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I don't know about you guys, but I really want to see the Westboro's reply.
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 04:46:04 AM
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
I'm wondering that too because I can't think of anything productive.
I would love to have my face up on a "God hates Atheists" picket board.
I would cherish it forever.
Quote from: Whitney on March 07, 2012, 05:10:31 AM
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 04:46:04 AM
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
I'm wondering that too because I can't think of anything productive.
Why can't the whole point be to annoy them slightly? :D
Mixed feelings about this. Frankly WBC thrive on publicity, so they'd love to come. I would have thought the majority of the attendees would want to see the WBC at RR as much as they would like to contract Aids. What if there's a punch up? Are NAP going to be responsible? Are there any other theist organisations being invited to attend? Was this invite approved by the RR organisers or not?
Quote from: Asmodean on March 07, 2012, 06:49:14 AM
Quote from: Whitney on March 07, 2012, 05:10:31 AM
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 04:46:04 AM
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
I'm wondering that too because I can't think of anything productive.
Why can't the whole point be to annoy them slightly? :D
Yeah. I can't really think of anything productive that will come of it, but I'm childish enough to be fine with atheists (and anyone else for that matter) poking the WBC with a stick whenever they feel like it.
What! That's a silly idea.
So lets say they do decide to attend the event and the media gets wind of it, they are going to be present because they have been invited by The National Atheist Party. Westboro baptist church is probably one of the most disliked group in America, and atheists don't exactly have a good public image in the States either, so why would you want to be associated with them in the slightest, you might say it's to show the National Atheist Party are accepting of the diversity and free speech of your nation but the media will not spin it that way.
The National Atheist Party is a young organization that is trying to gain credibility, so why the fuck would you invite a severely disliked group that could then be associated with your party? In fact its not a silly idea its a downright idiotic idea, did you have your thinking caps on that day?
The Westboro Baptist Church has said that they will be attending the event. This invitation is an invitation to pick on someone their own size, as opposed to cowardly and hatefully protesting funerals. We at the National Atheist Party are fighting hard to protect our secular rights and values, and we are a force to be reckon with. If they are already going to be at the even the National Atheist Party wants them to know that they are more than welcome and will be met with smiles, reason and swag bags as opposed to the hateful ignorance that the Church seems to project on everyone they encounter.
Quote from: m.condon on March 07, 2012, 04:46:32 PM
The Westboro Baptist Church has said that they will be attending the event. This invitation is an invitation to pick on someone their own size, as opposed to cowardly and hatefully protesting funerals. We at the National Atheist Party are fighting hard to protect our secular rights and values, and we are a force to be reckon with. If they are already going to be at the even the National Atheist Party wants them to know that they are more than welcome and will be met with smiles, reason and swag bags as opposed to the hateful ignorance that the Church seems to project on everyone they encounter.
Works for me. If anyone is the US is stupid enough to think that atheists are, like,
aligning themselves with the WBC (which yes, some people are that stupid, especially when it comes to confirming what they already want to believe - that atheists are The Evil) then they already had that opinion of atheists (and don't know anything about what an atheist actually is) and frankly, meh, fuck 'em.
Quote from: Asmodean on March 07, 2012, 06:49:14 AM
Quote from: Whitney on March 07, 2012, 05:10:31 AM
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 04:46:04 AM
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
I'm wondering that too because I can't think of anything productive.
Why can't the whole point be to annoy them slightly? :D
Maybe it's to lock them in a church and set them on fire?
Quote from: Sweetdeath on March 07, 2012, 05:52:48 PM
Maybe it's to lock them in a church and set them on fire?
Roasted Nuts, yummy!
Ok, makes more sense if they're already coming anyway. I saw them once protesting outside Harvard Law School and there was a counter-protest going on next to them, peacefully. I was impressed with the restraint of the other protesters, especially since my first impression was to find a rock and throw it at WBC :)
Quote from: m.condon on March 07, 2012, 04:46:32 PM
The Westboro Baptist Church has said that they will be attending the event. This invitation is an invitation to pick on someone their own size, as opposed to cowardly and hatefully protesting funerals. We at the National Atheist Party are fighting hard to protect our secular rights and values, and we are a force to be reckon with. If they are already going to be at the even the National Atheist Party wants them to know that they are more than welcome and will be met with smiles, reason and swag bags as opposed to the hateful ignorance that the Church seems to project on everyone they encounter.
