I never gave much thought about the Westboro church, I only knew them from the news, when they picketed some people funerals.
So the Westboro church revels in the suffering and death of everybody else? Because they see it as an act of god on sinners? That's some twisted scary belief. What are they thinking of all the people who keep on living even though they are obviously sinning? God works in mysterious ways? What about their own death, is still an act of god on a sinner?
There's a huge debate as to whether they honestly belief all this, or if it's all a scam to get opportunities to sue people. I personally think it's a bit of both. They seem to believe all that garbage they spew, but the main point is to piss people off so that they touch them and open themselves up to a lawsuit. If you notice, they'll never directly insult an individual, just groups. They'll also pack up and leave if they're not getting a response from the crowd.
Whoa. Fred Phelps had a change of heart? Holy crap. If he said 'You're good people' to the rainbow house....that's actually pretty interesting to hear.
I thought this was common knowledge. He softened his stance, but I don't know by how much.
Isn't this how most very religious people think? My disease was cured, thank you Lord! My daughter was killed by a disease, God works in mysterious ways.
Not... really? At least they shouldn't as a Christian. Scripture says that physical Death is not simply evil, and is the natural order of this world. In fact, there are times when God has allowed a righteous person to pass away before bringing judgement on the rest of the household.
There's a reason why, in J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology (heavily influenced by his Roman Catholicism), death was a gift to mankind that Melkor made humanity fear.