A call to action

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

CALL TO ACTION:
WHEN HATE COMES TO YOUR TOWN, WITNESS AGAINST IT
March 30, 2004

The Fellowship of Reconciliation, headquartered in
Nyack, NY, joins with the Nyack community in upholding our common humanity in the face of homophobic hate-peddlers from Kansas who plan to invade our village on April 4 & 5.

The Rev. Fred Phelps, a Baptist preacher from
Topeka, Kansas, hawks his detestable anti-gay message around the country. Now he is bringing it to Nyack, and the village of New Paltz. He plans to picket St. Paul's United Methodist Church (South Broadway) on Sunday, April 4, before and
during the 6 p.m. service that traditionally has
attracted lesbian, gay and bi-sexual citizens. The following morning, he plans to picket the Nyack Town Hall. He anticipates a lot of media attention...

Material on resisting aggression with nonviolence,
and remaining nonviolent in the face of extreme
provocation, will be available. Phelps and his supporters delight in precipitating confrontations. Indeed, their modus operandi is to be so offensive, so verbally insulting and aggressive as to invite retaliation. FOR urges
those planning to protest Phelps to be prepared for
outrageously provocative language and behavior and to resolve to remain dignified and nonviolent throughout. Nyack is a community of love and compassion, not hate and fear.

Phelps, whose website is called www.godhatesfags.com
, attained national notoriety by picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death in Colorado in 1998. On his website, Phelps presents a monument "dedicated to Matthew
Shepard's Entry into Hell." He has decided to target
Nyack, as well as the village of New Paltz, because the mayors of both towns have challenged laws preventing gay couples from marrying.

We urge leaders of the Nyack and New Paltz
communities, especially religious leaders, to stand up for their gay and lesbian neighbors and friends, who are specific targets of Phelps' malevolence. We urge them to support their elected officials who have chosen to stand for tolerance.

Hate is coming to our town. Let us witness against it.

Contact:

Jennifer Hyman, FOR Communications Coordinator
845-358-4601
communications@forusa.org
http://www.forusa.org/Events/Local.html

Anyone in a 30-mile radius, I urge you to show up.

Now, what were we discussing about barbaric people on the other thread, hm? Hate by any nother name reeks just as badly.

[Ronn_Bman]

Yeah, this guy is a Loser with a capital L.

Just the name of his website is enough to convince any reasonable(and most unreasonable) people that he is a disgraceful, hate-mongering, homophile. I mean, someone who would protest at a funeral? No taste, no sense..., but let me know if he gets caught burning dead bodies, dragging them behind his car, or hanging them from a bridge.

If he does we'll move him into the barbaric catagory.

[Sir Taliesin]

There is no room for hate with Jesus. This guy needs to get a clue.

[ 04-02-2004, 03:14 PM: Message edited by: Sir Taliesin ]

[Timber Loftis]

Release the monkey, Ronn!

[Ronn_Bman]

Don't make me get my "ape" on! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[John D Harris]

I believe God is more than capitable of handling the situation, without the help of these people.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by Sir Taliesin: There is no room for hate with Jesus. This guy needs to get a clue.

Hallelujah!