Ex-leader of Westboro Baptist reportedly on death bed
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‘Poison pastor’ Fred Phelps near death but forgiveness eludes his Calgarian son
By Michael Platt ,Calgary Sun
First posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 09:53 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014 11:01 PM EDT
He’s apparently suffering from some form of dementia, slipping in and out of lucidity from what’s expected to be his death bed.
Of course, many will say the poisonous pastor who preached “God Hates Fags” from the sidelines of funerals never had a healthy mind to begin with — but his estranged son, living in Calgary, confirms Fred Phelps is in grave condition.
“One of my nieces who was in there and wrote down all the details told me he is in and out of lucidity, and I understand he was in serious stress a couple of days before that with his breathing,” said Nathan Phelps.
“I wouldn’t know what to say beyond that — people can go both ways on something like this, and he may end up living for several more months. But the evidence is, he’s seriously ill.”
The 84-year-old’s misery will be cause for celebration around the world — and for that, Pastor Fred can only blame himself.
Under the guise of Christianity, Phelps led his flock at Westboro Baptist Church down a path of judgement and loathing, convincing the Topeka, Kansas congregation to picket prominent funerals, starting with the 1998 service for gay hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard.
Phelps claimed he was only channelling God’s hate for homosexuals in his sermons, but increasingly, the church became an attention-seeking vessel for the Phelps clan — and pickets at the funerals of soldiers, school-shooting victims and rock stars brought the pastor plenty of attention.
And now the preacher’s days of hate appear to be over — leaving his son in Calgary to ponder a past filled with abuse and anger.
“I don’t know if I forgive him. This whole question of forgiveness baffles me,” said Nathan.
“For my own self, I am in a good place, but from that place I still see my father as an unapproachable person, and I don’t trust him.
“To talk in terms of forgiveness, I guess that’s an emotional or mental position that’s no longer destructive, and I think I’m there. I’m okay now, but then, I don’t want anything to do with him. So maybe I haven’t forgiven him.”
Those mixed emotions have followed Nathan from a midnight escape from the cult-like congregation at the age of 18, to leading Calgary’s Centre for Inquiry, a strictly secular organization dedicated to reason and science.
Calling his father’s congregation “the most hated church and family in America”, Nathan has often spoken publicly on his past — with one such public lecture planned for Thursday evening at Mount Royal University.
Booked months ago by The Secular Humanists, a student group at the university, Nathan says he will nonetheless discuss breaking developments on his father’s health and reported excommunication by the church he led for so long — a coup that surprises even his estranged son.
“There’s clearly some sort of power struggle going on,” said Nathan, who was told his father was voted out following a disagreement last summer.
Having been kicked out of the church where he lived for most of his life, Nathan says his despondent father was moved to a home, but amid failing health and a refusal to eat, the once-powerful pastor is now ailing at a Topeka hospice.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made,” wrote Nathan on his Facebook page last Saturday.
“I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved.”
The church itself is keeping coy on the pastor’s position and health, saying Fred Phelps is suffering typical age-related health issues, while refusing to discuss their founder’s current standing in the congregation.
But Nathan says it’s clear his father’s hate-filled life is nearing its end.
He understands many will want to protest the pastor’s funeral as retribution and counter-protest, but he says the best way to show Fred Phelps was wrong is to let him go peacefully.
“I’m not going to judge anybody if they choose to do so, but I certainly wouldn’t do it,” said Nathan.
“Let them mourn in peace — how could I say otherwise, when every time the church protested a funeral, I said it was wrong.”
By Michael Platt ,Calgary Sun
First posted: Monday, March 17, 2014 09:53 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014 11:01 PM EDT
He’s apparently suffering from some form of dementia, slipping in and out of lucidity from what’s expected to be his death bed.
Of course, many will say the poisonous pastor who preached “God Hates Fags” from the sidelines of funerals never had a healthy mind to begin with — but his estranged son, living in Calgary, confirms Fred Phelps is in grave condition.
