Controversial Baptist Pastor Fred Phelps has died

Now unlike these people here, I will not make this a hate post.

The Story:

TOPEKA, Kan (WIBW) Fred Phelps Sr., the former head of the Westboro Baptist Church, died late Wednesday night, according to a family member.

Phelps’ son, Timothy told 13 News that his father died just before midnight. Timothy Pheps works at the Shawnee Co. Jail.

Ironically, another son who is a member of the church, attorney Jonathan Phelps told us Thursday morning, “Pastor Phelps is doing just fine.” That, of course, could have been a spiritual reference.

Over the weekend, we learned that Phelps was reportedly “on the edge of death.”

In a statement on his Facebook page, Nathan Phelps, who has been estranged from his father for 30 years, said the senior Phelps was dying in hospice care in Topeka, Kan., and that he had been ex-communicated from his own church in August of 2013.

Fred Phelps was a man bent on delivering a message. He did it by becoming a lawyer and by becoming a minister.

Despite being disbarred in 1979, Fred Phelps pushed his name into the public eye, through the political arena in campaigns to vie for Senator and Governor. Phelps scored 30-percent of the vote in his 1992 senate bid.

In the early 90s, wearing sunglasses and a windbreaker, Fred Phelps was making a name for the family church by holding one of a barrage of picket signs, with the stark messages decrying homosexuality.

via Fred Phelps, former head of Westboro Baptist Church, died, family member says.

I previously wrote about this man and his status within his Church. It also appears that Phelps daughter has confirmed it as well.

Now, a few words on Fred Phelps:

Fred Phelps — No matter what you think about him and his religious beliefs; one thing cannot be denied and that is that Fred Phelps stood for what he believed in — to the point of being an annoying person. Yes, he created a monster. Yes, his beliefs were wrong according to mainstream Christian beliefs and yes, even among mainstream Baptist beliefs, even among Fundamentalists like myself. Yes, He did write and say, and even did things that would be construed as hateful to the rest of America.  However, at least he actually stood for something. Which is rare in these days of “go along to get along.”

These days you cannot even get a Christian or even a Baptist for that matter; especially a high-profile one to even admit that they actually believe that homosexuality is even a sin! Not to mention that, if someone sticks a microphone in front of a Christian and asks them if they think homosexuals are going to hell, you usually get mindless stammering and double-talk.

One can say what they will about Fred Phelps, but one thing that cannot be said about him and that is that he was some sort of a coward. I cannot begin to unwind or even begin to understand what made Fred Phelps tick. However, what I can tell you is this; Fred Phelps had a conviction that drove him to do what he did; even to the point of putting himself and his followers in harm’s way.

To Christians and Baptists alike, Fred Phelps should be remembered as someone who was actually bold enough to take a Biblical stand against homosexuality. Fred Phelps should be remembered as someone who did stand for and believe in the Authority and superiority of the King James Bible. Sure, he was a hardcore Calvinist. Sure, his theology was a bit off by most and even his actions were not considered in good taste. But, at least the man had the audacity to actually stand up and protest against the homosexual lifestyle as a vile, awful, sexual lifestyle that is roundly condemned in the Word of God; Old Testament and New Testament —- Something that of which this writer concurs

May Fred Phelps Rest in Peace and may God be with the Phelps Family this day in their time of loss.

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