IT ONLY TAKES ONE

It's amazing what damage one self-righteous bigoted idiot can do to the work of God in this country. I'm not talking about any old unbalanced Bible thumper sitting in the pew, I'm particularly focused on the insane, iuncompassionate statements emanating from the pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, Shirley Phelps.

It seems this upright, obnoxious servant of God has declared that she will picket any and all memorial services for actor Heath Ledger who was found dead in his Manhattan apartment earlier this week. She even plans to protest anything done to honor Ledger at next month's Academy Awards ceremony, because of his portrayal of a gay cowboy in Brokeback Mountain.

Thanks Rev. Bigot, I'm sure you're doing what Jesus would do. He wouldn't be trying to console a grieving family or lamenting the passing of such a young man either, he would have been right in there ranting and raving about the judgement of God with caring statements like yours -

"And then the other place I'm going to picket him is when they prop him up to worship his dead, rotting carcass further at the Oscars. I'll be right outside by the red carpet."

It's a pity that this one off-the-wall lunatic who really should be institutionalized is instead being quoted in the media, because for millions of Americans she will fuel their disdain for Christians and their conviction that churches are gathering places for hypocritical religious zealots.

There's no getting away from the fact that the church in America has a very real image problem and the only way around it is for every real follower of Jesus to deliberately and unconditionallylove people the way he did.

However at this moment - as you may have gathered - I'm having a tough time loving a certain pastor from Kansas!