God hates godhatesfags.com

by James N. Watkins

Fred Phelps is back in the news. The picketing pastor and host of godhatesfags.com is proposing a public monument for Matthew Shepherd, the gay college student, murdered in 1998. The granite marker in Shepherd’s hometown will read, and I quote:

MATTHEW SHEPHERD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God’s Warning: ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination.’ Leviticus 18:22.”

Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, also hosts godhatesamerica.com. Most of all he hates the idea that God loves, and again I quote, “filthy dyke dogs,” “SODOMITES,” “dog kennels/pig sties masquerading as churches,” and pastors who are “demon-possessed Pied Pipers from Hell.”

Not even the lovable “Mr. Rogers” escapes the pastor’s wrath. According to Phelps, Fred Rogers “went straight to hell” because of his ordination in the Presbyterian Church and association with PBS.

Phelps also picketed in New York City three times since September 11, 2001, with signs that read “Thank God For Sept. 11″ and calling the FDNY a “fag fire department.” Recently he was in Hawaii, the site of the WWII attack on Pearl Harbor, with signs that read “Thank God for December 7.”

He especially seems to hate anyone who disagrees with him. His website proclaims:

“[Anyone] believing and preaching that God loves every individual of mankind — we say, You are going to Hell! Period! End of discussion! God’s decree sending you to Hell is irreversible! Hypocrites! How can ye escape the damnation of Hell?!”

Well, at the risk of “the damnation of Hell,” I’ve gotta ask, what does God Himself think about all this? I’ll let His Book speak for Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). (The word translated “world” is actually “cosmos” which includes every created thing and every single person.)

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23).

“The Lord . . . is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

And, concerning Phelp’s obsession with “hate”:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7).

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-38)

Let your conversation be always full of grace (Colossians 4:6).

Yes, the Bible includes three or four passages that warn against homosexual behavior (eg. Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9). And, yes, it contains many verses concerning a final judgment day.

But it also includes hundreds of sections that teach “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

God loves gays and straights, America and Iraq, Fred Rogers and Fred Phelps. He’s not always happy with their behavior, but He loves them unconditionally.

So should we.

© 2003 James N. Watkins

You can also read this article on Jim’s website, along with reader comments.

Every organization has good times and bad. So does every individual. Downpours intersperse sunshine. Each rosebush has its thorns. On what do you focus? The sunlight or the sogginess? The petals or the prickles?

You have the power to choose your outlook. Zero in on your victories today. God has many more blessings planned for your future.

__________________________

Many of us are pro-life, yet we also look down on teenage moms. We whisper about them and stare. We have a lot to say about their situation but rarely do we do anything to help.

Teens make mistakes. Lots of them. Most aren’t as visible as teen pregnancy. A teen mom is taking responsibility, choosing life, and trying to do her best. No, she doesn’t have all the knowledge, resources, and wisdom she needs. That’s where we need to step in.

I turned to God when I was a teen mom because a group of women poured love into me. I was unlovable. Those women kept loving, even when I turned my back on them, and eventually my heart softened—to them and to God.

I can’t tell you the number of notes/e-mails I get from young women who are looking for a Christian mentor but they end up hurt. Either the Christian women/men in their lives are too busy or they make the mom feel inferior.

I can’t tell you the number of young people who want to go to church—to get things right with God—and those in the church hurt them worse. I just got an e-mail today about that very issue.

The best thing you can do for a teen mom and her child is to love her—love them. Give some time. Offer a listening ear. Buy some diapers. Take the mom to lunch. Invite her to church. Affirm her good decisions. Guide her in areas she needs help. Inspire her to do something great for her life.

When you reach out and impact a teen mom, then you are impacting generations. Is God putting someone on your heart even as you read this? Don’t block out his voice. Do something.

_______________________________

About Tricia Goyer

Using her own experiences as a teen mother and leader of today’s generation, Tricia Goyer is a voice of hope and possibility for teenage girls, pregnant teen girls, mothers, and wives through her educational and inspirational speaking, workshops, and writing.

Tricia is the author of 30 books and has published over 500 articles for national periodicals such as Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman and HomeLife Magazine. In addition to writing, she enjoys sharing the love of Jesus through volunteering as a mentor for teenage moms in her community and ministering in the Czech Republic on regular missions trips. Tricia and her husband, John, make their home in Arkansas with their dog, Jake. Learn more at www.triciagoyer.com.

Needless to say, Janet understands people in emotional pain. Now her book, Simply Salsa: Dancing without Fear at God’s Fiesta, brings understanding and hope to those who’ve been slapped by life’s inequities.

