When Morals and Ideology Clash
By Doug Hagin (02/21/06)
Principles can be very easy to announce and avow. They can also be amongst the most difficult things to stick to when they begin to conflict with your moral code of values. On one hand, it is very easy to say you support freedom of religious expression. It may prove quite difficult, however, to morally defend someone worshipping Satan. If you can at once, condemn, on a moral basis, the depravity of worshipping evil, and also defend the freedom to do it you are a consistent person who refuses to allow your morals, that is the manner in which you live your life, to override your ideal that everyone has an inherent freedom to live as they choose.
It is also very tough, and requires much reflection and thought to decide where a specific freedom ends. An example would be my firm moral belief that Homosexuality is not normal, and violates the laws of nature. Yet I also am vehemently opposed to sodomy laws because this is an ar! ea where individuals, without any interference from any governmental body, must be allowed to decide how they conduct their lives.
Likewise, there is another issue which has me questioning the boundaries of not only my moral and ideological codes, but exactly how much, if any limits might fairly be placed upon our freedom of speech. This is a very emotional issue, frankly I cannot think of a more contentious and controversial topic than protesting at someone’s funeral. Particularly, protesting against America and our soldiers at the funerals of our service men and women.
Yet that is exactly what a very small, and in my view, very despicable bunch of miscreants are doing across America. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas first made their mark by attending funerals of AIDS victims holding signs, which read “God Hates Fags”. Real classless scumbags we are talking about here. Now this group of fanatics is bringing similar tactics to the funerals of Ame! rican Soldiers killed in battle.
Holding signs proclaiming, “God Hates America”, “Thank God for IED’s”, Improvised Explosive devices, and “Don’t Pray for the USA” these bastards are showing up at funeral services for soldiers, who have given their lives in service for America. Oddly enough, these soldiers have also paid the ultimate price to defend the right of these miscreants to act in such a cowardly and frankly un-Christian manner.
The group, which has about 75 members, likely with an aggregate IQ of about 15, claims they are holding these protests because, in the words of Shirley Phelps-Roper, God struck down these soldiers because they were fighting for a country that harbors Homosexuals and adulterers. On the website of this vermin, you can visit and, if your blood pressure can take it, see photos of flag-draped caskets with the caption underneath reading “This is the picture America deserves”.
You can also go there and see, prominently displayed, the number of service people killed so far, 2,252, underneath this the Westboro sub-humans announce proudly that they pray for the number to be 222, 252! Now, by now, if you are like me, you are likely ready to grab one of these evil monsters and bash their face in. Nothing can be more disgusting than this sort of vile hatred can, especially when it is aimed at American soldiers. When you also consider how much grief and pain such hatred must cause the family and friends of these brave soldiers, you are probably sickened by the dastardly nature of these people’s blackened souls.
They are sick, twisted, demented, evil and in no way represent Christianity and its positive message of hope, love, forgiveness, and of course redemption. Also on their site, this group also announces proudly that Ronald Reagan and Reggie White are burning in Hell, that God laughed on 9-11, and that George W. Bush is our pervert-in-chief. Quite a group of fanatics there to say! the least.
Now the legislatures of several states are considering legislation, which bans protests from disturbing those attending the funerals to mourn and bury their loved ones. This is a very touchy subject. Now morally speaking there is zero debate over whether or not the activities of this group of evil people right or wrong. They are as wrong as they can be. The question which now must be debated is whether such a bill, placing restrictions on time, or place of such a protest is or is not allowable under our Constitution.
This is not such an easy question. Again we must ask ourselves, without emotional attachment, can we allow a restriction on freedom of speech? Surely I believe that a funeral should never be the place for such a disruption. Let the family and friends mourn, let them alone and, say what you will later. That is a moral belief, and not necessarily a legal one though.
Certainly I feel any limit on our Constitutional rights! can not be allowed. Unless, that is, it infringes upon someone else. This is a long accepted standard which I think we all should be able to agree with. Now the question is do these protests unduly infringe on the rights of the grieving loved ones. I must say that is a difficult question. I must say I cannot answer that one.
I will say though the Westboro bunch should expect that if they persist in their moral depravations they can only expect an enraged, father, brother, or friend to introduce them to the term “fighting words”. So, let me conclude this way, yes this group has a right to protest, but along with that right there comes a responsibility to accept the possible consequences for their deplorable behavior. So, let them continue to protest, but if it costs them a much-deserved butt whipping, let me remind them of a saying found in the Bible. You reap what you sow! Can I get an AMEN?
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