My thoughts exactly.

I don't believe in an afterlife but if there is a moment of silence at my funeral so help me I will find whoever is responsible and haunt the shit out of them. Nothing classic mind you like tradition scary ghost stuff, no. Instead I'll make the phone ring every time you sit down to take a crap or open the blinds when you are walking through the house naked so that your neighbors can see how fat and pathetic you are. MUHAHAHAHA!

I actually just heard about some rumors that he had been excommunicated by his own church shortly before his death. Not sure how much truth there is to this. It sure would be funny though.

I also agree with you regarding celebrations at a funeral. I think most people look at it just the wrong way: You're not celebrating someone's death, but quite on the opposite, you're celebrating their life - it's still the common way to end a funeral here in Austria. Sure, when you're at the graveyard, and the coffin is put into the ground, everybody's sad and cries, but afterward the entire funeral party goes to a restaurant wher they drink, eat, laugh and tell stories about the deceased. We call that a "Leichenschmaus" (="corpse feast")

The tradition of celebratory remembrance instead of effusive mourning is making inroads here, thankfully, where it is indeed called a Celebration Of Life. We held one for my step-father when he passed away last year, and it was as positive an experience as such a thing could be. Old connections were renewed, distant family reunited, and great stories about him were swapped. He would have loved it himself.

Yeah, that's how it should be, and that's how I've experienced all funerals myself. I think people who want the mourning to be sad and despaired don't deserve a funeral at all. I mean, if you want your loved ones to be unhappy after your death, you're kind of a shitty human being.

Well said.

I am aware there are some cultures where a public display of mourning is a way of venerating the dead, sort of showing how important they are by the devastating impact of their loss. That some of these same cultures also have mourners-for-hire show that the purpose of this display can be other than remembrance. I'd rather not be the kind of person who wants (or worse, needs) to have people hired to miss me.

You're right of course, and I don't wanna be disrespectful to other cultures. It's of course okay to be sad and to grieve. people here do that too, of course. But it's more or less restricted to the church and cemeteries - as soon as you leave those premises, the mood of the people usually lifts - if it's different in other cultures that's okay too, I guess (even though I wouldn't like it), but I just think the person who is dying shouldn't want people to be suicidal after his death.

To tell a bit about my personal life, the most beautiful funeral I've been to was a bit over two years ago, when the father of my best friend died - he didn't have a lot of family, but he had a ton of really good friends who really loved him, and it was pretty much the only funeral I've been to, where you got the impression that every single person was there not because they felt obligated to come, but because they wanted to give him the last good bye. I felt that this is how every funeral should be, because even though it was a sad moment, I actually have fond memories of it.

I disagree. I think the people who want "loved ones" to be sad after they are dead, simply want who those loved ones to show some appreciation. They want their loved ones to show some love. It's not too much to ask. Is it too much to ask to have people be sad for a short time after you die, if you were a decent human being? No. If people can get drunk and dance at your funeral, then obviously you weren't loved...

Did you try to do something for the persons who were persecuted by this individual, or you but contented yourself with a dance over the grave just now?

I think you know what I wish to point out.

So this man is a bigot and a gay-hater ... but if there be God, I think he only needs to be pointed out the lack of godliness in his ways to suffer the realization he was for hate over human compassion.

If there be not (God), now it is too late to dance upon his grave as it is meaningless. Did you act as he breathed still to be in honour of your actions?

Edit: Grammar and adding (God) on the last paragraph.

Well, @OP since you ask then yes, you should be more respectful about one's death, if only to not follow that man's lead in hating..

Also, people please make no mistake, this is no official Christian Church, but an unaffiliated, twisted hate group!

On topic, the worst I can say is, good riddance, for "preaching" wrong views.. The Biblical God hates sin(s), not "fags". Peace.

Edit : I'll post that as an edit to not bump that hell of a thread, not giving it more attention than it deserves..

Troll, or..? While the reject of homosexuality as a practice and behavior by God for us, His Children and People willing to follow, to trust and obey Jesus-Christ is truely Biblical, the reject of homosexuals as human persons is not permitted, at least in the Church not under certain conditions nonetheless applicable to ALL people (read below) and anyway should, MUST NEVER BE DONE by and within our civil societies (with the exception of convicted criminals..), something which is also "as God intended", as I will explain below..

Yes, indeed Saint Paul in Scriptures, inspired by God to voice His Will DO recommend to exclude self-professed and "seasoned", unrepentant sinners from a true Christian community, ie "fake Christians" which potentially includes certain homosexuals, as a RIGHT measure to take against corruption from within and the currently WORST possible punishment for and by Christians, to HOPEFULLY lead them to experience a Godly shame and guilt, calling them further to TRUE repentence, BUT ONLY IN SUCH A CASE the person obviously do not (want to) find their sin to be a sin over time getting carefully taught, by that proving they willingly refuse the Authority of God over themselves about right and wrong, and / or are objectively ill intended against God's WILL, in this specific situation persons AWARE of God's Verdict about homosexuality, the ACTUALLY WRITTEN one not the all too convenient "gay theology" interpretive lies, with STILL no intention to leave their lifestyle for God, and / or as certain homosexual advocates / activists from lobbies, more often than not pushing for illegitimate "rights" and the widespread of their lifestyle(s).. Then yes such a person is not welcome to any TRUE Church, ie based on and fed by the Word of God because what will they do there, refusing to aknowledge they are sinners by the Law, the first MANDATORY step before coming by Faith to Christ for Redemption.. Not sorry to say, as it is so politically incorrect, it's getting rare to read the Truth!

