral.("Snyder v. Phelps.")" The Snyder family won this case in district court, but ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The Court took the modest tack of identifying a category of protected speech–speech on a matter of public concern–and refusing to make an exception to that category for Westboro's protest." (Salamanca) Chief Justice John Roberts stated that, "Westboro conducted its picketing peacefully. It alerted local authorities to its plan protest and fully complied with police guidance on where the picketing could be staged. The picketing was conducted under police supervisions, some 1000 feet from the church out of the sight of those at the church." There was a concurring opinion written and filed by Justice Stephen J. Breyer, stating that "[he does] not believe that our First Amendment analysis can stop at that point." There was also a dissenting opinion written and filed by Justice Samuel Alito, the only justice that voted against Phelps. Alito stated, "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case."("Snyder v. ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 46.
  • 47. Westboro Baptist Church Essay The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is known for their obscene protests where they display signs that discriminate towards homosexuals. Although the members of the WBC considered themselves a part of an actual church, the church mainly consists of the family members of its founder, Fred Phelps (Clay, 2016). The church holds beliefs that are similar to Calvinism, a denomination of Christianity. Similar to the Calvinists, the members of the church believe that they are a part of an elect group of people that God has chosen to be his own (Clay, 2016). Because they are a part of God's elect, they feel they must speak against the homosexuality that is present in America and in other places of the world. They travel around the world protesting and shouting hurtful phrases that cause people to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... We felt that there is a certain amount of respect that everyone deserves and the WBC is crossing this line and stripping people of this respect. As a result, there should be laws created to limit the amount of emotional stress that this group can put onto the people they encounter. One way this can be done is by not allowing the church to protest at certain events such as the funerals of deceased military members. Although the WBC has the right and is protected by the first amendment, allowing them to express their freedom of speech, they are using this to their advantage and are exploiting others. I personally believe that the creators of this amendment had no intention for it to be used to protect people who act like the members of the WBC. I do agree that the WBC have the right to their freedom of speech and protest, however, they are in some ways, impeding and striping the rights and freedoms of the people they encounter and the young members of the church who shout and hold signs when they have yet to understand the meaning of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 48.
  • 49. Westboro Baptist Church In The Crucible The Crucible Final Essay The world has always been broken. It is filled with those who just want to hurt others. There are countless examples of this, such as mass shootings, murders, sexual harassment, and too much more. When researching events in which people are antagonized, the Westboro Baptist Church appears frequently. The members of this congregation speak in hatred. They condemn innocent people, who they don't know, and claim these people are sins or wrong, just as residents of Salem in Arthur Miller's The Crucible did. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC)share many traits with the characters in Arthur Miller's The Crucible; their persecution of minorities and those different from themselves, stems from their belief that they ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... This church lies in Topeka, Kansas. It was established in 1955 and founded by Fred W. Phelps Sr. According to the About Us section on the WBC's homepage, "WBC has constructed tens of thousands of such public preaching demonstrations since June, 1991, at homosexual parades, and other events including funerals..." (Westboro Baptist Church homepage) They "perceive the modern militant homosexual movement to pose a clear and present danger to the survival of America." (Westboro Baptist Church homepage) The members of the WBC, which consists of a small and close–knit group of people, believe that homosexuality is wrong, that anyone who is not an"old– school'' (Westboro Baptist Church About Us page) baptist like them, (such as the Amish and Jews), are wrong, that God will punish everyone who doesn't have their views. These people believe all these groups will burn in Hell. They protest funerals and take to the streets with their vile posters to scream their ideas to others. They persecute others because they trust genuinely in the righteousness of God. The members of WBC want people to repent their sins so that they can be with God, just the characters in The Crucible ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 50.
