A Response to the ABC Story on the Children of the Westboro Church

It was not my plan to watch this ABC piece on the children of the Westboro Church in Topeka (you know, the nice folks who picket with signs that say, 'YOU'RE GOING TO HELL!' and other uplifting messages). But when I saw the video of their children spewing this hatred, I just could not turn away.

Still in shock this morning, I read the entire abc story. I was sickened by the perversion of truth that is so prevelant in their message. I prayed for those kids who are being indoctrinated in this church, and for the families who have to deal with this hatred at the funerals of their loved ones, including young men and women who have served in our military. I prayed that God would vindicate Himself against these blasphemous lies. Worst of all, I discovered that much of their 'doctrine' is based on a twisted version of the theology that I love and embrace (the doctrines of grace, aka Calvinism). It was time to find a level-headed response. I found it on Josh Buice's website, Delivered By Grace.

Buice is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church located in McMinnville, Tennessee, and author of this helpful blog. He has written several articles about the Westboro church which were compiled into a document called Westboro Baptist Church Revealed: Evangelized, Interviewed, Reviewed.

The 30 page document is worth the read, if you can stomach the inflammatory hatred (coming from the Wesboro members). The first story describes Buice's encounter with the hate group as they protested outside the SBC Conference. I was touched by his willingness to walk across the street to witness to these folks, and his heart for their children. An official interview with the church itself is next, followed by Buice's clear response. The paper concludes with the story of death of the great missionary Jim Elliot, who gave his life spreading the glory and love of God to the Auca Indians of South America.

This article exposes the hatred and ignorance of the Westboro church, and best of all, Buice explains the true gospel that the Scriptures teach.

The Westboro Baptist Church has a skewed view of the Gospel which leads to a very skewed view of missions. Their view of missions is to spread a vile form of hatred mixed with the Old Testament law regarding passages of judgment without moving toward the answer to that judgment which is propitiation through Jesus Christ our Lord. It seems like a strange mixture of hyper-hatred + hyper-Calvinism put into a blender and mixed together. It simply does not make sense. How can people find so much joy and fulfillment in telling people they are damned?

To believe in the sovereignty of God is one thing, but to hide the good news from people who are damned is another! I pray for Westboro Baptist Church. My desire is to see them saved and spared from their incorrect understanding of our God. Yes, God is a God of wrath, but He is also a God of love and mercy. We must be faithful to spread the truth about Him in both respects - God judges Sin, but He saves on the basis of Jesus Christ and His blood sacrifice.