• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Is Fred Phelps a con artistr or a hate monger?

Is Fred Phelps a con artistr or a hate monger?


  • Total voters
    25

jamesrage

DP Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
36,705
Reaction score
17,867
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Slightly Conservative
Is Fred Phelps a con artistr or a hate monger?



Fred Phelps is a Con Man
Fred Phelps: Fag Hater or just a Con Artist? | Orange Juice
Its a Thought... // Westoboro Baptist Church - Are they con artists?
Fred Phelps awarded $16,510 in legal fees from dead soldier's father (updated) - Kansas City News - Plog



Fred Phelps Timeline | Southern Poverty Law Center
1974
Phelps files a $50-million class action suit against Sears after a local outlet is several days late delivering a television set. Litigation continues for six years and is eventually settled with Sears paying Phelps $126 — about $60 less than Phelps' son originally paid for the TV, which he never receives.


snip...


1983
Phelps files the first of three federal lawsuits against Washburn University Law School after three of his children are denied admission. The suit contends his children should be granted minority status, and thus benefit from affirmative action, because of their association with their father's "civil rights" legal work.

A later suit switches the argument, alleging reverse discrimination because Phelps' children are white. All are dismissed in 1986.


1984
Phelps sues President Ronald Reagan for sending an ambassador to the Vatican, alleging violations of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.


1985
Nine federal judges in Kansas sign a disciplinary complaint against Phelps, five of his children and a daughter-in-law, alleging the seven made false accusations against the judges.

In a separate complaint, Phelps, still practicing in federal court, will be censured in 1987 for writing abusive letters this year to potential defendants threatening lawsuits if his demands were not met.


snip...


1993
Shawnee County District Attorney Joan Hamilton begins to bring battery, assault and other charges — including eight counts of criminal defamation — against WBC members for a litany of alleged picket line abuses.

After Phelps responds by filing the first of three suits against Hamilton alleging wrongful prosecution, a court invalidates the state defamation statute, enjoins further prosecution of WBC members in the cases, and awards $43,000 in legal fees to the church.

snip...

1997
Claiming the city has not done enough to protect WBC picketers, Phelps threatens to sue Topeka if he is not paid $1 million. When the city demurs, Phelps sues for $7 million.





1978
In one of several civil rights cases filed by Phelps, an area school district pays almost $9,000 to Evelyn Rene Johnson (and over $10,000 in legal fees to Phelps) to settle a discrimination case.

Another Phelps case results in a settlement for blacks who were illegally searched by police at a party.

In 1986 and 1987, Phelps will receive three awards for his civil rights cases, including one bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.




Does he really believe what he spews or is this nothing more than a scam for money? I think he is a con artist and nothing more.
 
Is there some reason he can't be both?

Personally, I think he cons people to finance his hate-mongering.
 
I neither know nor care.

Perhaps one day we'll get to protest at Fred Phelps' funeral with a sign that says GOD HATES FRED PHELPS or THANK GOD FOR A DEAD FRED.
I prefer the message from here.
God Hates Fred Phelps.

...well, not really. In fact, we don't even hate Fred Phelps, and we certainly don't presume to speak for God at all.

What we do know is that we are gay, straight, bi, Latino, Southern, Asian-Americans, of German ancestry, Boston Irish, forty something, twenty something, Catholic, Atheist, Jewish, heavyset, athletic, legally blind, hearing-impaired, tall, short, masculine, gender-neutral, feminine, transgender, polyamorous, monogamous, married, single, parents, children, professionals, students, singers, dancers, web designers, janitors, teachers, artists, aspiring rock stars, taxpayers, sisters, brothers, neighbors, friends, and lovers, who won't stand for intolerance, hatred, and violence against the people we love.
 
How come cult leader is not an option?
 
Is Fred Phelps a con artistr or a hate monger?

Does he really believe what he spews or is this nothing more than a scam for money? I think he is a con artist and nothing more.

Probably a little bit of both. I bet he's making a purdy good salary off this scam.
 
Perhaps one day we'll get to protest at Fred Phelps' funeral with a sign that says GOD HATES FRED PHELPS or THANK GOD FOR A DEAD FRED.

I would prefer that protesters hold a sign that says Satan is now butt ****ing Fred at his funeral.
 
You know what would be the bee's knees?

Phelps used to be a civil rights lawyer. What if he doesn't hate gays at all or crave attention or do it for the lawyers fees (many of his children are lawyers, after all), but organizes these displays of inhumanity and then fights the inevitable legislative responses in order to ensure First Amendment protections for everybody?

Let's face it, every single time Phelps succeeds in putting on his show, it is a blow struck for freedom of speech.


TED,
Not a Phelps fan, just indulging his inner conspiracy theorist.
 
From what I've read about Fred Phelps, he was one of the first lawyers in Kansas to fight for the civil rights of blacks. However his stance on homosexuality and religion is quite scary but not alien to the Protestant tradition in the South. If anything I would call Fred Phelps a paleo-paleo-conservative (that's two paleo). This type of conservative would be characterized by support for the rights of minorities, a clearly Protestant view of morality and life and rejection of social Darwinism.
 
Last edited:
Both, for sure.
 
I think he's a soulless bigot that has way to much free time on his hands.
 
My understanding is that they make their living suing people or entities which act against them.

11 of his kids are lawyers, and he used to be one himself. They don't even have to sue for money, they just have to win and then collect reasonable legal fees.
 
Which makes us no better than he is.

I disagree. What Fred Pleps and his family do is purely for greed. He literally makes a living off of it. If sometime soon Fred croaked and we went down there to protest his funeral it would be for payback and to put the shoe on his family's foot, which more noble that protesting at funerals so you can file lawsuits..
 
Last edited:
My understanding is that they make their living suing people or entities which act against them.

11 of his kids are lawyers, and he used to be one himself. They don't even have to sue for money, they just have to win and then collect reasonable legal fees.

Who determines what these legal fees are? Perhaps these legal fees should be limited.
 
If memory serves, it's established under law and managed by the judge.

Then couldn't this be changed so that it is not profitable for the Phelps clan to run around protesting at funerals and suing?
 
Personally I think Fred Phelps must be one of the most sexually frustrated and confused persons on this planet.

To commit your entire life to hatred of this kind, means somewhere along the line, either he was gay, or someone was gay with him.

Hate like this doesn't come from no where, it is grown from something.

Where it came from is anyones guess, since his early life is surely a well kept secret. Perhaps he's a victim of some kind of, male on male sexual assault, or perhaps a self loather, who was brought up to believe that gays were the worst thing ever, and when he discovered he was one, his only response was this.

It's difficult to say. At the end of the day I actually pity him, to dedicate your life to hate is not something I ever wish to do. Must be a pretty lonely existence.

Really I couldn't care less, he's made his choice now, the only shame is the kids that have to grow up in his hateful cult.
 
Last edited:
Then couldn't this be changed so that it is not profitable for the Phelps clan to run around protesting at funerals and suing?

Yes and no. It's possible, but not necessarily practical. You couldn't turn off the spigot for Phelps & Co. without affecting everybody else.
 
Back
Top Bottom