12/11/2008
Westboro Baptist Wants Santa-Hating Sign in Washington Capitol
You may have heard about the atheist sign that was granted a permit, displayed, and then stolen from the Washington state capitol building earlier this year, for which Governor Christine Gregoire has been criticized.
MSNBC: A Gregoire spokesman said the office at one point was getting about 200 calls an hour, as well as e-mails, about the display. The governor and state attorney general's office then issued this statement: 'The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution's First Amendment, once government admits one religious display or viewpoint onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays, including the viewpoints of nonbelievers.' With a nod to the winter solstice in late December, the placard reads, in part: 'There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.' The foundation's co-president, Dan Barker, said it was important for atheists to offer their viewpoint alongside the overtly religious Nativity scene and a Christmas-style holiday tree at the Capitol Rotunda."
Now, the gay-hating, America-hating, everyone-hating Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas wants in on the action:
"The sign claims that 'God's hate' is to blame for the weak economy, that Santa is a child molester, and that the deaths of U.S. troops are somehow the fault of Santa."
For some reason, gays are left out of this one, although given their twisted logic, to the Phelps clan Santa is likely gay.
Said Steve Valandra, a spokesman for Washington's Department of General Administration, when e-mailed the text: "Holy cow. I guess we'll consider it like all the other requests."
I've posted a portion of the WBC's sign above. You can see the rest, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 11:47 AM EST by Andy in Fred Phelps, News, Shirley Phelps-Roper, Washington | Permalink
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it's kinda catchy.
Posted by: Shaun | Dec 11, 2008 12:05:19 PM
I say let RuPaul record it and let's break out the eggnog!
Posted by: Joe | Dec 11, 2008 12:12:05 PM
If I was a Hollywood movie producer, I'd be buying the rights to that. Sounds like a great horror movie.
Posted by: crispy | Dec 11, 2008 12:13:53 PM
they seem to have ramped up their technical prowess. this is of far better quality than most of what comes out of topeka.
Posted by: alguien | Dec 11, 2008 12:20:22 PM
Judging by his "holy cow' comment, I'd surmise Mr. Valandra is one of those golden-calf worshipping pagan types. Figures he'll be biased against this innocent expression of religious freedom.
Seriously, where do these wingnuts get their money from?!?!?!?
Posted by: Jay | Dec 11, 2008 12:20:41 PM
Unfortunate that this is a real belief of a psychotic, sick group of people.
What worse is that these fringe whack jobs will get air time and publicity for the effort.
Posted by: Rad | Dec 11, 2008 12:31:52 PM
The Santa on their sign looks a lot like Fred Phelps.
Posted by: Okie | Dec 11, 2008 12:32:17 PM
Crispy: That's hilarious, because my first thought was, "If I was the producer of Silent Night, Deadly Night, I'd sue Phelps for violation of intellectual (??!!) property."
Posted by: Red Seven | Dec 11, 2008 12:33:54 PM
In a really bizarre way, I don't see how "real Christians" can square the Santa Claus part of Christmas (Elves living in the North Pole with flying reindeer and magic and all that) with Christianity. Didn't the "real Christians" say the same sorts of things about Harry Potter? What is the difference between Santa Claus and his elves and Dumbledor and the kids at Harry's school? Really? I think it's all a lot of fun stories, but why is one evil (Harry Potter and magic wands) and the other Christian (Santa Claus, magic snowballs and flying reindeer)? I would really like to know.
Posted by: Mike | Dec 11, 2008 12:39:18 PM
Looks like the Phelps family will be getting coal in their stockings again this year.
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Dec 11, 2008 12:44:09 PM
OK, that's funny.
Posted by: ATLSteve | Dec 11, 2008 12:46:11 PM
This is so over the top it's funny. Marilyn Manson's probably downloading & printing this out for his Xmas card...along with 100,000 disaffected youth using it to update their facebook pages. I'm going to save it & fwd it around to a few peeps. It's hilarious!
Posted by: basis4insanity | Dec 11, 2008 12:57:39 PM
I'd have to say the Phelps' new carol is the best Christmas song I've ever encountered and possibly the only one I could ever bear listening to, so long as old hag Shirley Phelps doesn't have a solo part in it.