Sort of turning the other cheek then? ;) :D
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 06:10:25 PM
Ok, makes more sense if they're already coming anyway. I saw them once protesting outside Harvard Law School and there was a counter-protest going on next to them, peacefully. I was impressed with the restraint of the other protesters, especially since my first impression was to find a rock and throw it at WBC :)
+1
I'm thinking of going, although that weekend has THREE events I want to attend. Is anyone going? It'd be a lot more fun if I could look forward to maybe meeting someone I've at least heard of before. :)
Quote from: Tank on March 07, 2012, 06:23:14 PM
Quote from: m.condon on March 07, 2012, 04:46:32 PM
The Westboro Baptist Church has said that they will be attending the event. This invitation is an invitation to pick on someone their own size, as opposed to cowardly and hatefully protesting funerals. We at the National Atheist Party are fighting hard to protect our secular rights and values, and we are a force to be reckon with. If they are already going to be at the even the National Atheist Party wants them to know that they are more than welcome and will be met with smiles, reason and swag bags as opposed to the hateful ignorance that the Church seems to project on everyone they encounter.
Sort of turning the other cheek then? ;) :D
ISn't it bad when the atheists are more christian then the christians?
I think it would be better if everyone just acted as if WBC doesn't exist; they only reason anyone knows about them is because they leverage publicity from negative attention.
Maybe one of them can have their god hates gays or anti evolution signs autographed by Richard Dawkins. I do hope they just show up and be civil but I got a feeling it will be one of their 6 person protests that people might not even notice.
People certainly need not take them seriously. They are a running joke, good for a laugh. Extremely scared Christians trying to save their imaginary god from the horrors of mankind.
Honestly, years from now, you will wish you have a "God hates ....." billboard for old times sake, it is certainly a small timepiece of American history.
America will no doubt grow up one day, this religious craziness will surely fade away. Surely....
Quote from: Stevil on March 08, 2012, 06:15:21 AM
People certainly need not take them seriously. They are a running joke, good for a laugh. Extremely scared Christians trying to save their imaginary god from the horrors of mankind.
Honestly, years from now, you will wish you have a "God hates ....." billboard for old times sake, it is certainly a small timepiece of American history.
America will no doubt grow up one day, this religious craziness will surely fade away. Surely....
But how long will it take? I don't plan to waste my youth here finding out. XP I'm heading over seas to a more secular nation.
QuotePeople certainly need not take them seriously. They are a running joke, good for a laugh. Extremely scared Christians trying to save their imaginary god from the horrors of mankind.
Nah, anyone who uses funerals of fallen soldiers to prove god is mad because we have gays needs to have an eye kept on them. Im all for free speech but it wouldnt bother me one bit if they where no longer allowed to harass grieving family members.
Besides these are the people that try to out crazy the suicide bombers out in the Mid East. Its people like them that wind up on the news for blowing up an abortion clinic or something of that nature.
Quote from: Ali...and frankly, meh, fuck 'em.
Ali, my dear, you and I are going to get along swimmingly.
Quote from: TankMixed feelings about this. Frankly WBC thrive on publicity, so they'd love to come.
Good! Let them roll on down to the reason rally in their bullet-proof people-carriers with their silly plastic signs to make a fool out of the entire global establishment of homophobia. Let's give them more publicity. I want them to rise to stardom, so that any expression of an anti-gay sentiment, by anyone, will be unavoidably associated with these fools. They are an unintentional satire. They undermine their smarter sympathisers. They take all of their people-pleasing and disguise away, rip out the beating heart of their arguments and hold it up for the world to see what a twisted, hate-filled horror it really is.
I'd donate money to them, frankly, if I didn't think my motives would be misread.
Quote from: Melmoth on March 09, 2012, 04:35:04 AM
They undermine their smarter sympathisers. They take all of their people-pleasing and disguise away, rip out the beating heart of their arguments and hold it up for the world to see what a twisted, hate-filled horror it really is.
Is it already cliched to make a Charlie Sheen joke? When I read this, the first thing I thought was Melmouth is Martian for Spaceman Rock Star Full of Tiger's Blood and Winning (because I liked what you said
that much) but I fear that the Moment of Charlie Sheen has passed. *sigh*
It has. :D I've calmed down a bit.
Though quite seriously, I do think the Westboro Baptists are a good thing, just for being so transparently disgusting and universally hated. I also like how they give homophobic bigotry such a powerful anti-American look. Typically, in the States, homophobic public speakers will try to imply that gayness is somehow a threat to American cultural identity, wholesome family values and all that crap, as a way of justifying their hatreds; the WBC, meanwhile, has done everything it can to show that the opposite is the case, picketing at dead soldiers funerals and so forth.
