Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is a fundamentalist Christian church; headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka, Kansas, United States. The organization is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League, and is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The church runs numerous websites such as GodHatesFags.com, GodHatesAmerica.com and others expressing condemnation of homosexuality, Roman Catholics, Muslims and Jews, as well as populations it believes are supporting the aforementioned groups, including Chinese, Swedes, Canadians, Irish, British, Mexicans and Americans. Although well-known in LGBT communities for picketing gay pride events and funerals, the group achieved national notoriety for picketing funeral processions for soldiers killed in action during the Iraq War. While its members identify themselves as Baptists, the church is an independent church not affiliated with any known Baptist conventions or associations. The church describes itself as following Primitive Baptist and Calvinist principles, though mainstream Primitive Baptists condemn Westboro Baptist Church and Phelps.[6] The views that distinguish Westboro Baptist Church are views that most Baptists and Calvinists do not recognize, and do not consider to be in any way characteristically Baptist or Calvinistic. The church bases its work around the belief expressed by its best known slogan and the address of its primary website, "God hates fags," and expresses the idea that every tragedy in the world is linked to homosexuality – specifically society's increasing tolerance and acceptance of the "Homosexual Agenda." The group maintains that God hates homosexuals above all other kinds of "sinners"and that homosexuality should be a capital crime. Its first public service was held on the afternoon of Sunday, November 27, 1955. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.