Fred Phelps, the founding pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, known for its virulently anti-gay protests at public events, died Wednesday, the church said today. He was 84.
Phelps founded Westboro Baptist of Topeka, Kansas, in 1955 and molded it in his fire-and-brimstone image. Many members of the small congregation are related to Phelps through blood or marriage. According to the church's website, it has picketed more than 53,000 events, ranging from Lady Gaga concerts to funerals for slain U.S. soldiers. Typically, a dozen or so church members - including small children - brandish signs that say "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World News Now Discussion List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/wnndl. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
