Even though I’m probably encouraging the Westboro Baptist Church to continue its legacy of hatred by giving them ink, I’ve decided to write about their anti-homosexual agenda. Some of you may be familiar with this group. They are the same church-goers that have attacked Iowa State and the Daily for being sympathetic toward homosexuals.

More recently, the followers of Pastor Fred Phelps held protests at five Des Moines churches this past Sunday. These protests followed another protest at the Lincoln High School graduation which was held Saturday at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The class president was the recipient of a Matthew Shepherd Scholarship.

For those who don’t know, Matthew Shepherd endured a heinous hate crime — he was killed because he was openly gay. While attending the University of Wyoming, he was kidnapped, mortally beaten and tied to a fencepost near Laramie.

Upon browsing the WBC Web site www.godhatesfags.com, I found the flier promoting a series of protests scheduled for tomorrow morning in Des Moines. The flier is teeming with hateful words toward Shepherd’s mother, Shepherd himself, Gov. Tom Vilsack and Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont. Judy Shepherd is chastised for raising a “sissified son for the Devil and Hell as a promiscuous little faggot on the prowl.”

At first glance, the WBC seems to be a bunch of hatemongers. After all, Hatemongers is the name of the documentary that outlines the life of Pastor Phelps and his followers. However, a recent letter to the editor that appeared in the Des Moines Register points to a more civilized existence for the now 75-year-old Phelps. His opinion expressed by the letter is both logical and sound. His argument is simple: living a homosexual lifestyle is living a life of sin. From a religious standpoint, there isn’t really an argument against this idea. If the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, it’s a sin.

Of course, the controversy here isn’t over what he is saying; it’s how he’s saying it. I’m guessing a disciplined approach to this issue didn’t work well for him. Sometimes, being extreme is the only way to get people to pay attention to you. Sadly, extreme barely describes his tasteless rants. What he is arguing for has been lost.

Another flier on the WBC Web site calls for the immediate outlaw of sodomy. The WBC even calls for the death penalty to be a sufficient punishment for said criminal activity. I don’t understand how Pastor Phelps plans on accomplishing anything using the lunacy he tries to pass off as religious truth. Maybe no one told him, but God dislikes religious fanatics far more than homosexuals.

The WBC has a FAQ page that explains some of their beliefs. I was curious to read the one detailing their use of the word “fag.” Supposedly, fag is derived from the word faggot which simply means a bundle of sticks. Since a bundle of sticks can be used to start a fire, the WBC makes a connection between them and homosexuals saying fags fuel the proverbial fire of God’s wrath. It’s a cheap trick. They use the word to stir emotion. If they wanted people to actually listen to what they are saying, the word fag would never be uttered from their mouths.

In an interview, Phelps claims he loves all of the filthy gay beasts, and that’s why he’s trying so hard to show them that their lifestyle will surely get them a one-way ticket to hell for eternity. It’s a little hard to believe, though, since he seems to have so much delight in persecuting them.

On the WBC Web site, there is a so-called Gospel Memorial to Matthew Shepherd. Moving your mouse over the picture of his face engulfed in flames allows you to hear him scream, “For God’s sake, listen to Phelps.”

Phelps’ minions were at Shepherd’s funeral to protest. They were also present at the trials of his killers. Tomorrow, they’ll be in Des Moines protesting Judy Shepherd, Gov. Tom Vilsack and Gov. Howard Dean.