“One of my nieces who was in there and wrote down all the details told me he is in and out of lucidity, and I understand he was in serious stress a couple of days before that with his breathing,” said Nathan Phelps.
“I wouldn’t know what to say beyond that — people can go both ways on something like this, and he may end up living for several more months. But the evidence is, he’s seriously ill.”
The 84-year-old’s misery will be cause for celebration around the world — and for that, Pastor Fred can only blame himself.
Under the guise of Christianity, Phelps led his flock at Westboro Baptist Church down a path of judgement and loathing, convincing the Topeka, Kansas congregation to picket prominent funerals, starting with the 1998 service for gay hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard.
Phelps claimed he was only channelling God’s hate for homosexuals in his sermons, but increasingly, the church became an attention-seeking vessel for the Phelps clan — and pickets at the funerals of soldiers, school-shooting victims and rock stars brought the pastor plenty of attention.
And now the preacher’s days of hate appear to be over — leaving his son in Calgary to ponder a past filled with abuse and anger.
“I don’t know if I forgive him. This whole question of forgiveness baffles me,” said Nathan.
“For my own self, I am in a good place, but from that place I still see my father as an unapproachable person, and I don’t trust him.
“To talk in terms of forgiveness, I guess that’s an emotional or mental position that’s no longer destructive, and I think I’m there. I’m okay now, but then, I don’t want anything to do with him. So maybe I haven’t forgiven him.”
Those mixed emotions have followed Nathan from a midnight escape from the cult-like congregation at the age of 18, to leading Calgary’s Centre for Inquiry, a strictly secular organization dedicated to reason and science.
Calling his father’s congregation “the most hated church and family in America”, Nathan has often spoken publicly on his past — with one such public lecture planned for Thursday evening at Mount Royal University.
Booked months ago by The Secular Humanists, a student group at the university, Nathan says he will nonetheless discuss breaking developments on his father’s health and reported excommunication by the church he led for so long — a coup that surprises even his estranged son.
“There’s clearly some sort of power struggle going on,” said Nathan, who was told his father was voted out following a disagreement last summer.
Having been kicked out of the church where he lived for most of his life, Nathan says his despondent father was moved to a home, but amid failing health and a refusal to eat, the once-powerful pastor is now ailing at a Topeka hospice.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made,” wrote Nathan on his Facebook page last Saturday.
“I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved.”
The church itself is keeping coy on the pastor’s position and health, saying Fred Phelps is suffering typical age-related health issues, while refusing to discuss their founder’s current standing in the congregation.
But Nathan says it’s clear his father’s hate-filled life is nearing its end.
He understands many will want to protest the pastor’s funeral as retribution and counter-protest, but he says the best way to show Fred Phelps was wrong is to let him go peacefully.
“I’m not going to judge anybody if they choose to do so, but I certainly wouldn’t do it,” said Nathan.
“Let them mourn in peace — how could I say otherwise, when every time the church protested a funeral, I said it was wrong.”
I was authenticating. According to my codewheel, today's response for Bravo Nathan is Delta Foxtrot. Did I get it wrong?
Back on track, I completely support Fred and the Westboroites, and condemn any attempts to stifle their free speech and assembly. As long as they're on public land, they're free to say what they will.
And I'm happy he's about to fall off his perch.
Back on track, I completely support Fred and the Westboroites, and condemn any attempts to stifle their free speech and assembly. As long as they're on public land, they're free to say what they will.
And I'm happy he's about to fall off his perch.
No, I despise Fred and his brood. But if you don't support freedom of speech you hate, you don't support freedom of speech.lol ok I got it
Well if he and his followers were expressing their freedom of speech , then why can't others who oppose can't do the same?
I find freedom of speech worthless when it doesn't come with responsibility.
Hope you take your own advice
To say something unfounded or to say something with nothing to back you up especially if it is about someone or group
You mean like "blacks/women/gays should have full equal rights in society?" All preposterous notions when they were first advanced.
We both know the argument for that so I don't think that would be an appropriate example , but to say the opposite as an example then yes
A more challenging example would be the argument the earth is round when the church dictated it was flat.
