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It has been quiet for many years from Topeka, Kansas home of the Westboro Baptist Church, who became famous for picketing funerals of dead service members and others, and just picketing people they did not like.
Assuming that everyone is familiar with Westboro, I was a follower of theirs for many years because I found them fascinating to say the least. A follower as in I also followed Michael Jackson before his untimely death in 2009 because the dude was so strange. Westboro was strange, coupled with my general fascination with religion made for good entertainment for many years.
I have seen so many videos and documentaries about them over the past 15 years or so. The church was founded by Fred Phelps back in the 1950's. The church is comprised mostly of relatives of the Phelps although there are a few people there not related to the Phelps but some are married to a Phelps.
For those familiar with who they are, what has been gathered about them lately....
Fred Phelps himself was excommunicated from the church near the end of his life. The details are murky and second hand but supposedly, (probably under the influence of dementia) he went to the "Rainbow House" across the street, which was owned by members of the homosexual community. Supposedly there were people outside and Fred was actually NICE to them and said that they "were good people". Supposedly some of Fred's family scurried him back to the compound, and not long after, went to a nursing home and died. Fred Phelps was actually a fascinating person believe it or not, and was insane. But because Fred "made amends" with the homosexuals next door, he was "excommunicated".
They don't picket anymore (to my current knowledge). This stopped in 2020, supposedly because of the "virus", but I feel it is just they had to do it when the elder Fred was alive and now he is dead, dont have to do it anymore. You do not have to obey your father when he is dead.
Steve Drain was a documentary filmmaker who did a piece on the Phelps and then converted to their religion and moved his whole family from Florida to Topeka, Kansas and became a true believer and probably next to Fred, was the biggest loudmouth of the group. He was kicked out with his wife several years ago, supposedly for differing with the church on the picketing and all that. I think the remaining Phelps just want their church and stop pissing people off, but Steve wanted to go on. Supposedly (because information is sketchy) Steve and his family were excommunicated, but one of the daughters (the second daughter) is married to someone in the church, so was she also kicked out? Supposedly, Steve went to Mississippi (why Mississippi?) to maybe start a new church but the guy has completely fallen off the radar.
Shirley Phelps was the spokesperson for the Church for many years, but after Fred died, the church started a "Council of Elders" which is all male, and had Shirley stop being the public voice since she is female and women are not allowed to teach. OK. At Westboro, a woman is not allowed to cut their hair because of something in the Bible, so it is easy to see a fundy woman because they have "Crystal Gail hair" down to their ass. Plus having to wear something on their head, because God hates a a femaele bare head. Religion hates women for some reason (not me, I love them!)
Many of the grandchildren have left, since they want to live free lives.
I am not a Christian but I supported their version of the Bible 100 percent. God is an angry being. Not everyone is "saved" in the end, only God decides who is and who isnt. They call it the elect and it comes from Calvinism. Makes sense to me, if God knows everything and everything that is going to happen then God knows who is going to Heaven and who is going to Hell (interestingly, a Westboro member, not a Phelps or a Drain stated on a radio show that Fred is in Hell because of the Rainbow House incident, seems Fred wasnt elect after all.)
But I do miss their antics, their videos, their warped sense of reality. Have they returned to picketing? Anyone see Steve Drain? Anymore updates?
Assuming that everyone is familiar with Westboro, I was a follower of theirs for many years because I found them fascinating to say the least. A follower as in I also followed Michael Jackson before his untimely death in 2009 because the dude was so strange. Westboro was strange, coupled with my general fascination with religion made for good entertainment for many years.
I have seen so many videos and documentaries about them over the past 15 years or so. The church was founded by Fred Phelps back in the 1950's. The church is comprised mostly of relatives of the Phelps although there are a few people there not related to the Phelps but some are married to a Phelps.
For those familiar with who they are, what has been gathered about them lately....
Fred Phelps himself was excommunicated from the church near the end of his life. The details are murky and second hand but supposedly, (probably under the influence of dementia) he went to the "Rainbow House" across the street, which was owned by members of the homosexual community. Supposedly there were people outside and Fred was actually NICE to them and said that they "were good people". Supposedly some of Fred's family scurried him back to the compound, and not long after, went to a nursing home and died. Fred Phelps was actually a fascinating person believe it or not, and was insane. But because Fred "made amends" with the homosexuals next door, he was "excommunicated".
They don't picket anymore (to my current knowledge). This stopped in 2020, supposedly because of the "virus", but I feel it is just they had to do it when the elder Fred was alive and now he is dead, dont have to do it anymore. You do not have to obey your father when he is dead.
Steve Drain was a documentary filmmaker who did a piece on the Phelps and then converted to their religion and moved his whole family from Florida to Topeka, Kansas and became a true believer and probably next to Fred, was the biggest loudmouth of the group. He was kicked out with his wife several years ago, supposedly for differing with the church on the picketing and all that. I think the remaining Phelps just want their church and stop pissing people off, but Steve wanted to go on. Supposedly (because information is sketchy) Steve and his family were excommunicated, but one of the daughters (the second daughter) is married to someone in the church, so was she also kicked out? Supposedly, Steve went to Mississippi (why Mississippi?) to maybe start a new church but the guy has completely fallen off the radar.
Shirley Phelps was the spokesperson for the Church for many years, but after Fred died, the church started a "Council of Elders" which is all male, and had Shirley stop being the public voice since she is female and women are not allowed to teach. OK. At Westboro, a woman is not allowed to cut their hair because of something in the Bible, so it is easy to see a fundy woman because they have "Crystal Gail hair" down to their ass. Plus having to wear something on their head, because God hates a a femaele bare head. Religion hates women for some reason (not me, I love them!)
Many of the grandchildren have left, since they want to live free lives.
I am not a Christian but I supported their version of the Bible 100 percent. God is an angry being. Not everyone is "saved" in the end, only God decides who is and who isnt. They call it the elect and it comes from Calvinism. Makes sense to me, if God knows everything and everything that is going to happen then God knows who is going to Heaven and who is going to Hell (interestingly, a Westboro member, not a Phelps or a Drain stated on a radio show that Fred is in Hell because of the Rainbow House incident, seems Fred wasnt elect after all.)
But I do miss their antics, their videos, their warped sense of reality. Have they returned to picketing? Anyone see Steve Drain? Anymore updates?