Posted by: peterparker | Dec 11, 2008 12:57:46 PM
I seriously doubt that will be displayed. Its inflammatory language, libel against ALL priests, disrespect to the fallen soldiers...it's just inappropriate for a display in a government building. If it had been a simple statement such as The WBB asks you to look past the make believe and asks you to believe in...whatever, then it might have been accepted. It certainly is one of the more creative posters by the WBB, but like everything else associated with that group, it reeks of bad taste. There's just no way to beautify hate. It's ugly and that's that.
Posted by: Joe | Dec 11, 2008 1:00:02 PM
These assholes are copy cats. They stole those images from the cover of the Christmas album of death metal darlings Beast Infection.
I keed I keed. This family is just becoming a farce. I'm surprised Christopher Guest hasn't made a funny mockumentary about it.
Posted by: Adam | Dec 11, 2008 1:04:54 PM
Sadly, Fred Phelps and his Klan are only about a degree or two crazier and more hateful than some of the most popular and revered "Christian" leaders (who have millions of followers) on the scene in America today.
Posted by: Zeke | Dec 11, 2008 1:08:03 PM
That's not the "jolly old elf" I remember...what a bunch of sick fucks.
Posted by: cognitive dissident | Dec 11, 2008 1:09:05 PM
I fully support the inclusion of this sign. In fact, it's hard for me to think of a way in which this sign is not completely awesome. In fact, I think I'd pay for an autographed copy.
Oh Phelpses... it's so hard for me to hate you when you are such a help to the causes of gay equality and secularism.
Posted by: Pender | Dec 11, 2008 1:25:16 PM
Will he be taking you to Hell on a crazy sleigh? (Nod to Ozzy, that was.)
Posted by: anon | Dec 11, 2008 1:59:41 PM
"going off the rails..."
Posted by: cognitive dissident | Dec 11, 2008 2:10:35 PM
Geeze..."rad" is right. Gramps Phelps most def was the model for the evil claus in this, this...whatever it is.I think we have to all stand back and think this through. These wingnut jobs are having the time of their life!...Not a one of them is worth a piss and they know it, so they infuriate and humiliate and all have a big laugh about it all. They are tragic losers with a voice that we keep ginving them. I mean look at them. Ugly-ass to the last inbred one of them. Merry Chrismas Phelps tribe...see all of you in hell.
Posted by: thom | Dec 11, 2008 2:29:53 PM
I wish they would have made it less blatantly offensive. It will be probably get rejected just for that fact.
If they had made it more presentable they could have started a real fight over government endorsing religious and philosophical viewpoints.
There shouldn't be any religion in the government building at all. The only reason FFRF posts their sign is because there are already Christian symbols there, so they do it to even the playing field. I believe their reasoning is, if we are going to be displaying religious symbols, we might as well make it fair and let everyone display one so we aren't endorsing one over the other.
What I wish would happen is that all religions start cramming the building with their symbols, and the stupid lawmakers finally realize they shouldn't be doing it at all and kick them all out.
Posted by: Eshto | Dec 11, 2008 2:39:38 PM
You are correct Zeke! Given our recent rollback in rights on November 4th, Phelps wasn't the only "crazy"! Perhaps he is simply saying what many do not have the guts to say to our face. At least we know who our enemies are...unfortunately that leaves so many more that are our neighbors, family and supposed friends that voted against us! I can always fight the devil that I know, and that would be Phelps!
Posted by: RB | Dec 11, 2008 3:19:59 PM
I fully support its inclusion, with a big, easily-readable sign in multiple languages accompanying it that says, "Courtesy Westboro Baptist Church."
This is, like, rabid hate on acid.
Posted by: AG | Dec 11, 2008 4:03:21 PM
On one hand, I hate the Westboro Baptist church (though I always feel sorry for the kids who have to grow up with that crap), but on the other hand, can you imagine having to live under that amount of pressure - God is an hate-filled, all-powerful, damning being - now, go out and live. I hope all the kids have therapy-funds started.
Posted by: J.P. | Dec 11, 2008 4:12:28 PM