  • 51. Persuasive Essay On Religion Religion was discovered back in 2000 BC and is even considered to be a trait common to all human cultures worldwide to this day. Some use religion as a way to cope, to connect, but few could use religion to exert hate onto others. In the name of religion, over 195,035,000 lives have been claimed in tragedies. Despite this, the cruelties religion has placed on people had also caused others to come together in order to speak out. As a result of religions regression in society, humans are still able to progress in order to defend human rights. Christianity is one of the largest religions to stand with more than 2.22 billion followers. However, not all Christians feel the same on certain issues, whether it may be political or morals. An example would be the Westboro Baptist Church; a hate group known for its hostility towards those who do not meet up to their standards, specifically members of the LGBT, Catholics, American soldiers, and Muslims. The church originally received national attention in October, 1998, for picketing the funeral of a man named Matthew Shepard who was beaten and tortured for being gay. Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard's, recalled that she couldn't take her eyes off of the neon signs that reading, "God Hates Fags", "Matt in Hell", and "AIDS Cures Fags". From there, the church had displayed Shepard in their memorial section on their website. The page states that the church does not support the fact he was murdered, but that they picketed in order ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 52.
  • 53. God Hates Fags: The Westboro Baptist Church WBC impact to society is completely negative. Nothing they do or say is positive or helps us in any kind of way, this is not a community or organization that people want to join. WBC is hated by the larger society because of what they say and how they act. You would think that those always being attacked would help them get the picture but it doesn't. The Westboro Baptist Church is located in Topeka, Kansas and made up of Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps, nine of his 13 children (the other four are estranged because they didn't agree with their family), their children and spouses, and a small number of other families and individuals. Phelps has maintained tight control over the group. His estranged son Nathan says that Phelps abused his children ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The church reportedly picketed a local restaurant every day for three years because the owner employed a female knowing that she was a lesbian. Many of the targets for the church are chosen at random. The church picketed a concert by Justin Bieber because he was not using his fame to promote God. Other targets were Bill Clinton's mother, Sonny Bono, Lady Gaga, and Bob Dole. Shirley Phelps–Roper, a frequent protester and one of Fred Phelps' children, would wear American flags sometimes. She would hang them from her pants while protesting so that they would scrape against the ground while she walked. She allowed her children to step on an American flag during protests. The Church uses tactics like these to win media attention and spread its ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 54.
  • 55. Louis Theroux: The Most Hated Family In America "The Most Hated Family in America," is a 2007 BBC documentary film by Louis Theroux, who followed members of the Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, Kansas, in order to document their outrageous and controversial views. Theroux spent three weeks with the Phelps family, descendants of Fred Phelps, who founded the Westboro Baptist Church in 1955. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church strongly believe that soldiers killed in combat, are God's punishment for homosexuality and the increased support and acceptance of homosexuality in America. They display their views by having anti–gay protests and picketing the funerals of veterans, with signs like "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." Theroux tells Shirley, the daughter of Fred Phelps, that the church's protests are most likely putting people off the word of Jesus Christ, and she responds by saying their job is not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... They display themselves as "Holy–rollers" while spreading hate. I don't understand the views of the Westboro Baptist Church because they seem to be completely opposite of the teachings of Christianity. If given the opportunity, I would tell the members of the church that they need to refer back to Matthew 7:1, James 4:11, and Luke 6:37, and work on themselves, before they try to tell someone that they are "going to Hell." I would then commend Theroux, for lasting three weeks around the Phelp's family. Watching this documentary helped me to understand how people manipulate the bible, and any other holy book, to fit their agenda. What is understood from the bible is up to interpretation, and it is easy for someone to twist the words of the bible to support their beliefs. Although I completely disagree with the teachings of the Westboro Baptist Church, I enjoyed watching this video because it shows that not everyone who can quote the bible should be allowed to teach the word of ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 56.
