God Hates Westboro Baptist Church

By Justin Edwards

Westboro Baptist Church is in the news again after threatening to picket the funeral of 9-year old Christina Taylor-Green, who was among six victims shot and killed by Jared Loughner in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. It is now being reported this Independent Baptist Church will not picket the funeral of Taylor-Green in return for air-time in the media.

WBC is known for their hateful demonstrations at military funerals and other funerals of note. From their website, godhatesfags.com, WBC explains the content of their picketing on the About Us page:

WBC engages in daily peaceful sidewalk demonstrations opposing the homosexual lifestyle of soul-damning, nation-destroying filth. We display large, colorful signs containing Bible words and sentiments, including: GOD HATES FAGS, FAGS HATE GOD, AIDS CURES FAGS, THANK GOD FOR AIDS, FAGS BURN IN HELL, GOD IS NOT MOCKED, FAGS ARE NATURE FREAKS, GOD GAVE FAGS UP, NO SPECIAL LAWS FOR FAGS, FAGS DOOM NATIONS, THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS, FAG TROOPS, GOD BLEW UP THE TROOPS, GOD HATES AMERICA, AMERICA IS DOOMED, THE WORLD IS DOOMED, etc. (capital letters original)

While there are indeed many things that God hates, some of which can be found in the article I Hate Green Beans, He does not command us anywhere in Scripture to condemn people for their sinful behavior nor to take advantage of grieving families. On the contrary, this is what God expects of us when engaging lost people:

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, - 1 Peter 3:15

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. - Colossians 4:5-6

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. - Ephesians 4:29

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. - 1 Timothy 1:5

All speech should flow from our mouths with the purpose of drawing people to Christ through the Gospel. This is not done by rude, insidious behavior. The charades of these moralistic Pharisees manifest no fruit of the Spirit and I hesitate to consider these people born again Christians. Though they profess the doctrines of grace, they seem to be more of the hyper-Calvinistic type.

If you are someone who has been offended by the hateful actions of these professing Christians, please know they by no means represent the heart of God and the heart of the Body of Christ. Yes, God does hate sin and we as Christians must condemn sin for what it is (unholy offense against a holy God), but God also calls all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel. Yes, our lifestyle as Christians is to be separate from an unholy world (2 Corinthians 6:14), but that does not mean we are to hate those from whom we are to separate. On the contrary, we are to share the truth with them in love (Ephesians 4:15) in hopes they might come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are from WBC and you happened across this article, your actions are antithetical to what Scripture teaches of biblical Christianity. I call you to repent from these hateful actions. What you are doing is an offense against God for it tarnishes the reputation of His Church - His True Church who is called to

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. - Ephesians 4:2

Anything that offends God, He hates. God hates what you are doing and what WBC represents. It is detestable to Him. I call you to fall on your face before Almighty God and plead with Him to forgive you of these deplorable acts against your neighbors and your enemies. Every time you open your mouths online, in the media, and at funerals, you are breaking the second greatest commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Repent and believe in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will shine His light, love, and grace through you so you can be the true salt of the earth.

For more information on Westboro Baptist Church from a biblical perspective, please see the following articles from CARM and gotquestions:

Westboro Baptist Church

Does God Hate Fags?