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The
Hate Group Interviews Interview #1 |
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We came across a page called 'Antipas' run by Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas. Armed with Bible scriptures to support their views, and colorful signs such as "GOD HATES FAGS" and "FAGS ARE FREAKS OF NATURE", this 'holy' outfit believes it is spreading the love of Christ by protesting against the homosexual community. To date, they have picketed over 10,000 parades, Gay Pride Marches and the funerals of famous homosexuals |
 The church also distributes flyers on an almost weekly basis informing the public on the impending doom caused by the homosexual community. Here is a quote from a flyer referencing the approval of gay marriages in Hawaii: "For fear that the wrath of God will presently decree the violent eruption of the islands' volcanoes, swiftly burying every living creature that moves there under mountains of white-hot ash, cinder and molten rock, as at Pompeii in 79 AD, for similar transgressions." Not only was this flier laden with hatred, delusion, and homophobic paranoia, it was also teaming with horribly obvious grammatical errors. |
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Benjamin C. Phelps (pictured at left) is the maintainer of the Antipas Web Site and he as more than happy to grant us an interview and share with us his bookmark file. Below are the actual transcripts of our game of 21 Questions. |
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| Question One | |
| Fade to Black |
How long has the Westboro Baptist Church been active in protesting homosexual issues? |
| Benjamin C. Phelps |
About 5.5 years. |
| Question Two | |
| F2B |
What is the most heat your organization ever took, for your protesting? |
| BP |
In general, the fact that we've picketed funerals. People don't like that. Specifically, the one that we took the most heat over was Randy Shilts's funeral. |
| Question Three | |
| F2B |
Do you think people are born homosexual or do you believe it is a conscious choice? |
| BP |
I think they choose it, and it is a manifestation of their departure from God. |
| Question Four | |
| F2B |
If a person is born a hermaphrodite (Having both male and female sex organs) according to you which gender should they be having sex with so it is not considered a sin? |
| BP |
I honestly don't know. |
| Question Five | |
| F2B |
Why do you think so many gay people are involved in the entertainment industry? |
| BP |
I have no idea, nor do I care. |
| Question Six | |
| F2B |
Looking over some of the pictures from your protests you seem to use the words Fag and Queer a lot. One of your signs said, 'No Tears for Queers' In order to look good on a protest sign, do you think we should invent new words for the homosexual community, so it would make it easier to rhyme? |
| BP |
You can invent however many words you want. But don't go out of your way. |
| Question Seven | |
| F2B |
What do you think about using these in describing homosexuals; "Beagles", "Speed Reading Magicians or "Flying Squirrels" as in "Guys are for Girls not Flying Squirrels", "God says - Its illegal to be a Beagle", and "God made Plumbers and Electricians not Speed Reading Magicians!"? Would you be interested in using these slogans in your next boycott, or protest? |
| BP |
I think I'll have to pass on those. I mean, you can use them all you want, but nobody will know what you're talking about. When I say something, I want to use very plain speech so people know what I'm saying. |
| Question Eight | |
| F2B |
What is it about homosexuality that offends you more than any of the other so called Biblical sins? |
| BP |
The reason I focus on homosexuality is be cause it will be like it was in the days of Lot (Sodom) before Jesus returns. We are quickly approaching that point. "Gay rights" is a hot-button topic in today's society, and it needs to be preached about. |
| Question Nine | |
| F2B |
In the act of gay sex, do you think the man on the receiving end is sinning more than the man on the giving end? |
| BP |
I think they're sinning equally. |
| Question Ten | |
| F2B |
The homosexual community's presence seems pervasive in today's media, even on children's programming. What cartoon characters do you believe are probably gay? |
| BP |
Hmmm, never given it much thought. Of the cartoons that I've seen, I don't know. |
| Question Eleven | |
| F2B |
If you had to pick, which one of the characters in the Fantastic Four was most likely gay? Would it be The invisible women, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing or The Human Torch? |
| BP |
