Today at work we had a conversation about the news articles highlighting the intention of members of the fanatical Westboro Baptist Church to protest at the funeral of 22 year old Tim McLean who was brutally killed on a Greyhound bus just outside of Portage La Prairie ...The story says that the folks (including the daughter of the church founder Fred Phelps) are going to protest at the funeral because McLean's death was a "gift from God" to condemn Canada's tolerance of homosexuality, abortion and our general moral decay as a country ... (to read more (IF YOU HAVE TO) click here)
There was a feeling of revulsion and horror ... and as one with a background in Church, I could only throw up my hands and say - "this is NOT anything I could ever support ..."
Our conversation then turned to the negative things that have been attributed to the Internet and surfing the web ... one of my co-workers said - "it's sad, because these whackos get an audience of like minded whackos, instead of being the resident town nut case ... they find each other ..."
I had to agree ... but then I also considered the many positives of the Internet ... where hurting people can find a cyber-community ... where new friendships can be formed ... and where ideas and knowledge is shared and passed on and the world improves because GOOD is being sought and shared and passed on ...
For me personally I have used the internet to find old friends, and to create friendships with new friends ... I have witnessed the incredible swell of support that can come in the wake of a tragedy as this medium carries the wave of news outwards and returns with ebb flow of support and prayers ... and in the wake of being shunned and isolated by a community and by people I once called friends - this medium became my life line that helped pull me from the cesspool that was destroying me to a safe place away from the toxicity ...
So, I can't condemn the internet nor the world wide web ... it has brought me back in contact with old friends and it has given me several new friends whom I cherish and rely on for their support and care ... like a wise old Canuck once said - "the medium is the message" ... the Internet is what you chose to make of it ... if you want it to be a place of darkness and hate where whackos meet and plan - it will be ... or if you want it to be a place of light and grace where people searching for meaning can find strength and ultimately community (community in the church forms when we share communion - a common meal together where we stand vulnerable and open and in turn become strong) ...
It is what you chose to let it be ... and I chose to let it be a place of love, care and most of all FRIENDSHIP ...
And tonight I pray that God WILL work in mysterious ways, and prevent the Westboro people from spreading their venom into our TOLERANT nation ...
Tonight I'm proud to be a Canadian for many reasons ... our acceptance of Gays and Lesbians ranks pretty high in my check list though !!!!
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Stay home Ms Phelps-Roper - we don't need your ignorant bullshit in our nation, we have enough yahoos of our own to deal with !!!!
4 comments:
What is outstanding to me about the philosophy is that it is all right to behead, maim, kill but not to be gay.
How would they support that with scripture?
Nuts!!
I cringe every time someone mentions the Phelps' family name in the same sentence as 'church'.
This kind of bigoted diatribe has no place in dialogue. I think the only thing that bugs me more than the fact that these people exist is the fact that the media and others actually give them publicity, which they obviously crave.
If people stopped paying attention to them, they would fade away.
Can you say...
CULT????
Thank God I met a Canadian!
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