Jury orders Phelp's church to pay $2.9 million for funeral protest

[Chewbacca]

Finally. Hopefully this $2.9 million is a stake in the heart for Phelps and his "church".

Kansas church liable in gay Marine funeral protest

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - A jury on Wednesday ordered a Kansas church to pay $2.9 million in compensatory damages to relatives of a gay U.S. Marine after church members cheered his death at his funeral...


...The church, which is unaffiliated to any major denomination, is headed by Rev. Fred Phelps who has been waging a one-man war against homosexuality for years. Most members of the church belong to his extended family.


The full story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...34225120071031

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

There's only one thing I don't understand. ("One thing?")

How exactly does this country tolerate homosexuality, again? Especially the military? Don't Ask, Don't' Tell? Anyone? That part's still a bit fuzzy for me.

[Iron Greasel]

What about the 8 million in punitive damages?

Ugh, this is ridiculous. Acting like an asshole in someone elses funeral is not very nice, but not worth several million dollars. Even if the perpetrators hate fags.

[Luvian]

Well I don't know. If I gathered a gang of guys, crashed a funeral and mocked the dead, I'd be in pretty serious trouble.

If you can get money from eating Mc Donald and getting fat, of for dropping your coffee on you, then I guess it's not too surprising they'd eventually start awarding some for psychological and emotional damage too. I wonder what they'll think of next.

[Bungleau]

Just saw this news article... man, does it make me smile

I've followed this supposed church's activities for a while, and it's one man's twisted perception of reality. The vast majority of the "congregation" are his offspring... few people other than his kids (who grew up with it) believe his crap. And several of his kids have escaped... thankfully.

That said, I hope that the courts order a full audit of his and the church's finances to ensure that they pay the verdict amount. Bunch of weasels... and I mean no offense to weasels when I say that

[Chewbacca]

It's not the amount money involved which counts in my opinion, but the official judgement by a jury that what they are doing when "protesting" funerals is harmful.

[Iron Greasel]

Originally Posted by Luvian Well I don't know. If I gathered a gang of guys, crashed a funeral and mocked the dead, I'd be in pretty serious trouble. If you can get money from eating Mc Donald and getting fat, of for dropping your coffee on you, then I guess it's not too surprising they'd eventually start awarding some for psychological and emotional damage too. I wonder what they'll think of next.

Serious trouble, probably, but several million dollars is just over the top. Couldn't they just get jail time? Or maybe a fine that they actually had some remote chance of paying some day?

I don't think McDonald's should be paying either. As I have never lived in America, I may not be qualified for criticizing the local legal system, but the stories make it sound terrible for all concerned, except the lawyers.

[SpiritWarrior]

Well, it *is* America . Things that a judge would scoff at in other countries, can be argued by those lawyers for weeks, to the point where it seems like reason. I don't know whether it is good or bad, because some things do have to be taken alot more seriously but others can be too much so.

[johnny]

Preaching against gays is one thing, but disturbing funerals is completely insane. I don't know how most people react to that Phelps character, but if something like that would happen to me, i'd rip his heart out at the spot and feed it to the crows, and his followers can get the same treatment if they're still around afterwards.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Phelps always creates a problem for me... You'll never find anyone more fiercely in favor of equal rights for all people, but I'm also fiercely in favor of freedom of speech. The funeral protesting creates an interesting grey area for me, I must admit, but, in general, although I would die for the causes Phelps wants to destroy, I would also die for his right to say what he says. It's fun being me.