And... did i get this right ? His "church" was, like, 100 people ?

All this fuss ?

Well now it's 99.

Wasn't he excommunicated from his own church last year? :)

Before anyone starts lighting the torches, let's keep in mind that everyone has their own beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and ways.

I see celebrating the death of anyone, be it a pedophile, rapist, murderer, slave master, pirate, abusive spouse/parent, corrupt authority figure,dictator, Hitler, or the Zodiac Killer, as an unhealthy way to live one's life. It is better to seek understanding of why people are the way they are instead of wishing ill will on them. For only through understanding can there be peace.

The documentary "Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue of Hope" has some interesting bits about Fred Phelps and his family, among other things. Here's what one of the sons/grandsons said: "No matter how bad you're hurt in this life, there's nothing like eternal fire. That scares me just about worse than anything else, of being sent to hell. And if that means that I have to love my neighbor by telling the truth that they don't want to hear, and be hated for it, if that's what I have to do, I'm going to do it."

Since I failed to find a way to purchase the film, here's the only link to it that I'm aware exists: Shh~ The first part on the Westboro Baptist Church starts at 5:06.

Good day.

EDIT: I forgot to answer your question.
"Should" you be more respectful about this? That depends on what society you live in. Other than that, the choice is yours.

Self-righteous comes to mind -

Wouldn't it be a bummer if you go to heaven and find out Fred was right all along.....and he was sitting on gods lap.

Who can prove otherwise?

I only being a twat...as usual

I have no problem with cheering for the death of horrible nasty harmful people (even if I have issues with provoking it).

But I have no issue either with people who find this feeling questionnable.

What i have issues with is all the variations on "psh, moral high grounds", that serve to indulge any feeling. "Tsk, tree huggers", "beh, third-worldists", "hah, do-.gooder". It's so easy to dismiss moral criticism by just reversing the judgement like that. Either considering that the judgement is hypocritical ("i'm the measure of all morality") or that it's wrong-to-be-good.

One can cheer for someone's death, and still accept that it is a position that is, at minimum, legitimately debateable, and not necessarily shared by everybody. And that it doesn't necessarily take a hypcrite or an asshole to not share it.

Funny how only protesting the military funerals was a big deal. The Phelps family were protesting the funerals of gays for years, including the funeral of Matthew Shepard, but hardly anyone in the US gave a shit and still don't give a shit it seems. It's onyl the miliary funerals that people care about. The USA deserved Fred Phelps. It is unfortunate he died. Hopefuly the rest of the family keeps protesting the military funerals.

Unfortunately, only because of those protests did I learn of Phelps. And that is a shame.

Kinda amusing that half of the members of the Westboro Baptist Church are lawyers and they still believe they're going to heaven.

Warn me before you do that! I just spit food all over my monitor!

Is the Westboro Baptist Church shutting down?

So i can't "take cheap shots" but you can "be pleased this clown has gone to the bigtop in the sky"? Hypocrisy much?

Since when is 'hypocrisy' a verb?

Ha, just realized we ate meals at the same time even though we're in different time zones. I just ate 'lunch' at 1 AM, baked a whole chicken for myself because I can. Usually, I eat in front of the computer too but for a whole chicken you need both hands.