Okay, sorry, never seen the comic/cartoon. And even if I had, I think we're on two different wave lengths here. When I watch cartoons I don't think "Hmmm, I wonder if any of them are gay." As soon as I see a cartoon character that I think is gay, you'll be the first to know. |
| Question Twelve | |
| F2B |
The media always reports on the gay population being around 10%, what percentage do you really think it is at? |
| BP |
I would say 1%, but it doesn't matter. 99.9% could be gay, and it wouldn't change what the Bible says about them. |
| Question Thirteen | |
| F2B |
What did you think of Harvey Fierstein in Independence Day? |
| BP |
I thought he was funny. I also thought he was funny when I saw him face to face in Chicago and he tried to convince me I was wrong. |
| Question Fourteen | |
| F2B |
What do you think is more detrimental to a child; being raised by a physically abusive alcoholic parents or an average gay couple? |
| BP |
I think they are detrimental in different way s, but in the long run, being raised by a gay couple is more detrimental. Children raised by physically abusive alcoholic parents sustain physical and emotional abuse. The physical wounds will heal - the emotional wounds will be with them a long time. But when they are grown, they'll know from personal experience that that kind of abuse is very, very bad. On the other hand, children raised by gay parents have a more sinister abuse. They are raised to believe that that perversion is normal and okay and healthy. This is a mental abuse in terms of the spiritual level, which is the worst kind of abuse possible. On a more worldly level, they are denying the child the ability to be raised in a normal family, with a mother and father figure, which can be mentally hard on a child. Further, there's the fact that they're made fun of in school, which hurts children. But the reason I say it's more detrimental is because they are lied to their entire lives - they grow up believing a lie. They are the next generation, and as a result of the lies they are taught, it will be detrimental to the entire country. |
| Question Fifteen | |
| F2B |
Who would you rather be in a steam room with the Fabio or The Solo Flex guy? and why? |
| BP |
Fabio, so I could tell him to cut his hair. It's shameful for a man to have long hair. |
| Question Sixteen | |
| F2B |
Didn't Jesus have long hair? From all the paintings I have seen of Jesus he looked a little like Fabio, but his body was not as muscular. |
| BP |
The paintings you're looking at weren't drawn when Jesus was on earth - they were drawn way after. Besides, the Bibles says it's a shame for a man to have long hair - 1 Corinthians 11. If Jesus had long hair, Paul wouldn't have said what he said about long hair - otherwise, he'd be calling God shameful. |
| Question Seventeen | |
| F2B |
What are your New Year resolutions? Related to your cause and not related. |
| BP |
Related, One to keep doing what I'm doing. Two get the message out to as many people as possible. Three Trust in the Lord. Not Related, One get started on my Masters degree in Computer Science. Two perform my job adequately. |
| Question Eighteen | |
| F2B |
It has been rumored that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual. How can God put a man on this planet who can make such beautiful music and touch so many people (Christian and non Christian) and be such a big sinner? |
| BP |
Well, it's pretty much a fact that Tchaikovsky was a homosexual. And I'm telling you that it doesn't matter how talented he was - he was still a sinner, and he's still in hell. I mean, Mozart was a sex-crazed pervert, and he has written some of the most beautiful music known to man. Having a talent doesn't nullify your sins. |
| Question Nineteen | |
| F2B |
What is your favorite Pauly Shore movie? |
| BP |
Don't like Pauly Shore. |
| Question Twenty | |
| F2B |
How successful has your organization been in stopping homosexual activity? |
| BP |
I've never done any studies on it. But, the goal is not to stop anything - the goal is to preach to people. If some of the activity stops, then fine - I'd love to see people repent. If not, then fine - that just means that conditions are approaching those of the days of Sodom, which means the Lord's getting ready to return. |
| Question Twenty One | |
| F2B |
What would your organization find more disturbing, if the majority of the public strongly opposed you, or simply chose to ignore you? |
| BP |
Neither one. I couldn't care less
what the majority of the public does. Right now, the
majority strongly opposes me. And I don't care. If
everyone stopped listening (which they won't), I still
wouldn't care. |
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