I hate the Westboro Baptist Church.
One of their founders, Margie J. Phelps once tweeted me to tell me that my “f*g loving” self was going to Hell. I told her I would know that I lived my life right if she and her ragtag bunch of bigots picketed my funeral. I’m disgusted by these people and the hatred that they spread, forcing their poor children to participate in their hatred.
So, imagine how intrigued I was when I learned that members of the WBC were interviewed…by Russell Brand.
I have to give Brand tremendous kudos; he actually attempted to engage the hatemongers in a civilized conversation! He attempted to understand their “faith,” asked the audience to be polite and even brought three of his gay friends out to have an open discussion with the two members of the church (who will only be known here as Bigot A and Bigot B). While the hatemongers didn’t learn anything, we DID learn that Gandhi is apparently going to Hell, which means the rest of us are basically effed.
The reason I hate these people so much is because they bastardize the basic concept of the God they claim to love. God tells us to love thy neighbour, to do unto others as we would have done to us and most importantly, to spread the word of God by living a life of goodness, honestly and love. How is calling Brand a “f*g pimp” or celebrating the death of members of the Armed Forces spreading the word of God? How is teaching your children to hate people based on nothing more than their choice in partner living the word of God. Jesus liked to hang out with hookers and heathens! If sinners were good enough for the Son of God, then they’re good enough for us.
Also, and most importantly, why does the WBC focus on one part of the Bible (Brand calls it “the bumming”) and claim that’s the sin that is going to send us all to Hell? Leviticus also dictates that mixing fabrics, eating shellfish, tattoos and writing with your left hand are also sins that condemn us to Hell. So…why focus on homosexuality, despite their being absolutely no references in the New Testament condemning homosexuality (which is the argument that allegedly helps my left handed self get into Heaven…Jesus didn’t say it was a sin, so we’re cool). I always just want to scream “Judge not, lest ye be judged” at these people because honestly, I’m in no position to tell anyone how to live their lives, I’ll leave that up to the higher power. If these people believe in God so strongly, then perhaps they should brush up on Matthew 7:1. There are 66 books in the Bible, homosexuality is frowned upon in two of them. Love thy neighbour & goodwill towards man is mentioned in 45 of them. I reckon I’ll focus on the word of God that he felt was important enough to repeat. But as Brand reminded us, we must remember that the Bible is man’s interpretation of God’s law & was written by man, as “The Holy Spirit ain’t got a pen.”
They claim they are defending marriage, but why not stop divorce?! Defend the marriages that are falling apart, not the marriages that aren’t even legal in all but 13 States! The book of Matthew clearly defines divorce as a sin (except if there is adultery, so my divorce is perfectly acceptable in the eyes of God), so why aren’t our good friends Bigot A and Bigot B defending those unions that are falling apart! Wait, because they’re bigots and just plain don’t care.
So, congratulations Mr. Brand for attempting to show Bigot A and Bigot B that love and tolerance is the true word of God. You showed them more respect than they showed you, but you refused to counter hate with more hate, which is commendable (as I would have likely punched them). Perhaps next time our good friends the Bigots will remember the words of their own God (1 Corinthians 13:13):
“Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love.”
The Misadventures of MHC 