Good Friday Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 http://www.petitiononline.com/mrphelps/petition.html To: Reverend Fred Phelps On October 3, 2003 Anti-Gay Preacher Fred Phelps' announced intentions to erect a "monument" to Matthew Shepard, a college student brutally murdered five years ago. The following is an article published October 3, 2003 by 365Gay.com's News Center. (Casper, Wyoming) Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has announced intentions to erect a monument to Matthew Shepard the gay college student brutally murdered five years ago near Laramie. But, the monument will be no memorial. Phelps says the monument would be 5 to 6 feet tall and made of marble or granite. It would bear a bronze plaque bearing the image of Shepard and have an inscription reading "MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: 'Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.' Leviticus 18:22." The monument would be erected in downtown Casper, Shepard's home town. Phelps has sent details of the monument to the city of Casper city council and there may be nothing the city can do to prevent it. Phelps said he intends to put up the monument in City Park, already the location of a controversial statue of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments statue was donated to the city by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in 1965. After a court battle over a similar monument in the city of Ogden, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that any city that displays a Ten Commandments monument on public property must also allow monuments espousing the views of other religions or political groups on that same property. Phelps told Casper council in his letter that if it attempts to prevent him from erecting the homophobic monument he's prepared to go to court. "That is exactly what I said would happen," said Councilwoman Barb Watters. She said she warned the city when it accepted the Ten Commandments statue that the city risked other monuments advocating anti-Semitism and hatred of other minorities. "I think the hate language will find a very cold reception in this community," councilor Paul Bertoglio said. "I think this community's backbone is going to come up and say 'We are not going to accept it.'" The city council is looking at several options, one is fighting Phelps in court, another is moving the Ten Commandments out of the park, and yet another proposal would be to sell the land the park is on. Phelps says he doesn't care what the city decides. If he is unable to put the statue in City Park he said he will find another location in the city. During Shepard's funeral members of Phelps' Westoboro Baptist Church demonstrated in front of the chapel. Article © 365Gay.com, 2003 Please voice your opposition to this appauling proposition by signing this Nation-wide Petition, launched October 9, 2003 on behalf of a concerned member of the Gay community. Help put an end to Fred Phelps' distasteful actions before they have a chance to spread the ideas of hatred and discrimination that he so boldly presents to the world. Sincerely, The Undersigned
BLAZEr Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 Ok, Good Friday, I'm with you. This monument is a perversity of God's Mercy. Regardless of what I think of homosexuality, I have to agree that this monument is heinous.
cmotherofpirl Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 Unless he repents, in condemning Matthew Shepard he seals his own fate. Judge not, less ye be judged!
Dave Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 That is just sick. I hope no city would consent to erecting a monument like that!
geetarplayer Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 In America, your rights end where another person's rights begin. Now the Ten Commandments monuments are questionable, but surely the Shepard family would win if they were to take this Reverend to court. -Mark
Good Friday Posted October 11, 2003 Author Posted October 11, 2003 I'd think so. I would think this would be a case of some serious defamation of character.
geetarplayer Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 If someone announced the erection of the same kind of monument portraying Phelps, I'm sure the Reverend would be singing a different tune. It doesn't matter your sexual preference, race, religion, or whatever... that kind of monument is wrong, no matter who the statue portrays. -Mark
geetarplayer Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 By the way, the down-side to online petitions is that people like "Beelzebub" (signature #3) can sign and get away with it. -Mark
willguy Posted October 11, 2003 Posted October 11, 2003 That's horrible. It was hate like that that killed Matthew Shepherd in the first place.
TempleofVesarius Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 that is just wrong... I will never understand how a person can live with that much hate in their heart. I'm not for homosexual activity, but you cant judge someones eternal place because of a single factor
immaculata Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 All I can say is.. Where is the love?? He should be praying for the soul of Matthew Shephard, not condeming him to hell. <_<
VeraMaria Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 All I can say is.. Where is the love?? He should be praying for the soul of Matthew Shephard, not condeming him to hell. AMEN!!
Norseman82 Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 I wasn't aware that just about anybody could erect a monument on public property......
musturde Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 I wonder how the parents are going to handle this.
Chrysologus Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 Funny that this should be here, because I just got back from a play called The Laramie Project in which that Baptist preacher is one of the characters. The play is about the death of Matthew Shepherd. Actually, some were expecting him to show up here at our school to protest the play, but he didn't. Supposedly he was protesting some other version of it elsewhere in Washington. I thought that I would mention that one of the characters in the play is the Catholic priest who put on the first candlelight vigil. His character was truly amesome, and the actor, who himself was gay, playing him found him to be very admirable. It was one more time I was glad to be a Catholic, although I'm also painfully aware Catholics have often been part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. All in all, it was an interesting play, although rather non-traditional.
hyperdulia again Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 I think Rev. Phelps is more honest than most "Christians" when it comes to homosexuality. He loudly and proudly proclaims that he has no compassion for gays and lesbians and that he thinks God hates us. There are many who share those opinions, but phrase it in prettier terms.
foundsheep Posted October 12, 2003 Posted October 12, 2003 What a Moron. That is so digusting for this guy to do. Who made him the judge. He just wrote his own ticket to hades.
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