Quote from: Melmoth on March 10, 2012, 07:35:54 AM
It has. :D I've calmed down a bit.
Though quite seriously, I do think the Westboro Baptists are a good thing, just for being so transparently disgusting and universally hated. I also like how they give homophobic bigotry such a powerful anti-American look. Typically, in the States, homophobic public speakers will try to imply that gayness is somehow a threat to American cultural identity, wholesome family values and all that crap, as a way of justifying their hatreds; the WBC, meanwhile, has done everything it can to show that the opposite is the case, picketing at dead soldiers funerals and so forth.
I agree with you Melmoth, they are a very good anti anti gay advertisement.
Quote from: Ali on March 07, 2012, 02:16:06 PM
Quote from: Asmodean on March 07, 2012, 06:49:14 AM
Quote from: Whitney on March 07, 2012, 05:10:31 AM
Quote from: Firebird on March 07, 2012, 04:46:04 AM
What are you hoping to show by extending this invitation?
I'm wondering that too because I can't think of anything productive.
Why can't the whole point be to annoy them slightly? :D
Yeah. I can't really think of anything productive that will come of it, but I'm childish enough to be fine with atheists (and anyone else for that matter) poking the WBC with a stick whenever they feel like it.
Yeah. This was my first reaction. I'm not above a little stick-poking from time-to-time.
Funny little fact: Fred Phelps was a highly-sought civil rights lawyer in Kansas in the 60's. Many of his clients were African-Americans whom he defended against racist Jim Crow laws. And he once sued President Reagan over his appointment of an ambassador to the Vatican, claiming it violated the separation of church and state. How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
Quote from: Firebird on March 10, 2012, 06:11:44 PM
Funny little fact: Fred Phelps was a highly-sought civil rights lawyer in Kansas in the 60's. Many of his clients were African-Americans whom he defended against racist Jim Crow laws. And he once sued President Reagan over his appointment of an ambassador to the Vatican, claiming it violated the separation of church and state. How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
Another funny little fact: Fred Phelps is an ass.
Quote from: Truthseeker on March 10, 2012, 06:29:13 PM
Another funny little fact: Fred Phelps is an ass.
And this is news how?
Quote from: Truthseeker on March 10, 2012, 06:29:13 PM
Quote from: Firebird on March 10, 2012, 06:11:44 PM
Funny little fact: Fred Phelps was a highly-sought civil rights lawyer in Kansas in the 60's. Many of his clients were African-Americans whom he defended against racist Jim Crow laws. And he once sued President Reagan over his appointment of an ambassador to the Vatican, claiming it violated the separation of church and state. How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
Another funny little fact: Fred Phelps is an ass.
Sometimes I wonder if señor phelpso is actually gay himself and has just gone too far trying to cover it up? Hmmmmmm.....
Quote from: Firebird on March 10, 2012, 06:11:44 PM
How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
My suspicion is that he spent too much time reading the Old Testament. Or, as someone else has suggested, perhaps he has underlying homosexual tendencies, and thinks the only way to overcome them is to go overboard the other way. Maybe he's trying to fake God out.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 11, 2012, 08:39:39 PM
Quote from: Firebird on March 10, 2012, 06:11:44 PM
How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
My suspicion is that he spent too much time reading the Old Testament. Or, as someone else has suggested, perhaps he has underlying homosexual tendencies, and thinks the only way to overcome them is to go overboard the other way. Maybe he's trying to fake God out.
Or he's just a crazy hateful old man who found a kindred spirit in the mean parts of the OT...sometimes there isn't a reason to point to for why someone is a jerk.
Quote from: Firebird on March 10, 2012, 06:11:44 PM
Funny little fact: Fred Phelps was a highly-sought civil rights lawyer in Kansas in the 60's. Many of his clients were African-Americans whom he defended against racist Jim Crow laws. And he once sued President Reagan over his appointment of an ambassador to the Vatican, claiming it violated the separation of church and state. How he became a homophobic, hate-spewing preacher is beyond me.
Maybe he fell on his head -- head injuries have been known to cause drastic personality changes. Or maybe he was always a homophobic, hate-spewing jerk and finally decided not to censor himself.
Say, is anyone planning to go? Assuming the weather is vaguely ok I'm planning to ride the metro in. If anyone plans to be there, perhaps we can meet up? I know a few folks from wwgha are going too.
I wish I could, but please do let us know how it goes. Maybe another year we will.