  • 57. Corruption Or Truth : Westboro Baptist Church Corruption or Truth: Westboro Baptist Church Not affiliated with any southern baptist or general baptist churches, the thirty–nine member (The Journal) Westboro Baptist Church is primarily known for its continued protest against the LGBT community, the Catholic Church, and the military (Wikipedia). The westboro Baptist Church's first public service was held on November 27, 1955(Wikipedia). This was the first time the church publicly condemned the world. Most recently the Westboro Baptist Church have agreed with the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Florida stating that God sent Omar Mateen to kill the gays because "God hates fags." While other churches preach about loving one another as god has loved them, the westboro ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Last year, members of the Westboro Baptist Church picked a baptism of a child of a same–sex couple. Their reasoning, the child of the couple shall be sent to hell because again, "God hates Fags." A former member of the Westboro baptist church, Lauren Drains, believes the former Westboro leader, Fred Phelps, was homosexual orientation. She believes this because every time the man was interviewed and asked questions such as, "Why do you shame the homosexual community?", "Do you have any background with homosexuality," he would shut down and say "I am done these reporters are stupid." (Sieczkowski). Ironically, the Westboro Baptist Church was for the Pulse Nightclub shooting, however the congregation says "God Hated Omar Matien," the shooter. Many people asked why would Westboro not be for Matien because he killed tens of homosexuals. However, in the days and weeks after the shooting CNN and other news station found some interesting news. Many of the Pulse Nightclub workers said that June 12 was not the first time Omar Matien had been to the Pulse Nightclub. The workers have come forth saying they have seen Omar Matien before at the Nightclub, stating that they had also seen him dancing with other men. Because of these "sightings," the Westboro Baptist Church believes Matien was homosexual; and becuase Omar Matien is no longer alive, the Westboro ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 58.
  • 59. Group Projects Are Always Difficult, Especially With... Group projects are always difficult, especially with strangers. Going into this project I was precautious, but the results proved me wrong. Our assignment, to write an informative group speech, was focused around the Westboro Baptist Church. Our group consisted of 5 people who had just met each other a couple weeks before. We got started right away on trying to come up with ideas for our presentation style. Deciding on a news broadcast, we assigned each other subcategories to focus on. Even though there was some obstacles and difficulties associated with this speech, we pulled through at the last moment. Leadership within a group is the influence used to help clarify a group's purpose or help guide a group to achieve its goals. Within a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... In the end, we focused on the task and leadership was not an issue. Another key aspect we looked at in our groups was our member participation. With the tendency to not have everyone in class that our group faced, it was hard to check on equal participation. With group messaging and last–minute meetings we were able to even out the participation. I found that Katie was our information seeker, Allison our evaluator, Chelsea our orienteer, Justin our coordinator, and me the energizer. This distribution of responsibilities and jobs was hard to coordinate with one another but learned to focus on each other's strengths. While in group projects, one tends to find an unequal distribution of participation within a group. Our group faced this same challenge with some people putting in more effort than others. We faced some help seekers and withdrawers, as our book talks about, but were able to corral them back into our speech. Problem solving and decision making is also a key concept in group work. To start off, deciding our topic was the first big decision. We went around our group seeing if anyone had any ideas of which topic and the presentation style to go with it. A few murmurs were here and there and we decided on the church. Once the project was started, we found a problem in our ability to meet up as a group. Our work time in class wasn't being utilized correctly when we only had two people in class. We weren't able to meet outside of class because of our ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 60.
  • 61. Speech On Freedom Of Speech Through the onslaught of opinionated social media posts we scroll through every day, on a variety of social platforms, we are constantly reminded of the First Amendment granting U.S. Citizens the Freedom of Speech. Often I find myself wondering what was going through their head or how they arrived at their conclusion, but I dare not restrict them from voicing their mind. Throughout the 2016 Presidential Election, a myriad of "political experts" over both party lines both consistently and unapologetically posted nasty opinionated statuses, often riddled with a plethora inaccuracies as facts, yet saw no real repercussions other than losing online "friends" or engaging in a full–blown comment war on social media. In a world where 280 characters make this evening's headline news story and where cyberbullying pushes children as young as 11 to the brink of suicide, the lines are often blurred as to what extent the right to free speech should encompass. Freedom of Speech particularly stands out to me from my experience as a young child living in Topeka, Kansas, where the Westboro Baptist Church laid much of its groundwork and still calls home. Not surprisingly, the Westboro Baptist Church members (and their children) picketing with atrocious signs, while vocally blaring disparaging and vile remarks to those standing in their wake littered a multitude of my earliest memories. Subsequently, their almost inescapable presence unwantedly festooned the backdrop of many churches, ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 62.