Have you been there, muchacha? Has an unfair, out-of-your-control situation ever turned your world upside down? You did nothing to deserve this scenario. And trying to sort through the chaos, you think you’re doing the right thing. But the deep unfairness still slaps your powdered cheek. No matter what you do, nothing seems to work. To make your pain sharper, you look around and see other people living fine lives—undisturbed, happy, and prosperous. And to add to the indignation, they don’t even go to church. “What’s up with that, God?” you want to ask. Undeserved consequences bring a deep resentment that burns more than abuela’s jalapeño peppers (p. 43).

Adding insult to injury, many people also have to deal with fallout from what Janet calls their UP, which stands for Ugly Past. She says:

Every single one of us has some kind of ugly past. We all struggle with the UP syndrome. We all carry deep scars from experiences we’ve had as niñas, as young adults, or even as grown women. Yes, some of us have known disappointments the size of Brazil. And memories of those events can chisel at our hearts until they won’t stop bleeding (pp. 19–20).

In spite of the serious issues dealt with throughout the book, its upbeat, Latin-flavored style continually points us to Christ’s answer: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). Jesus is the only one who has the power to cut away our chains and then brush his healing fingers across the residual raw spots on our necks.

While the book encourages Christians who have been wounded in their faith, it is also suited to those who have not yet accepted Christ as Savior. The message of salvation is presented clearly and simply, with compassion and a touch of humor.

We are reminded that because of Christ’s power to overcome evil, we can be confident of dancing to victory’s beat. “No matter what you face or how ugly life has been, a new melody is playing for you,” Janet says.

For more information about author and speaker Janet Perez Eckles, along with links to her books and blog, visit her website, janetperezeckles.com.

© 2012 by Diana Savage. All rights reserved.

Although Jeanette Levellie is no stranger to difficulties, she knows how to find the funny side of life and share it with others. I appreciate her ability to help us look at life circumstances in a positive way. Throughout the book, we encounter reminders of God’s loving, compassionate nature.

Jeanette talks about her “relief to know the lovely place I’ll be living forever has no embarrassment in it” and adds her personal theory that “we will spend the first fifty trillion years looking at DVDs of everyone’s life—with all the bad parts edited out. We will only view the victories” (p. 32).

Amen.

She even tackles the age-old question of why God doesn’t prevent evil in the world.

He refuses to force people to act against their wills. Because of that freedom to choose, innocent people suffer.

But if we ask and allow Him to, the Lord will ensure that somehow, some way, . . He will give us beauty for ashes and joy for tears. He is more than willing to redeem the most horrible circumstances of our lives to make us into stronger, kinder, richer people as a result (p. 73).

Most Christians know that forgiveness is an important element in overcoming spiritual wounding. Jesus instructs us to bless those who hurt us, but that goes way beyond simply saying “Bless you” in the direction of our tormentors. In her story, “A Radical Secret for Forgiving Sister Sourpuss and Brother Barracuda,” Jeanette recommends that we bless everything we can imagine about the person who wronged us. This can involve blessing the person’s

• ­Toenails, that they never become ingrown
• ­Kids, that they never sass
• ­Roof, that no shingles fall off
• ­Cooking, that it never makes anyone sick;
• ­(and my personal favorite) Knees, that they never get warts (p. 135).

While not written specifically to wounded Christians, this book will bring refreshment to all those who are recovering from blows to their faith.

For more information about author, speaker, singer, and pastor’s wife Jeanette Levellie and her book, visit jeanettelevellie.com.

© 2012 by Diana Savage. All rights reserved.

In his book, Fallen Pastor: Finding Restoration in a Broken World, former Southern Baptist pastor Ray Carroll details how committing adultery cost him his ministry and marriage and wounded many people in the process.

Unfortunately, Ray Carroll is not alone. Research reveals that each month over 1,500 pastors leave their churches due to some kind of moral failure. The effects are devastating to everyone involved.

When Carroll began to blog about it anonymously, hoping to make some sense of what had happened to him and perhaps find those who had similar experiences, within weeks he discovered many fallen ministers who shared a common bond. He says, “The most healing thing that has occurred . . . was the number of pastors who . . . reached out to me and asked me for help. Some told me that they felt no one else understood their plight except someone who had fallen.”

Eventually Carroll was approached to write a book to help explain the circumstances that contribute to a pastor’s fall and how such tragedies can be prevented. The result is an honest examination of the problems and perils facing many pastors today. Carroll shares the stories of eleven fallen clergy members, each of whom admits his own responsibility for the sin.

