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So, who are these guys? They are in the SPLC's (Southern Poverty Law Center's) list of hate-groups. Are they really a hate-group, or are they fakes like David J. Stewart?

They were a hate group but many of their members have left the church and their founder recently died. The SPLC doesn't list fake groups.

I seriously doubt that anyone takes them seriously.

Well to be fair to JH they were taken seriously enough for several states to pass laws about protesting funerals.

They were outright banned from Canada, and I think the UK as well.

Good. Hatred of people should not be justified.

They're still around unfortunately. Being as stupid as they can.

They're insane, but also a tiny minority, thankfully. I think that they get a disproportionate amount of media attention, which probably just encourages them.

Out of curiosity, Tiger, what do you mean by banned? Are the members themselves banned from Canada and the UK, or the church organization?

Edit: After visiting their website, wow, how can such a tiny organization have so many protests. They claim to have had over 53,000 pickets. Also:

0 - nanoseconds of sleep that WBC members lose over your opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings.

That's...interesting.

Specific members, I think, because the church planned to picket certain places there and the members were blocked from entry.

While I appreciate (and agree with) the general sentiment that feelings on issues are not nearly as important as what God commands of His people, that certainly does not give anyone the right to be disrespectful or inconsiderate of how others feel, considering that God certainly commands us to be kind and generous toward others.

They're obviously very confused people. I read somewhere that the daughter of Fred Phelps (the founder of the church) had her first child outside of marriage, despite the fact that she condemns anyone else who does so to hell. I'm glad that no one really takes them seriously, as they would be an awful example of Christians to the world. One Mr. Phelps's sons was so shaken by his experience with the church that he escaped from the family as a teenager and became and atheist. I can imagine how damaging it could be to grow up with that nonsense all around you. For the rest of us, however, they're just a bunch of clowns pretending to be Christians.