Hate Watch - Has resources on some of these groups, and many other hate-mongers as well. A very thorough resource, and a worthy effort.
Westboro Baptist Church - "Rev." Fred Phelps, Sr. - A fellow Topekan, unfortunately. This fellow has picketed funerals, including the funeral of a pre-teen boy and that of President Bill Clinton's mother. In fact, he proudly displays a picture of himself and members of his family standing on a grave and picketing the person buried there. He's picketed the Holocaust memorial in Washington, D.C., and called it in a fax, "a bloody monument to Jewish mendacity and greed." He's also been accused by two of his sons who escaped the influence of his church/cult/family of engaging in truly horrifying levels of physical, verbal and emotional child abuse. These accusations are documented in John Bell's self published book, Addicted to Hate. His picketing group and core membership of his church is composed of nine of his thirteen children, and their spouses and children. He supplements their regular pickets of various churches and public places (a park, theater, the police department, etc.) with the daily distribution of unsolicited fax messages containing various hateful attacks on public officials and groups. Many of these contain offensive caricatures or statements regarding black people and Jews, in addition to his main focus of anti-gay hatred.
If there was a picture next to the word hatemonger in the dictionary, it would about have to be this guy's. Over the years I've been active in several groups that attempted to combat this person and his church (composed mostly of his children, in-laws and grandchildren), and I'm proud to have counter-picketed him on many occasions as a member of the group Caring People Respond (CPR).
The home addresses and home and work numbers for various members of the WBC cult/church/hate group are available as a plain text file here.
Anti-Phelps Sites
God Hates Fred Phelps - This page starts with a statement of support and inclusivity on its splash page, then branches off to pages listing hate crimes, scriptures from various religions (not, so far, including Pagan or Wiccan ones) and suggested reading materials.
God Hates Phelps - A site dedicated to the memory of Matthew Shephard. This site has definite touches of professionality in its consrtuction. They're also soliciting new ideas for expanding the site, so go there and let them know what you think should be added, expanded or improved.
Personal Note: Does "God" hate Phelps, or anyone else? I honestly don't know, and since I don't worship the God that is being referred to in these two web site titles, I don't feel the need to settle the question. However, these sites do not make the claim that "God" hates anyone. They're satirizing the hateful language used in the site address chosen by "Rev." Phelps (www.godhatesfags.com). Similarly, I'm not proposing, by including these listings, to know anything about the personal feelings of the being in question or most of the theological positions that various Jewish and Christian sects might take on His propensity for negative emotions, or lack thereof. I list them here because I believe they make a worthwhile contribution to the ongoing fight against hatred and prejudice.
Kansas Minister Spreading Hate Instead Of The Gospel - Transcript of a short piece on Fred Phelps and the WBC from the CBS This Morning show of November 25, 1998 cc.
Public Enemy #1: Fred Phelps (Community News On-Line Cyber Activism) - "Cyberpromotions Welcomes Gay-Hate Monger", an article on the WBC web site by Patricia Conklin.
A Trip to the Phelps Compound - A photographic tour of the fenced compound of the WBC, on the outskirts of the affluent Westboro neighborhood of Topeka, KS.
"One Man's God" - An article by Marc E. Fisher on the Mining Co. website, detailing the rise of the stench in question.
"Fred Phelps in the Jungle" - A hilarious sampling from the song of the same name, by the SubGenius dokmusician Cuthulu, from the album "Hate for a Pink Planet". The file "mark of the beast zip code" is also sampled from a Phelps rant.
Duluth Unites Against Baptist Hatemonger - A December 29, 1997 cc story from Gay Today at Badpuppy. Included both because I like to see Mattock-Boy get his comeuppance, and to show my fellow Topekans how it's done.
Road Rules - Talking Points - From the American Atheists' website, a guide created for protesters opposing a Phelps attack on Provincetown, Mass. in November 1997 cc. Very salient and well-constructed, and could serve as a good resource for other groups planning non-violent counter-protests.
News Flash from God - On the Frugal Domme's web page. God sues Phelps for defamation of character. NOTE: The Frugal Domme's website is labeled an adult-oriented site which should not be viewed by persons under the age of 21, and though the joke is neither explicit nor sexual, some elements of the page, which in general deals with BDSM culture, may be viewed as such by some persons. You have been duly warned.
