I certainly have been in shock at the news that came out of Tucson this weekend.  The acts of the young man who took so many lives and has sent our nation into a fury of emotional outcry comes as devastating reality.  This event was hard to comprehend.  They have interviewed people who knew the killer and the sadness that they feel that they couldn’t have prevented this rings true.

Hannah Kardon posted a beautiful piece about lament and how we grieve this tragedy.  We have all been touched and moved by what has happened.

With this grief hanging over the nation, I was horrified when I heard that the Westboro Baptist Church was planning on protesting the funerals, and specifically the funeral of 9 year old Christina Taylor Green.

The state of Arizona has stepped in to block the protests, but the fact that we have to talk about their platform of hate, their acceptance of the actions of a murderer and their happiness at the downfall of the victims left me shocked, angry, and frustrated.  Their website is a haven of hate, bigotry, and detestable theology.  They site scripture as supporting their platform of God hating all who support homosexuals:

“Decadent, depraved, degenerate and debauched America, having bought the lie that It’s OK to be gay, has thereby changed the truth of God into a lie, and now worships and serves the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen! Rom. 1:25.”

What makes their agenda even more shameful is their blatant disregard or care of how their hatemongering affects innocent victims.  They post on their website that they spend “0 nanoseconds of sleep that WBC members will lose over your opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings.”

So, in my frustration, I realize the only sensible thing to do to combat against this evil is to pray for them.  Pray that the kids that “Pastor” Fred Phelps continues to brainwash in his clan will be able to grow up and think for themselves.  Pray that the hate they spread isn’t seen as credible or worth joining—pray that we aren’t creating more murderers and killers “in the name of God”.  Pray that the victims and their families will not be touched by the evil of these protesters and that they can mourn in peace, without fear, and that our nation will rise stronger and more united, instead of spreading blame, fear, and further hate.