. . . claiming, instead, that God told them to only do radio interviews.

"'Church Agrees to Not Protest at Girl's Funeral'

by Cathryn Creno
"The Arizona Republic"
12 January 2011

"A Westboro Baptist Church official said Wednesday morning that supporters will not picket the funerals of victims of last weekend's shooting spree in Tucson.

"Church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper told 'The Republic' by phone from its Westboro's Topeka, Kan., headquarters that plans to appear in Arizona have been dropped in exchange for appearances on two conservative radio talk shows, one national and another based in Phoenix.

"'If I can use my show to prevent them from disrupting these funerals I view that as positive, even though I find their message reprehensible,' said Mike Gallagher, whose national talk show airs on KKNT - 960 AM radio in Phoenix.

"The church tries to draw attention to controversial messages against abortion and homosexuality by applauding the deaths of and picketing the funerals of people ranging from politicians to soldiers.

"Westboro's Rev. Fred Phelps had posted a video on YouTube after Saturday's shootings in Tucson saying, 'Thank God for the violent shooter.' . . .

"Phelps-Roper said Westboro's decision not to come to Arizona has nothing to do with a bill passed Tuesday by the Arizona Legislature that bans protesters within 300 feet of a funeral service.

"Senate Bill 1101 creates a 'funeral protection zone' that applies to one hour before, during or after a funeral service.

"'No, no, no, that law would not have impacted us one iota,' Phelps-Roper said. 'We don't get that close. We stay at least 1,000 feet away.'

"Phelps-Roper said Westboro stages pickets as far as three miles away from some funerals because 'people come to hear us anyway.'

"'It's about the content of our message, not the distance we are from the funeral,' she said.

"Church officials also have made a deal to appear on KXXT radio's Steve Sanchez show from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Saturday in exchange for not picketing the Thursday funeral of 9-year-old shooting victim Christina Green. Sanchez's assistant Lisa Tucker shared e-mails with 'The Republic' showing that the church dropped its plans in exchange for the radio time.

"Phelps-Roper said officials dropped plans to picket the other funerals and the school Christina Green had attended after receiving the invitation from Gallagher. . . .

"Phelps-Roper said the radio deals mean there absolutely will be no pickets by her church in Arizona. 'When we made a deal, we live with our deal,' she said."

("Arizona Shootings: Church Agrees to Not Protest at Girl's Funeral," by Cathryn Creno, "The Arizona Republic," 12 January 2010, at:/2011/01/12/20110112arizona-shooting-church-agrees-not-to-protest.html)

Although not contained in the published story itself, information reportedly indicates that this group claimed it was directly commanded by God to drop its Arizona funeral picketing plans in favor of doing radio interviews from Dorothy's Kansas, instead. (Maybe God didn't want to pay for high-priced airfare. Where's Joseph Smith's angel with a flaming sword when you need him?)
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The Westboro Woo-Woo for the Lord who initially announced his group's now-defunct plans to picket the funeral in question falsely claimed that the suspected shooter, Jared Loughner, was a U.S. military veteran who served in Afghanistan and who is now being used by God Almighty as a divinely-appointed soldier in wreaking Heaven's wrath upon a sinful world (including, it claims, upon Congresswoman Giffords for her support of reproductive choice).

Geezus Crisco Christ. Talk about frying yourself in your own grease. Earth to Westboro: Loughner never was in the U.S. military, having been rejected by the Army for illegal drug use:

("Accused Gunman Rejected by Army Over Drug Test," by Jacques Billeaud, in "The Associated Press," 10 January 2011, at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/01/ap-alleged-gunman-failed-drug-test-011011/)
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To see this wacko's religiously-cuckoo rant, go to: "WESTBORO BAPTIST 'CHURCH' Plans to Protest @ the TUCSON TRADEDY Victims' Funerals," at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMZKWUsbGgU)



Edited 19 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2011 10:45PM by Admin.

...that the Christians threatened their insanity and got their way."

I hope they fool them for being fools.





"We dun good right Mrs. Roper?"


"Yes, we dun real good Jethro."


(winks)

Way beyond this Cabbie's poor powers to add or subtract...

>"Church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper told 'The Republic' by phone from its Westboro's Topeka, Kan., headquarters that plans to appear in Arizona have been dropped in exchange for appearances on two conservative radio talk shows, one national and another based in Phoenix.

>"'If I can use my show to prevent them from disrupting these funerals I view that as positive, even though I find their message reprehensible,' said Mike Gallagher, whose national talk show airs on KKNT - 960 AM radio in Phoenix.

RFM "adolescents" had their own say on this one on an earlier thread, and I confess, I was among them...

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,78131,78131#msg-78131

Gawd hinted this might not be another David vs. Goliath for Westboro, but more like an opportunity to emulate junior, and be holey like unto jeezus - except with bullet holes. They declined the gilded opportunity of a lifetime.

Also heard the AZ legislature may be outlawing protests at funerals.

But thank goodness those wackos decided not to go there.

The wacky Topeka church group doing the protesting has announced it has decided not to picket the funeral of the 9-year-old girl who was killed with a shot to her chest, but vows to protest at the funeral of the assassinated federal judge who died in the murderer's spree last Saturday morning.

However, there is a grass-roots effort underway being organized by regular Arizona citizens to buffer the funerals and mourners from the sick antics of these twisted, so-called "Christians" who are thanking God for the murders.
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Plus, from the quoted news article, in the original post in this thread:

"Phelps-Roper said Westboro's decision not to come to Arizona has nothing to do with a bill passed Tuesday by the Arizona Legislature that bans protesters within 300 feet of a funeral service.

"Senate Bill 1101 creates a 'funeral protection zone' that applies to one hour before, during or after a funeral service."



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2011 02:17AM by steve benson.