Perilous Times - Bluebird, also known as Tammy Ritchie, runs this page. Many people on AOL feel the same way about this woman as I do about Phelps. Once you've given this page a look, you'll see why. This is some of the most pure and unadulterated hate, paranoia and out-and-out delusion I've ever seen. This person spreads, through her page and links, some of the vilest and most potentially harmful lies about Witches and Pagans I've ever seen anywhere. The only thing that might place her above the lowest rung on the ladder of spiritual evolution is that the lies and paranoiac delusions she spreads are only the same ones that Inquisitors and their precursors spread for over a thousand years and the ones that higher-ups in the current Religious Right favor presently. I by no means think that all Christians do or did think like Mrs. Ritchie and her spiritual siblings, Thank Goddess. However, I do perceive a current of hate and fear of non-Christian or heterodox Christian thought and belief within the larger stream of Christian thought and action. During periods like the Inquisition/Burning Times, this flow has seemed to overwhelm all other voices, while at present, it seems to flow mainly within a small, but vocal, minority of groups and individuals, of which Mrs. Ritchie and her site provide both a salient example and a fairly comprehensive catalogue.
She hasn't, as far as I am aware, done more than parrot misinformation, and I'm not convinced that she's smart enough to realize that it's not true. I see her as not much more than a rabid biblical literalist with too much leisure time. A mere purveyor of hate, rather than an innovator. Other people are producing the manure . . . she's just shoveling it into a pile.
Her own writings seem to be mainly restricted to rants about the supposed "spells" and "threats" she claims to receive from the people she's lying about and slandering on her site. Gee . . . you don't suppose someone might get upset enough about that to pen an angry e-mail, do ya, Tammie?
We'll give her an A for effort, but an F for originality.
Anti-Tammy Ritchie Sites
Tammy Ritchie and her God - the entry page to Orchid's response to the "person" in question. The entry button under the graphic asks "Are you going to Hell? Click here: Details>>"
Open Letters to All Christians - by Patricia Sherman. Includes an open letter to Tammy Ritchie.
Captain Breakfast's Demonic Agent of the Week Award - Tammy Ritchie won the flagship award in this biting satire (at least, I'm assuming it's a satire) in which Captain Breakfast weekly awards the most valuable purveyor of the values and principles of evil. Captain Breakfast's motto: "Demons aren't just for breakfast anymore."
Chick Comics - possibly the worst example of "witnessing" on the face of the planet. Little comic style pamphlets that practically drip with none-too-understated bigotry towards everyone that doesn't fit the producers' definition of Christianity. Even worse, many of them are intended for children. Most attempt to scare anyone who doesn't worship exactly the way Jack Chick thinks they should by telling them they're supposedly going to hell. Attacks almost every other religion, from Paganism to Islam to Roman Catholicism (in, among others, their hilariously titled pamphlet attacking the taking of communion wafers, The Death Cookie).
Of particular offense to me, as a Pagan, is the fact that Chick Publications also publishes the works of William Schnoebelen, including Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie, a book in which the author claims to "trace the epidemic of child abuse directly to the root of the Wiccan revival." Mr. Schnoebelen also markets, through his own website, books, videos and tapes on various topics. Examples include "Protecting the Family," a tape made with an "ex-gay" minister purporting to "discuss Satanism, the occult and the gay agenda as impacts your kids," and pamphlets trying to relate Pokemon, Harry Potter and Dungeons & Dragons to supposed occult conspiracies.
Unfortunately, he reveals only how poorly he understands Wicca, and how horrifyingly easy it is for someone to get their head thoroughly rewired into believing an exclusionary and frankly frightening mutation of Christianity is somehow preferable to a peaceful, open and respectful religion which he claims to have practiced before his conversion. After a brief exchange of e-mails with Mr. Schnoebelen, I developed a deep pity for his unfortunate situation, but this does not alter my disgust with his attacks on what he claims is his former belief system. An analysis of Schnoebelen's claims can be viewed on the Religious Tolerance website, as part of an essay on the "jesus-is-lord" site, which relies heavily on him for source material. Click here to read the article.
Anti-Chick Sites
Parodies of Jack T. Chick
Be sure to check out "The Other People" by Oberon Zell (you can find the text version at the Church of All Worlds web site) and "Saturnalia", both effective Pagan counters to fundamentalism based on Chick's cartoon style. The first is simply a reversal, using Chick-style cartoon figures to present a well-thought-out counter to proselytizing, while the second is a more humorous parody (it's also got a good bit of sexual content, and the site "rates" it NC-17, so the prudish might want to skip it, I suppose, and minors and those who might be offended are duly warned.) Note: So far I've been unable to find a link to the cartoon version of "The Other People". If anyone knows of one (authorized by the copyright holder), please e-mail me the URL. My e-mail link is at the bottom of this page.
The
Wonderful World of Chick - Delves more into Chick's conspiracy
theories and apparent general paranoia.
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