The Westboro Baptist Church is coming to town

[Raistlin]

So Fred Phelps and the WBC are coming to my town tomorrow, and some fellow law students and I are trying to organize a counter-protest. I've already hit up Facebook for funny sign and counter-protest ideas, but I figure this could be an amusing EoFF topic as well. What signs do you think we should have, or what is the funniest anti-WBC sign you've seen?

Side topic: have you gone to protests before?

[Freya]

What are they protesting?

[Raistlin]

The usual: the funeral of a soldier.

[Peegee]

I went to one of the Scientology protests when it was new, but I'm not very emotionally invested in it, so I didn't go to any more. (off topic I think they are saying that the usa gov't is going to look into their tax exemption status which may or may not be good news or no news)

As for WBC - There are a multitude of passages which denounce earthly political affairs. A particular one because it talks about litigation:

1 Corinthians 6:1-8

¹If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? ²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church![a] ⁵I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? ⁶But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!

⁷The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.

But that's probably not a good example - but it shouldn't take you (or maybe Dr Unne) a few minutes to find one that says 'stay away from the affairs of man'

[Clo]

They're coming to down what? Vodka?

I counterprotested the Westboro Baptist Church about a year and a half ago. They were protesting in Buffalo at the memorial for the Clarence plane crash victims, and a famous local feminist was having a funeral that day as well.

We all dressed in white and carried giant white signs. We just stood in front of them, blocking their signs so the families of the crash victims and the woman didn't have to see what they said when they walked by. There was a whole crowd of people, but I somehow managed to stand in front of one of Phelps' sons with my one friend, and he only said one thing to us: "I have a right to this sidewalk," to which we replied, "So do we." Eventually they left, and the police came by and congratulated us, which was sort of odd.

Then we went to Wendy's! Sweet.

[Raistlin]

Oops, that's supposed to be "town." I didn't even notice that.

[Cuchulainn]

Just hold a big sign saying

smurf UP OR I'LL RAPE YOU

that aught to attract the relevant attention.

PS: I read down too and thought they were coming to Ireland. Only Huxtable will get that.

[Shlup]

According to wiki, "Not today, Fred." is a popular one. Personally, I've always been a fan of "God Hates Figs." There are even flyers to pass out!

[Momiji]

What a coincidence. The WBC (not Fred Phelps, unfortunately) came to my area to protest a soldier's funeral last Saturday. I wanted to go and counter-protest, but withdrawals from getting off my citalopram made me sick and I ended up staying in bed all day

[Raistlin]

According to wiki, "Not today, Fred." is a popular one. Personally, I've always been a fan of "God Hates Figs." There are even flyers to pass out!

I'm sure you understand I have to use a "God Hates Fraggles" sign. Though I do now have the urge to swing by the law school tomorrow morning and print out some "God Hates Figs" flyers.

[Shorty]

I would protest these lunatics if I ever got the chance. They are the most abominable human beings.

Clo, I think that's really awesome that you tried to actually block their signs.

[Rye]

That's awesome. I like to see how peaceful protesters own those folks.

I don't believe they ever came in this area. I'd go to protest if they were.

PS: I read down too and thought they were coming to Ireland. Only Huxtable will get that

I got it!!

[Raistlin]

So I just got back from the counter-protest, and will have pictures uploaded to post on Facebook and here within the next day or two. I carried a "God Hates Fraggles" sign, and my favorite sign there was from a fellow law student: "Zeus Hates Tall People" (on the other side he had "Zeus Hates Lightning Rods"). Together we spread our message along the roadside to very confused passerby. We even got interviewed by a local paper and a student paper (from William & Mary undergad), and I quoted the Bible to show that god really does hate Fraggles (though if I had realized I'd be interviewed I would have had more than one verse prepared). I also got my picture taken standing by some of the Phelpses.

One of the older people there (who was more there to show support for the funeral than to counter-protest the WBC) asked another law student if she would take his picture while he held an American flag in front of the WBC crowd. He said something like "Get those people behind me... those atheists are whatever." I was too shocked to respond right away, but my Zeus-worshiping companion piped up "Uh, those people clearly believe in God," motioning to their signs, almost all of which reference god or hell or some such superstition. His response: "Yeah I guess." I suppose it would shock him to know that the only atheists there would be on his side of the protest, but it was way too hot for me to argue with him (mid-90s, sunny, and humid).

[Rye]

Sounds nice! Impressed that you could protest at all in that heat. I'd have wimped out.

[Psychotic]

did you get lucky with one of the WBC?

this is important