  • 63. Snyder V. Phelps Case Summary Background: The (Snyder v. Phelps) case dealt with the First Amendment and what it protects. A congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church was protesting Matthew Snyder's funeral and caused the family a lot of emotional distress. Matthew Snyder was a former Marine who died while serving a tour in Iraq. The protestors were holding up signs that said, "Semper Fi fags, God Hates the USA, Thank God for IEDS." (Lee Epstein, Pgs 469–72). The Westboro Baptist church has picketed many military funerals. They resent that the military will allow homosexuals to fight for their country. In June 2006, the father, Albert Snyder filed the lawsuit against the Westboro Church. He claimed that the protest caused the family intense emotional distress and that the church intentionally meant to inflect the distress. The Westboro Baptist church said that what they did was protected under the First Amendment. Although this is the first court case that's been brought up against the Westboro Baptist church and made it to the Supreme Court. They've done forms of protests for many years. For example they've picketed anything they believe to have in relation to homosexuality. They've even protested some of the Kansas ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... The Westboro Baptist Church was represented by the Daughter, Margie Phelps. The church was accused of causing the Snyder family of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and the intent to cause emotional distress. The Westboro Baptist Church claimed that they went through the process and filed the papers for a legal protest. The picketing took place a thousand feet from the fenced in area, none of the protestors approached the family, and they didn't obstruct the attending of the funeral. (Epstein, Pg 470). The district Judge Richard Bennett, awarded the family five million dollars in damages. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that the judgment violated the First Amendment's protection on religious ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 64.
  • 65. How Does Fundamentalism Affect Our Modern Day Society? Fundamentalism was first talked about during the debate by the Fundamentalist–Modernist in the 1920's. Fundamentalism is defined as a type of religion that upholds very strict beliefs from the scripture they worship. There are several people and groups such as John Nelson Darby, William Bell Riley, and one group that, been in the news a lot lately, Westboro Baptist Church. The members of Westboro Baptist Church are known in modern day as a group of people known for hate speeches against homosexual, Jews, and politicians. The definition of fundamentalism could lead one to believe that the members of the Westboro Baptist Church are in fact fundamentalists; however, they are just the opposite of that. When thinking about fundamentalism and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Knowing how far to push fundamentalist teachings is very important for fundamentalist. Members of Westboro Baptist have publically lacked the knowledge of when a line has been crossed and what makes a fundamentalist differentiate from a terrorist. For some people, categorizing Westboro Baptist Church as a fundamentalist group could be quite the stretch. Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, is a church that was founded by Fred Phelps in 1955. As previously mentioned, this group is known for their hate speeches and preaches against all form of sin such as homosexuality, adultery, divorced, and remarriage.4 These sins are listed in the bible and shouldn't be committed but there are more sins in the bible that they are also ignoring such as: not feeding god's children that are hungry, accepting a bribe, wearing the clothing of the opposite sex, not forgiving others, and gambling. Most Baptist groups have the general beliefs of a typical Christian. When it comes to following Gods words presented to us in the Bible we must know our limits of what we can say and direct on others on what to believe. If members of Westboro Baptist Church are followers of Christianity, they are missing the most important thing that is taught to us as Christians: not to hate. Christians are taught that they should love everyone and treat them as they would want to be treated. As taught in this "strictly" Christian group they are suppose to protest with signs that have ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 66.