In examining why these pastors failed, Carroll discovered that high expectations, isolation, poor spousal relationships, and judgmentalism were key factors. Many of those he interviewed admitted that previously they had been overly judgmental toward people in general and harshly critical of their flock. Had they been in the crowd when Pharisees dragged the adulterous woman before Christ, they would have joined the accusers. Most had grown up with strict interpretations of Scripture and/or legalistic backgrounds, so they didn’t recognize judgmentalism as a problem in their lives.

But when their own sin was discovered, they were suddenly in the place of the accused sinner, with only the compassionate Christ remaining as their friend. That experience radically changed their treatment of people. Their judgmental mindsets transformed into redeeming compassion.

Carroll explains the role of church leadership in the restoration process:

To restore the fallen pastor and the fallen culture, it is important to understand why the pastor falls and the circumstances around his fall. It is easy to look down upon the sinful pastor at his worst moment as he is cast out of his place of ministry. But Christ’s compassion calls all of us to stand beside the fallen, not listening to the crowd in its judgment, but reaching out to the one who is in need of help the most. In doing so, the sin is not excused. It is transcended through grace and forgiveness. The fallen pastor is given someone to walk with in hope of restoration (p. 131).

Unfortunately, that’s not how many fallen pastors have been treated. “What has been most notable throughout this research,” Carroll writes, “is how unprepared church leadership is for the moral fall of a pastor. In the cases researched, church leadership responded angrily and swiftly in all but one of the cases and demanded a resignation and offered no counseling to the pastor or couple. Many were immediately forced to leave town or clean out their offices.”

Instead of trying to justify fallen pastors’ behavior, Carroll shares an understanding that may guide church leadership to the biblical response of restoration.

The book contains four sections. In section 1, Carroll tells his own story. In section 2, he shares interviews with the eleven fallen pastors. Section 3 seeks to understand what leads to a moral failure. Section 4 offers perspective on a biblical response: understanding the common patterns, restoring the fallen, preventing the fall, and changing the church culture that exacerbated the downward slide. Appendices offer answers for emergency situations, resources for further help, and questions for discussion.

When Denny, one of the interviewed pastors, underwent counseling, he connected with deep feelings of guilt and shame over the sin he’d committed. His counselor also helped him understand a greater good that God had for his life. “My sin had cost me,” Denny said. “I’m sorry I had to go through that, and I’m really sorry I hurt people.” He adds that his experience caused him to acquire a deeper appreciation for God’s forgiveness and has enabled him to walk with people who are trying to find forgiveness.

Today, as a successful motivational speaker, Denny listens to the stories of many broken people, including fallen pastors and those who have been affected by their failures. Denny’s experience changed the core of his message and ministry to others. Like many other fallen pastors, his authentic desire is to help and heal those who have been on a similar path. Amazed at how God can take a tragedy and use it for good, his message to fallen pastors is, “Wherever you are, God still loves you.”

That’s a message every wounded Christian needs to hear.

© 2012 by Diana Savage. All rights reserved.

Dr. Gregory L. Jantz, founder and director of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources in the Seattle, WA, area, wrote Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse in 2009 with coauthor Ann McMurray. The book explains how those who have been abused emotionally can overcome the past and rebuild their self-image.

That message came into the hands of one woman at just the right time in her life. She had already devoured many Christian counseling texts—learning about safe vs. unsafe people, gaining knowledge of boundaries that had been trampled in her life and how to erect them again, and discovering how to replace the lies in her operating system with the truth of God’s Word. She made tremendous strides in emotional restoration.

But, like a partially assembled jigsaw puzzle, patches of healed areas remained that she didn’t know how to connect in order to complete the picture. Dr. Jantz’s book helped her make many of those final connections.

She found these topics and passages to be especially helpful:

• ­Why we feel false guilt
• ­How we try to change our behavior, looks, etc., to get people to like/love us
• ­Illnesses and symptoms with an emotional basis
• ­The Illusionist—a type of abuser
• ­The Wrath-of-God abuser (In her childhood, this was a very legalistic church environment.)
• ­The emotionally detached parent
• ­Spiritual abuse
• ­Unrealistic guilt
• ­The effect emotional abuse has on all relationships
• ­Excessive compliance or passivity
• How emotional abuse skews one’s view of God

Although this woman had already made significant progress in most areas, the clear way in which the authors described the dynamics of abuse and how they affect the human spirit removed some remaining scales from her eyes. In addition to feeling new freedom in her spirit, she now finds herself breaking into spontaneous praise songs to God where previously she had to make a conscious effort to sing.

As former World Vision International president Ted Engstrom says, “The scriptural and biblically oriented guidance found in this carefully crafted book will prove of inestimable value to all who accept—and adopt—its valid advice.”

I agree. Every wounded Christian who reads the book will be able to find comfort and insights for healing.

© 2012 by Diana Savage. All rights reserved.