Westboro Baptist Church Announces Picketing Of Michael Brown’s Funeral [Breaking]

Breaking News: Westboro Baptist Church announced its plans to picket the funeral of Michael Brown, the unarmed teen killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9.

Westboro updated the picket schedule on its God Hates Fags website a day after the Brown family shared plans of the fallen teenager’s funeral services. In keeping with its practice, the controversial group provided a litany of reasons why it is protesting someone’s memorial services.

WBC’S MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO GATHER TO WORSHIP THE DEAD CORPSE OF MICHAEL BROWN AT FRIENDLY TEMPLE MISSIONARY BAPTIST “CHURCH” IN ST. LOUIS, MO, ON MONDAY AUGUST 25th, 2014 AT 10 AM.

The truth of what went on when Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18 year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014, may never be known. Regardless of the details, the cause was from the Lord! Missouri has made itself known worldwide for three things: Fags (e.g. Michael Sam); bestiality; and shredding the constitution in order to remove the Word of God from their streets. Gov. Jeremiah Nixon, the courts, the legislature, and law enforcement agencies across the state – pandering, self-willed demagogues – moved heaven and earth to pass laws and issue orders to stop WBC’s peaceful preaching. All else failing, they turned loose their violent citizenry on the ambassadors of the King, while law enforcement stood by smirking and encouraging their unlawful deeds. God is not amused, and He is not mocked! Now you reap what you have so diligently sown, Missouri! Your streets resemble a Middle Eastern warzone! Those same lawless citizens that you turned loose on WBC now riot and loot; those same oath-breaking cops gun down unarmed citizens in the streets, and then cower behind weapons of war; and have instituted de facto martial law! God Almighty sits in the heavens and laughs at your calamity; he mocks when your fear cometh! We continue to faithfully warn you:

‘Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them… [they] shall bring forth [their] children to the murderer.’(Hosea 9:12,13)

Parents, teachers, preachers, government actors, media, and people of Missouri: your Creator loaned you Michael Brown to raise up in obedience to God. Instead, you taught him that God is a liar, you taught him to serve himself, and thereby you raised him for the devil! All evidence points to Michael now being in Hell. It’s your fault, Missouri! His blood is on your hands! God has only just begun his righteous judgment against you: WBC rejoices!

NO PEACE WITHOUT OBEDIENCE!”

The last line of Westboro’s announcement appears to be a shot at a slogan — “No Peace Without Obedience” — that emerged in the wake of the police shooting and civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.

Arguably, Westboro Baptist Church’s plans to picket the funeral for Michael Brown are not all that surprising. The group, founded by Pastor Fred Phelps, has created waves of controversy for publicly protesting the funerals of U.S. military personnel, celebrities, dignitaries and other notable persons.

Although the rhetoric it uses is inflammatory, the group’s language is protected speech under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. However, the federal government has issued a set of guidelines that Westboro has to abide by when picketing funerals, one being the distance required to remain away from memorial sites and processions.

The group was scheduled to picket the protesters in Ferguson on August 19, but there is no word any representatives from Westboro showed up. Sources say Phelps’ group, which is often described as a hate group over its extreme ideologies, said the events surrounding the Ferguson shooting are acts of God.

Brown’s death set off waves of outrage, and the shooting, largely thought by the local black community to be excessive force by Wilson, opened up longstanding wounds that exposed a divided town. Moreover, the killing of the teen sparked debates about the over-militarization of law enforcement, police brutality and other socioeconomic issues of disparity.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed the funeral for Michael Brown. According to family members, Michael’s home-going services will be held at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5515 Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis. His burial will be at St. Peters Cemetery, 2101 Lucas and Hunt Road.

Share your thoughts about Westboro Baptist Church’s picket plans of Michael Brown’s funeral services.

[Image courtesy of Tara Dodrill]