  • 67. The Power Of The Westboro Baptist Church "Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and–as it did here–inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a Nation we have chosen a different course–to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate. That choice requires that we shield Westboro from tort liability for it's picketing in this case." –Closing Statement of Snyder Vs. Phelps It's 2006, your son just passed away fighting a war overseas in Iraq. He just came home and you are now burying him. During the funeral service, you hear chanting in the background. Picketers holding signs and shouting phrases such as "God Hates Fags", "Thank ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Snyder is the only case in an event like this; we only have one record of this type of free speech happening in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church in the verdict 8–1. The majority opinion from Chief Justice John Roberts stated, "What Westboro said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to "special protection" under the First Amendment and that protection commit be overcome by a jury finding that the picketing was outrageous". This shows that the Westboro Baptist Church is protected under the First Amendment from any legal persecution. This is because, the speech is viewed as unpopular instead of obscenity, because its not referring to one named person, but a group of people, making it not targeted and legal under the First Amendment as it becomes a matter of public ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 68.
  • 69. The Westboro Baptist Church, A Radical Christian Group The Westboro Baptist Church is a radical Christian group known for their hate. They often protest Military funerals with signs that read "God hates America" along with other various and more vulgar signs. Even though they are a widely disliked group, they have been protected by the first amendment. Which has led to many debates and even a case in the supreme court on whether or not their protest against America and her people should be protected by this amendment, Hopefully that question will be answered in this essay. The Westboro Baptist Church, evil as they are, should be protected by the first amendment. First lets review the first amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... They also believe that they are the chosen few who will be the only ones going to Heaven because according to them they are the only ones who are following God 's word accordingly. Their children are raised learning songs of how God hates the USA and they have even made smaller signs for the younger children of the church to join in their protests. They believe all of the tragedies that happen in America is God punishing the Nation for it 's policies on homosexuality, divorce, and abortion laws, etc. Along with this they believe Obama to be the Anti Christ and the first sign of the apocalypse. Though it is also important to address that not everyone in the family is rotten. Many of the members over the years have left the church, primarily the younger kids as they gotolder. To which Westboro responds "If you are a true follower, you lose members of your family." (Fred Phelps Jr.). On March 10th 2006, The Westboro Baptist church picketed the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder. On June 5th 2006, the family sued WBC for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. WBC had even gone as far as to say that the Snyder 's raised their son for the devil. They dishonored the fallen soldiers memory on the internet and in their protesting. In 2007–2008 the courts primarily ruled in favor of the Snyder 's and had ruled that Snyder family was owed money. The price ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 70.
  • 71. The Westboro Baptist Church : When Does The 1st Amendment... Francois Reihani Dr. Yoder PPD 240 05/03/15 The Westboro Baptist Church: When does the 1st Amendment trump the Public Interest? Introduction The Westboro Baptist Church is a group that has been in the spotlight for the last two decades because of their unusual tactic of picketing at soldier's funerals. The act is motivated by the notion that America's moral are being corrupted by their acceptance of homosexuality. The act of picketing of soldier's funerals according to the group is motivated by the fact that it is a time when mourners are emotionally vulnerable and they think of their mortality. They believe that by picketing in soldier's funerals their message is stronger. However, this tactic has caused much consternation from both the public and the government. In the interest of the public, state legislatures have enacted laws against the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church. The landmark case of Snyder v. Phelps would have been the deciding factor against the group, but the Supreme Court held in favor of the group because their actions were protected by the First Amendment. This then would present the notion that the First Amendment trumped public interest in the decision. However, that is not the case because the case was an IIED case among others, it was a personal one. As long as the group coordinates with public authorities and does not break laws, then their acts are nothing more than nuisances that should not get in the way of celebrating the life of the dead. ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 72.
