I'll direct you to their website, even though their URL demeans homosexuals and God, and even though their icon desecrates the American flag by flying it upside down. You can find there the following picketing schedule for these angry, deluded, inbred Christian fakers:
- First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls, November 21, 2010, 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM. "WBC to picket this dog kennel where the big lies are taught." What, is First Congregational doing the blessing of the animals this weekend?
- St. Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls, November 21, 2010, 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM.
"WBC will faithfully remind their fellow man in Sioux Falls that priests rape children! Giving your children over to those pedophile rapists is equivilent—" wait. At the point where the Phelps family points at St. Joseph's and squeals "these rapists," that's slander, right? Bring your camcorders and your lawyers. - Calvary Cathedral, Sioux Falls, November 21, 2010, 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM... because Bishop Gene Robinson is the greatest threat to humanity in the world.
- Washington High School, Sioux Falls, November 22, 2010, 7:40 AM - 8:10 AM. Great, even more congestion in the Warrior parking lot.
- University of South Dakota, Vermillion, November 22, 2010, 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM. "These institutions of so-called higher learning are pathetic substitutes for reading the Bible and BELIEVING GOD!" Right—try substituting "Read Bible" and "Believe in God" for "Graduated summa cum laude, USD Law" or "MBA" on your next job application. Really.
I have an easy out: the Phelps shouters aren't coming to my school or my town. They aren't laying picket lines anywhere that I must cross. But parishioners at three Sioux Falls churches and students at Washington and USD will face a brief test of character Sunday and Monday. How will they respond to crude, aggressive insults offered in a spirit of sheer, selfish hatred? How will parents explain to their children the deception and malevolence that drives these "Christians"? And how will they stop the Westboro infection of hatred from spreading?
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Update 2010.11.20 06:06 CST: Looks like the coming South Dakota appearances of the Phelps fakers may end up going about as well as this Thursday demonstration in front of a mosque in Dearborn, Kansas, where counter-protesters outnumbered Westboro "Baptists" about 10 to 1. Two Sioux Falls copunter-protests have popped up on my Facebook invite list:
- Love Is Bigger Than Hate: Tove Bormes started this event. Attendees plan to bring signs and music to all three church events. Says Bormes, "[R]ather than addressing our protest at the idiots, address it to those watching, with positive messages about a) God's love, and/or (for you atheist and agnostic pals o' mine!) about your acceptance of ALL people." Thanks for including us secularists, Tove!) People who've clicked "Attending": 379.
- Protesting the Anti-American Westboro Baptist Church: Fellow DSU denizen Scott Richardson has put up this event. They're bringing American flags. Four attendees so far.