--- The following is from the May 2 edition of "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer on CNN. I urge you to read it and my commentary that follows:
WOLF BLITZER: For many families and others, it's an appalling act, going to the funerals of service members killed in Iraq to cheer their deaths. Can you believe this? But the group staging them is finding some support.
Let's get some details. This is an amazing story. Brian Todd is standing by -- Brian.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that support comes on the ever precarious grounds of free speech. Now, if any group could ever test the bounds of the First Amendment, it's the Westborough Baptist Church.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): They show up and shock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every dead soldier coming home is a punishment from the lord, your god.
TODD: At the funerals of service members killed in Iraq, these folks condemn the dead and their families.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are a hell-bound minister of Satan.
TODD: Followers of the Kansas-based Westborough Baptist Church have been crisscrossing the U.S., protesting at more than 150 funerals of service members. They believe god is killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq to punish America for tolerating homosexuality.
They've caused such a disruption that more than two dozen states are either trying to pass laws restricting the movement of the protesters or have already passed them. There's a proposal in Congress for a federal law restricting their movement in national cemeteries.
But the Westborough Baptist Church now has a powerful ally. The American Civil Liberties Union is filing suit to challenge Kentucky's new law.
LILI LUTGENS, ACLU: What is important here is that the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of everyone, and that includes those whose message we dislike, that we find offensive.
TODD: The father of one U.S. soldier killed in Iraq whose funeral was picketed by the church, as well as veterans group leaders, say their friends and loved ones died to protect freedom of speech. But this lawsuit...
JOE DAVIS, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS: It infuriates us. When you have some people that are out there just spreading this hate and prejudice and hiding behind the First Amendment to do so, it's something that's just not right. It doesn't sit well with, I would pretty much bet, most of Americans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Like it or not, Westborough won't stop. One church leader told me they are heading to Michigan this weekend to protest at two soldiers' funerals. Michigan lawmakers are trying to pass one of those restriction laws, but it hasn't passed yet -- Wolf.
BLITZER: What a story. Brian, thanks for that. Brian Todd reporting.
(C) CNN. Read the entire transcript at CNN.com.
***
THE FOLLOWING IS SOLELY THE OPINION OF TONEY ATKINS AND IS NOT TO IMPLY THAT CNN OR ANY NEWS ORGANIZATION AGREES:
"God does not reject people. Neither do we." -- TV ad for the United Church of Christ.
The advertisement for the United Church of Christ has to be seen to be appreciated, and I have to admit that I see the truth, tragedy and humor in it that actually makes me feel like going to church.
All of us should know the words of Jesus in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." That expressly means ALL, not just some, human beings. Unfortunately, many of us committed it to memory by rote because we had to and we do not always truly understand the simplicity of Jesus' message to us while He was in human form on earth. The commercial promotes that truth.
Then, I see on the news scenes of members the Baptist church named in the relatively brief CNN news piece who use an outrageous philosophy in preaching against the Iraq War by violating the mourning process of families and friends at funeral services for loved ones who have died in that war.
The video clips in the "Situation Room" report were tame compared to those that were televised several months ago, but there were still glimpses of the signs these people carry that bear the word "faggot" and other terms of bigotry that have nothing to do with the soldiers and their families, the troops who are valiantly doing their jobs in the conflict and the reasons for the war itself.
If you see one of the news tapes, look into the crazed eyes of these "religious" hate-mongers and listen to the venom of their speech. If one believed in demon possession, one would almost have to believe that this small group of alleged "Christians" is indeed possessed.
Their terrible tirades are causing even greater heartache for the dead soldiers' survivors and casting a bad reflection on religious institutions, most of whom have publicly disassociated themselves from these blatant hypocrites.
The "church" claims that the troops are dying because of their allegation that the United States condones homosexuality and that God is punishing the nation. With this apparently being their central reason for the protests, they have been recorded as hatefully calling all troops "faggots" and "queers" and saying that the soldiers deserve to die. Bull.... er, hogwash! What on earth is this group's agenda, and what insane asylum does it represent?
First, there apparently have been homosexuals on earth ever since Adam and Eve got thrown out of the Garden of Eden for eating that apple and they started to begat and begat and begat.
In all the wars men have fought since the beginning of time, it's only logical to believe that there were homosexuals fighting beside heterosexuals and bisexuals on both sides, so who was God punishing then?
This group calls itself a Christian church, but are these folks still living in the Old Testament? Many Americans do NOT openly condone homosexuality and that a known practicing homosexual would probably not be allowed to be a member of most churches or even be sincerely welcomed to worship in their sanctuaries -- even though the doors are always open to secret adulterers, cheats, wife-or-husband beaters and child abusers.
The difference is that however most Christian churches may believe, their members do not stage obscene, name-calling protests at military funerals.
To label our troops as this single Baptist church is doing is abysmal and totally un-Christian, according to all of the Bibles I've read. To imply that the soldiers of our nation are being punished for a single lifestyle is beyond being outrageous. Now, if they wanted to focus on the alleged untruths and corruption that got us into this war, I might be a little more understanding -- but I seriously doubt it.
The funeral of anyone who has died in battle so that this group might have its freedom of speech deserves respect, not only for the person who gave his or her life, but for the survivors as well.
Instead, this one church stages its protests with vile signs and language directed toward the families at the scenes of such funerals. I'm in no position to judge, but when this group reaches the Pearly Gates, I'm afraid its members could find the gates locked and a detour sign pointing downhill to a hotter climate.
I am a firm believer in freedom of speech, but it has its place and time. I was astounded to learn that the American Civil Liberties Union is supporting this group that is beyond being simply annoying. I shudder to think this is the depth to which our nation has dropped and the direction in which it seems to be going.
I admire and appreciate true Christians who practice their faith, especially in the real world before and after the church services they attend. I rejoice with them in their joy of trying to live the words that Jesus Himself preached.
I particularly admire the religious institutions that have denounced this hateful group that mars the lives of innocents and attempts in un-Godly ways to disgrace the dead. Do these fanatics deliver God's message? I think not.
As the United Church of Christ promotion says: "God does not reject people. Neither do we."
(P.S. And Lord, I'm working really hard to forgive these maniacs about whom I've written. Help me, please, because I'm really ticked off at them!)
(c) 2006, Toney Atkins
No comments:
Post a Comment