  • 73. Examples Of Westboro Baptist Church Free Speech Westboro Baptist Church and Free Speech Controversy Since its inception the Westboro Baptist Church has expressed an agenda of fanatical Baptism where they promote homophobia, anti–Semitism, and the message that God hates everyone but the WBC. In the last thirty years, the WBC has protested events such as funerals in order to give attention to their agenda. Their actions have caused pain and distress to many families but no legal action has been successfully taken against them because they have been ruled to be protected by the 1st Amendment. Westboro Baptist Church Background Founded in 1931 in Topeka, KS The church was taken over by Fred Phelps in the 1950s after he was hired as an associate pastor The approximately 75 current members are mostly from the Phelps family, including children as young as five who are made to participate in the protests History of Protests: Anti–Gay Protests (Some examples) Protests against homosexuals or any pro–LGBT: protested a vacuum store for selling Swedish vacuums after the Swedish gov't arrested a preacher for hate speech (Crowe 2009). funeral of Matthew Shephard, protested and had 6' monument build as a memorial to Shephard being in hell for defying God and tried to have it installed at a courthouse (Westcott 2006). protests against same– sex marriage protested Sago Mine memorial because they claimed the disaster was God's punishment for homosexuality History of Protests: Anti–Semitic Protests against Jewish ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 74.
  • 75. Does God Exist? Essay Does God Exist? In this essay I am going to create a balanced argument from over the years which many people have used to base their beliefs on whether or not God exists. Furthermore the topic of God is such an important issue in the past few years due to the Iraq war and recent terrorist attacks. It is of importance because in the Iraq war we have a predominantly White–Christian country occupying a predominantly Middle eastern–Muslim country, each with opposing religious beliefs. Which if left to escalate any further could spark a world wide uprising of opposing fundamentalist groups. All because of this entity called, God. To prove whether God exists or not millions of people have created arguments to sway a mind in what they think ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... However atheist have a way to counter this argument with the use of a Geiger Counter. This is a meter that gives the infamous "Click" when radiation is present in an area. Alerting the senses that the area around them is radioactive. So far no theist has produced an instrument that makes a "Click" or any sort of alert, even through prayer, that God exists. In defiance of needing some sort of alert to prove that God exists, theists say "We can look around at God's creation and have all out senses alerted by nature itself." This argument is relatively new to the philosopher's world and it has been dubbed 'The Atheists Nightmare'. However it still relies on looking at nature itself as proof that God exists. This argument is based around the idea that a banana carries the characteristics of being created by an intelligent designer, simply because it is the perfect food for a human being. The basis of the argument is that they are five edges around a banana that fit exactly into the contours of the human hand. Which make it easy to grip and will not slip out of your fingers. Another feature is that it is colour coded so it is easy tell whether it is ripe or not. When the banana's skin is green it isn't ripe just yet. When the banana is ripe the skin will turn into it's commonly known yellow colour, and when the banana has become over ripe it turns a black off putting colour. God in his infinite wisdom has also created a convenient "tab" at the top ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...
  • 76.
  • 77. Westboro Catholic Church Persuasive Speech As a representative of the Westboro Baptist church, I would like to inform you that we have had one of our annual meetings to discuss the perceived problems in our community, and have come to a conclusion. Homosexuality is rampant in the streets, and other, much more dangerous religions are beginning to appear in our homeland, threatening the entire population. Therefore, we must take action. As a church, we have collectively decided that God has waited too long to take a course of action, as the world has escalated into pure madness, and will do His work with our hands. We have spent much too long picketing soldiers and fags funerals, and must move into the second phase of our ultimate goal; to see every last one of you burn in hell. No longer will we just make you incredibly uncomfortable while you're mourning your loved ones deaths, we will actually open fire into the crowd of people paying their respects. Planning on having a gay marriage? We will just blow up the church which it is being held in because obviously the religious leaders have no morals or values to speak of. Think it's moral to be a Muslim? We'll just attack every one of your mosques. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ... Lesser countries to the U.S.A. would have had us removed long ago for violating the constitution which regards hate speech as a crime, but not America, who protects us as a religious group. Regardless, we believe that even though the vast majority of the population have let us exist in peace, that they should all burn in hell alongside the sodomizers that they know as homosexuals. As Obama is the antichrist and the American population has chosen him, to be their leader, they are obviously all corrupted by Satan already and therefore must be punished for not electing a more righteous leader, preferably someone who attends our ... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...