There is even a White house petition to classify WBC as a government recognized hate group. I am not sure what the practical result of such a classification might be, however, I do think that it is a wrong-headed move. The purpose seems to be to silence the group legally, but WBC has already won several court cases because the courts end up confirming WBC's First Amendment right to freedom of speech. As irksome as some of us might find this, consider the alternative: if hate groups like WBC do not have free speech, then neither do you or I.
However, the purpose of this post is not to defend WBC's rights.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. - G.K. Chesterton
The WBC is not "Christian" in any meaningful sense of the word. To be a Christian is to follow Christ. Christ never proclaimed a message of hate, or taught His disciples to hate people. In fact, He said,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 22:37-40, ESV
While WBC does outwardly appear to uphold Jesus' teaching against sin, they distort the gospel by preaching hatred toward sinners. However, their true purpose may be even more heinous than merely twisting the good news. It seems that their true purpose is not to preach against sin, or even sinners.
Phil Weingart made this observation on a thread on Facebook:
They are not a church. They appear to be a collection of attorneys engaged in a money-making scheme that involves inciting others to violate their rights. They make obnoxious statements in public, but stick scrupulously within protected behavior. Then they get attacked, and they sue--and win. They've apparently won a fair amount of money through these lawsuits.
Phil also provided this article in support. Phil is a published author and a very smart guy (in my humble opinion), so I think he's probably right.
The question remains: How should we deal with Fred Phelps and company? The best thing most of us can do is simply ignore them. They feed off of controversy--in fact they make their living from it. No controversy means no cash flow to WBC, and no money means Fred Phelps' little hate group can no longer afford to travel around the country picketing funerals. Eventually their protests will diminish, and Phelps will pass away at some point, most likely ending the group completely.
The Bible contains much sound wisdom on dealing with offensive people.
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. - Proverbs 19:11, ESV
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah - Psalm 4:4, ESV
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. - 1 Peter 3:9, ESV
Should the evil of WBC never be confronted? No, I am not saying that. Sometimes we should, "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself" (Proverbs 26:4), and sometimes, "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes" (Proverbs 26:5). It takes the guidance of the Holy Spirit, along with God-given wisdom, to know what to do in any given situation. However, generally it is best not to "feed the trolls."
Consider Jesus' parable of the weeds:
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. - Matthew 13:24-30, ESV
Even if WBC continues to prosper until the end, they will be judged along with everyone else. God will hold them accountable. Rest peacefully in that knowledge. Christians might also well heed Jesus' warning not to pull out the weeds before the proper time.
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