Illegal To Hurt Your Feelings?

[whoami]

Originally Posted by missourimary

Here is more:
Westboro Baptist Church pastor and founder Fred Phelps and members of his congregation picketed Matthew's funeral, holding signs expressing anti-gay, anti-American, and anti-Catholic slogans, including "God hates you" and "You're going to hell."

Westboro Baptist Church also posted an essay on its website entitled "The Burden of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder." In the essay, statements indicated that Albert and his wife “raised [Matthew] for the devil,” “RIPPED that body apart and taught Matthew to defy his Creator, to divorce, and to commit adultery,” “taught him how to support the largest pedophile machine in the history of the entire world, the Roman Catholic monstrosity,” and “taught Matthew to be an idolator.”
http://www.citmedialaw.org/threats/snyder-v-phelps

At what point is something stated in the name of religion wrong? Should someone be able to issue false or misleading statements verbally or in writing about someone else in the name of religion? Could statements like the ones quoted above be considered persecution of another religion (Catholicism)?

Turning the tables, would you accept homosexuals coming to boycott a family funeral, holding signs that state "America hates Apostolics," and "Holy rollers to hell"? If groups of homosexuals came and held a demonstration in blatantly homosexual clothing and actions, in front of your church, would that be free speech? What if the most dearly loved child in your church just died of a sudden illness or injury and they came with signs saying that you killed that child? Free speech or not?

Our church was vandalized a few years ago. I remember the shock of seeing the words emblazoned on the wood and stone, how invaded we felt that our church would be damaged as it was. The vandalism cost hours of labor, but little expense to clean up. Was it vandalism, or simply someone exercising their right to free speech, to write "go to hell" or worse across our front doors?

The damage Phelps is doing doesn't cost more than the vandalism to our building did, outwardly. But the damage is there and has been done, all the same. A funeral is a sacred, one time event. How many times has someone lost a loved one and felt so encouraged when others told the person what a beautiful funeral it was and how well they did in "sending off" the loved one? How wrong to take a person's sacred time of mourning or celebration of a life lived and destroy it for personal gain and notoriety... especially in the name of religion.

It's wrong in so many ways. It's horrible, and sick. I just don't know that it's illegal.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by whoami

I really despise that church... they're close to my husband's base and have protested at the funerals of some of the men from his base who died in Iraq.

*sigh* However, I can't support legislation against their right to protest because I'm afraid of more precedent's being set against free speech. That's the way my husband and I feel about it.. but we're not happy about it.

You know, it's banned books week at the library and they sure applaud free speech there! Sex, drugs and rock and roll for all the kiddies from elementary school to adulthood!

I'd like to see balance for both things. I don't think they should be able to protest within earshot of a funeral. But I think they have the right to protest.

On the flipside, I think they should ban some of these books from school libraries and leave the stuff in public libraries if the parents and/or kids are hell-bent on reading some of it. What irks me is when this stuff is REQUIRED reading in schools.

Okay, that's a little off the subject.....but, I think moderate limits while allowing freedom is a pretty good policy.

[missourimary]

I think a group of people should boycott Westboro. Now, that would be fun... and one of the only pickets I'd ever participate in. But they'd probably sue for invasion of privacy or something...

[ILG]

Originally Posted by missourimary

I think a group of people should boycott Westboro. Now, that would be fun... and one of the only pickets I'd ever participate in. But they'd probably sue for invasion of privacy or something...

We had some university students die here a few years ago. Westboro came and had signs saying they deserved to die because they were gay. I didn't even know they were gay until all that. Anyway, the whole town was against them.

[whoami]

Originally Posted by missourimary

I think a group of people should boycott Westboro. Now, that would be fun... and one of the only pickets I'd ever participate in. But they'd probably sue for invasion of privacy or something...

I'd help picket Westboro!! Definitely. I despise them.

[whoami]

Originally Posted by ILG

We had some university students die here a few years ago. Westboro came and had signs saying they deserved to die because they were gay. I didn't even know they were gay until all that. Anyway, the whole town was against them.

They may not have even been gay, I think Westboro takes any opportunity to picket and say whatever they want. They picketed the funeral of a man from my husband's military base.

[missourimary]

Originally Posted by whoami

They may not have even been gay, I think Westboro takes any opportunity to picket and say whatever they want. They picketed the funeral of a man from my husband's military base.

Very true. And no one can sue for slander because you can't really slander a dead person, I guess, or sue for slander in a dead person's behalf.

The saddest part to me is that these people are being verbally abused and harassed by someone they never even met, don't agree with the teachings on... people have been sued for slander and defamation. Pastors have lost slander cases even if the people were former members-and rightfully so. But Phelps somehow wins even though the people were not members... if the SC rules that Phelps is within his rights, will pastors (and others) be able to stand up and say whatever they want about whomever they want, whether it's true or false, just because they feel like saying it or saying it benefits them personally? Phelps said that Snyder raised his son for the devil. He said he taught him idolatry. He said his son was in hell, and thanked God for that young Marine's death. Are the first two statements not slander-especially the first? But he will say that is his religious belief and so he can say it if he wants. Well, there are people who religiously believe things about me that aren't true, too. Do they have the right to say those things, true or not, just because they feel like saying them?

[ILG]

Originally Posted by whoami

They may not have even been gay, I think Westboro takes any opportunity to picket and say whatever they want. They picketed the funeral of a man from my husband's military base.

My daughter went to the university and told me they were gay. What I would like to know is how did Westboro know they were gay??!!

[Jermyn Davidson]

Where is the mind of the Supreme Court concerning this case?

Read below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101006/ts_csm/330627_1

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Where is the mind of the Supreme Court concerning this case?

Read below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101006/ts_csm/330627_1

well, I'm not a lawyer or a judge and I certainly don't like what those Baptists are doing but I believe they have a right to do it.