Anyone blaming me of homophobia now for stating this, I've dealt in depth with this accusation in another thread, as i wrote there, BRING IT ON, PROVE me guilty of wrongdoing with CLEAR EVIDENCE, or LEAVE IT! Mind if I label you Christophobe or heterophobe, then to know the feeling of false claims..? I don't have any dog in this fight, no benefit to gratuitous, malevolent "gay bashing" like this Westboro "church" is having, but I'm here sharing with CHARITY and COURAGE the Gospel for the glory of God, if that's worthy of blame, be my guest.. Period.

We must never forget this Truth among many others, that we are all sinners equally before God, in desperate need of His Grace for our Salvation.. As Christians, we are urged to not pass any (serious) judgment on people living outside of our own communities, and that MUST be done with kindness and respect ALWAYS, by correcting, "disciplining" the believer(s) how to carry themselves in holiness, because this is the goal at aim and ultimately our universal vocation as human beings, to develop and live a LOVING relationship with God HERE AND NOW, at the known risk of "going to Hell" to face the "bad" side of Eternal Life separated from God through suffering, by refusing His Ways permanently.. So yes, there is some Truth in the claims this man Fred Phelps is actually stating but he does it in a demeaning manner and with deceitful motives and ends, anyway..

For the global image and balance of reality as a Christian believer, God is the absolute Good, Christ speaks for the Salvation of each and every human being, no exceptions and the Bible Scriptures are His REVEALED, God-breathed Word written for us to learn God's PERFECT rules and consequences, their ethical and moral values as the objective Right. The Bible is clear, the World (a Biblical term for our human societies and governments) as we know it is totally under the control of the Devil.. This "order of things" is "as God intended", with the World accepting, promoting as "good" and "right" what the Church (a Biblical term for the community of believers as a whole, not just the Roman Catholic one, and this is the only proper way to identify unbelievers or "fake" ones from true, obedient believers / Churches of Christ) is denouncing and rejecting as "bad" and "wrong" in term of moral values, behaviors and lifestyles, and vice versa.. A proof the World is as it is supposed to be and that for a higher purpose, and everyone ultimately being where they belong..

Now, when you, we make a culture and a "pride", a lifestyle of practicing what is clearly identified as a sin, ie any sexuality foreign to the Biblical Marriage of a man with a woman (libertine sex, homosexuality, etc..) then yeah, it is purposely standing against God, digging an addiction that will more than likely destroy you, us without a radical change and the help of God, it must be said with Truth.. Though, we are to love our "enemies" and all things considered, it is still their freedom, and whatever their reason(s) are or at worst, excuse(s) for irresponsibility, it is their right and decision to follow their own will and desires instead of the design of their bodies / genders by God's Word.

I still trust that many homosexual people, or rather homophiles because they try to handle, to tame their temptations, are struggling to be who and do what God is expecting of them, meaning not pushing what MUST remain same-sex friendships to the "abomination" of copying the REAL, TRUE conjugal love relationship meant to be ONLY between a man and a woman, which is designed and blessed by God from start to finish. These suffering, enduring celibate and / or abstinent persons are PEARLS and JEWELS on the crown of our King Christ, so valuable to God..!!

There is a way of saying things beside extremely violent and provocative pickets to hurt others and more importantly here, fake Christians adding difficulties to people in such a desperate state and need of Salvation while we are to help! Liars and haters, obstacles to God preventing sinners to come back to His infinite forgiveness for relief through the Faith in Christ..

To my eyes, only the most stubborn person(s) legitimating their sin(s) as being good and right(s) is / are dangerously flirting with the line of being lost, "doomed" for being self-righteous, gay people or not, "religious" or not, impartially.. Amen.

Though, only one sin is unforgivable, to deny God is Holy permanently, and a Good God willing to save us by all means, sending His Unique Son for us, giving His whole LIFE, so PLEASE, beg to God in the name of Jesus Christ, because of His redeeming Blood given for us at the Cross as expiatory victim for our sins, to be forgiven and saved from the sin, ie any and all rebelling against God enslaving us!!

Everyone still has an equal opportunity to repent anytime before Death and the Day of WRATH, God's definitive Judgment.. Peace, again.

This was my first impression of Fred Phelps. A man who wants his god's love to be worth something and not something cheap for everyone to enjoy because it would be unfair for him if his god loved him no more than everyone else. Unfair, because Fred spent most of his life dedicated to his god while everyone else has turned their back on his god. But I hate him because his self righteousness is based on stupid beliefs from the bible. I hate everyone who thinks, people who don't follow the bible 100% are going to burn in hell and should burn in hell. Why? Because I think most of what is in the bible is pure shit. A very harmful book, in my opinion.

Why do we have a thread about this, what has this got to do with gaming?

Anyway to answer your question yes you were disrespectful. But this is Fred we're talking about here and I too am curios if people picket his funeral. A part of me says that we should be above that sort of thing and set an example but another part says do it.

Ultimately Fred and his family were just a bunch of ass holes and at the very least entertaining. No really took them seriously and they were fun to troll. Admit it, you enjoy seeing these people made to look like fools on TV.

I'm fairly certain they celebrated someone's life, not the death.
Which is of course a nice thing to do for everyone involved.

We need to make sure that we don't become that which we are against. He's a man who has only known hatred for the majority of his life and dedicated himself to spreading it. Likely due to trauma and fear. It takes a hurt person to hurt others. May he now know peace in death that he never knew of in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNrRmsXMUOE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-lA6PeGL0k

I'm not going to celebrate his death. I'm actually fairly ambivalent about it. He was a sad, pathetic little man who derived a sense of moral superiority from bullying and terrorising others.

I'm not sure what the excommunication was about. I do wonder - and even hope - that he might have expressed some regret and repentance towards the end of his life, and that it pissed off the monster of a church he created.

If anyone's not in the know about the kind of people that the Phelps family are, see this. The interview with Shirley Phelps-Roper is at around the 4-minute mark.

Also, this here.