Changes

== Phelps and the Democrat Party==

== Phelps and the Democrat Party==

[[Image:20001025 xnjdo FredGoreFiny.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Rev. Fred Phelps with future Vice President and [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner [[Al Gore]] at a Westboro Baptist Church event.]]

[[Image:20001025 xnjdo FredGoreFiny.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Rev. Fred Phelps with future Vice President and [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner [[Al Gore]] at a Westboro Baptist Church event.]]

Phelps ran for governor of [[Kansas]] as a [[Democrat]] in 1990, 1994, and 1998.<ref name="ref4">[https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/08/05/kansas.results/ 1998 Kansas Primary Results. Compiled by Congressional Quarterly.]</ref> Phelps received 31% of the vote in Kansas's 1992 Democrat Party primary for [[U.S. Senate]].<ref>[http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_statistics.html State of Kansas Secretary of State Website]</ref> In 1993 and 1997,<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21229 The "God Hates Fags" [[Left]]], By Mark D. Tooley, FrontPageMagazine.com, February 09, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/1128/kansas-anti-gay-church-embarrasses-topekans Kansas anti-gay church embarrasses Topekans], November 7, 2002. Retrieved from ReligionNewsBlog.com, October 11, 2007.</ref> Phelps ran for mayor of [[Topeka]]. He supported [[Al Gore]] in the 1988 primaries. Phelps' support of Al Gore took an irrational U-turn in 1998 when he picketed the funeral of Al Gore's father.<ref>http://www.religionnewsblog.com/13170/pastor-who-takes-pride-in-hate-traces-the-emotion-to-bible</ref> Phelps has been an extremely vocal critic of [[President George W. Bush]] and former Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], calling Bush "A Bible pervert." and Of the Cheney family Phelps said, "They know the iniquity they’ve wrought, but they’re not at all ashamed of it...God hates the Cheneys."<ref>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8194338250744686470#</ref>

Phelps ran for governor of [[Kansas]] as a [[Democrat]] in 1990, 1994, and 1998.<ref name="ref4">[https://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/08/05/kansas.results/ 1998 Kansas Primary Results. Compiled by Congressional Quarterly.]</ref> Phelps received 31% of the vote in Kansas's 1992 Democrat Party primary for [[U.S. Senate]].<ref>[http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_statistics.html State of Kansas Secretary of State Website]</ref> In 1993 and 1997,<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21229 The "God Hates Fags" [[Left]]], By Mark D. Tooley, FrontPageMagazine.com, February 09, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/1128/kansas-anti-gay-church-embarrasses-topekans Kansas anti-gay church embarrasses Topekans], November 7, 2002. Retrieved from ReligionNewsBlog.com, October 11, 2007.</ref> Phelps ran for mayor of [[Topeka]]. He supported [[Al Gore]] in the 1988 primaries. Phelps' support of Al Gore took an irrational U-turn in 1998 when he picketed the funeral of Al Gore's father.<ref>http://www.religionnewsblog.com/13170/pastor-who-takes-pride-in-hate-traces-the-emotion-to-bible</ref> Phelps has been an extremely vocal critic of [[President George W. Bush]] and former Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], calling Bush "A Bible pervert." Of the Cheney family, Phelps said, "They know the iniquity they’ve wrought, but they’re not at all ashamed of it...God hates the Cheneys."<ref>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8194338250744686470#</ref>

== Phelps and Saddam Hussein ==

== Phelps and Saddam Hussein ==

:"You British Bastards will not have Jesus Christ to rule over you, and think you can issue bans and pass laws to remove God’s word from the landscape. You do greatly err, not knowing the power of God; and, you do that against your own interests. It is a great kindness to have God’s prophets in your land. But, you ungrateful brutes despise knowledge. It is too late for the UK. God Hates You! God’s wrath and destruction is all that’s left for you, thanks to Secretary Smith."<ref>http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11226.html</ref>

:"You British Bastards will not have Jesus Christ to rule over you, and think you can issue bans and pass laws to remove God’s word from the landscape. You do greatly err, not knowing the power of God; and, you do that against your own interests. It is a great kindness to have God’s prophets in your land. But, you ungrateful brutes despise knowledge. It is too late for the UK. God Hates You! God’s wrath and destruction is all that’s left for you, thanks to Secretary Smith."<ref>http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11226.html</ref>

After the shooting of Arizona U.S. Representative Gabriella Giffords and the death of six people in Tuscon, Arizona in January 2010, Phelps stated in a video that God had sent the shooter, [[Jared Loughner]], to "avenge the nation's sins", and that Westboro planned to protest at the funerals of the six victims.<ref name="giffords">[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40997616/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/arizona-suspect-could-face-death-penalty/#.Ts2iIFmwXf8 Arizona suspect could face death penalty] msnbc.com, Crime & Courts, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> and He said, "Thank God for the violent shooter."<ref name="giffords"/> The Arizona state legislature passed an emergency bill barring protestors from within 300 feet of funerals.<ref>[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-11/us/arizona.funeral.westboro_1_kansas-church-westboro-baptist-church-fred-phelps?_s=PM:US Arizona enacts funeral protest legislation] cnn.com, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> Westboro later gave up the idea of protesting at the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old girl who died in the shooting, in exchange for airtime on Phoenix and Tuscon radio stations.<ref>[http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/12/westboro-baptist-church-wont-picket-christina-green-funeral/ Westboro Baptist Church Won't Picket Christina Green Funeral] Surge Desk, aolnews.com, January 12, 2011, retrieved on November 23, 2011.</ref>

After the shooting of Arizona U.S. Representative Gabriella Giffords and the death of six people in Tucson, Arizona, in January 2010, Phelps stated in a video that God had sent the shooter, [[Jared Loughner]], to "avenge the nation's sins," and that Westboro planned to protest at the funerals of the six victims.<ref name="giffords">[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40997616/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/arizona-suspect-could-face-death-penalty/#.Ts2iIFmwXf8 Arizona suspect could face death penalty] msnbc.com, Crime & Courts, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> He said, "Thank God for the violent shooter."<ref name="giffords"/> The Arizona state legislature passed an emergency bill barring protestors from within 300 feet of funerals.<ref>[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-11/us/arizona.funeral.westboro_1_kansas-church-westboro-baptist-church-fred-phelps?_s=PM:US Arizona enacts funeral protest legislation] cnn.com, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> Westboro later gave up the idea of protesting at the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old girl who died in the shooting, in exchange for airtime on Phoenix and Tuscon radio stations.<ref>[http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/12/westboro-baptist-church-wont-picket-christina-green-funeral/ Westboro Baptist Church Won't Picket Christina Green Funeral] Surge Desk, aolnews.com, January 12, 2011, retrieved on November 23, 2011.</ref>

Despite efforts by [[leftist]]s to link Phelps to the Religious Right, Phelps refers to Christian conservatives as "Lukewarm cowards. Modern-day Pharisees. People who have gone a whoring after strange gods. Self-righteous hypocrites. They spend more time harassing people who are preaching the Gospel than anything else, just like the Pharisees did to Jesus." Phelps' preaching has much in common with the Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Phelps also says God hates liberals, referring to them as "the modern day Saduccees," and that they are the ultimate evil.<ref>http://www.godhatesfags.com/faq.html#Right</ref>

Despite efforts by [[leftist]]s to link Phelps to the Religious Right, Phelps refers to Christian conservatives as "Lukewarm cowards. Modern-day Pharisees. People who have gone a whoring after strange gods. Self-righteous hypocrites. They spend more time harassing people who are preaching the Gospel than anything else, just like the Pharisees did to Jesus." Phelps' preaching has much in common with the Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Phelps also says God hates liberals, referring to them as "the modern day Saduccees," and that they are the ultimate evil.<ref>http://www.godhatesfags.com/faq.html#Right</ref>

==Criticism of Phelps==

==Criticism of Phelps==

Criticism of Phelps has been virtually universal within both the conservative and liberal movements. The Reverend [[Jerry Falwell]] has called Phelps "a first class nut". and Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera said "Fred Phelps' curious message is hardly Christian, and only fuels societal bigotry toward those who espouse genuine Biblical views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion,"

Criticism of Phelps has been virtually universal within both the conservative and liberal movements. The Reverend [[Jerry Falwell]] has called Phelps "a first class nut." Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera said, "Fred Phelps' curious message is hardly Christian, and only fuels societal bigotry toward those who espouse genuine Biblical views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion,"

Phelps was also cited during Canadian deliberations about declaring anti-homosexuality sentiments to be a hate crime.

Phelps was also cited during Canadian deliberations about declaring anti-homosexuality sentiments to be a hate crime.