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Kansas Church Plans Protest at Soldier's Funeral in Beaumont
October 4,2006
Members of a church from Kansas say they're planning to picket outside of a soldier's funeral service in Beaumont.
28 year old Edward Reynolds was killed September 25 in Iraq. His funeral is this Saturday at Borden Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. Visitation begins at 10 a.m. The funeral begins at 2 p.m.
Reynolds was engaged and has three children.
Ten to twelve members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, plan to protest outside the funeral service, not because of anything Reynolds did, but because the Kansas church believes the soldiers are fighting for a U.S. government that is not tough enough against homosexuals. The church has conducted similar protests at soldiers' funerals across the nation.
During a telephone interview with KFDM News on Tuesday afternoon, church spokesman Jonathan Phelps talked about the group's beliefs.
"Our church has been in existence since 1955," said Phelps. "About 16 years ago, we took to the streets, preaching with picket signs. Our core message: God hates fags. What has happened, when we took to the streets, it became clear this is a nation that has fully embraced that lifestyle, therefore exhibiting it is in the same boat as the ancient Sodom. The Bible is clear: if you go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah, you're doomed."
Phelps claims because of the church's beliefs, the government began a 15 year "reign of terror" against the church.
"All of the institutions have joined in with that, including the military," said Phelps. "These soldiers who are coming back increasingly in body bags are the direct result of the wrath of God. They couldn't be marching down Main Street if we didn't have a nation of fornicators and adulterers. What gets God raging mad is when this nation has turned on its prophet. God is now fighting against the nation. We're testifying that you cannot fight for this country and against God. Not just because they've associated themselves with the military. Our position is that a soldier knows this is a country that enables homosexuality, and fights for the nation anyway."
We asked Phelps why his church members have chosen to protest at the funerals of soldiers.
"If families didn't turn funerals into patriotic pep rallies, we wouldn't travel to Beaumont, Texas," said Phelps. "But they're saying 'God bless America,' and we feel like we have to make sure our message is heard. This is a big patriotic pep rally and they don't want any dissenters. This is the only legitimate forum to send our message."
Phelps said the church doesn't believe God has blessed America. Instead, he says members of the church believe God has turned against America because of what he calls our government's support for immoral behavior.
Airon Reynolds is the pastor at Borden Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. He's also the soldier's cousin.
We asked him about the planned protest.
"It's an act of desecration," said Reynolds. "He was only doing his patriotic duty. To have any form of a protest is almost an act of blasphemy, because they say they're doing it in the name of God, and God would have nothing to do with such a thing."
Congress has passed a bill that mandates protestors remain at least 500 feet from a funeral service. Here is the text of the bill:
§ 42.055. FUNERAL SERVICE DISRUPTIONS. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Facility" means a building at which any portion of a funeral service takes place, including a funeral parlor, mortuary, private home, or established place of worship.
(2) "Funeral service" means a ceremony, procession, or memorial service, including a wake or viewing, held in connection with the burial or cremation of the dead.
(3) "Picketing" means:
(A) standing, sitting, or repeated walking, riding, driving, or other similar action by a person displaying or carrying a banner, placard, or sign;
(B) engaging in loud singing, chanting,
whistling, or yelling, with or without noise amplification through a device such as a bullhorn or microphone; or
(C) blocking access to a facility or cemetery being used for a funeral service.
(b) A person commits an offense if, during the period beginning one hour before the service begins and ending one hour after the service is completed, the person engages in picketing within 500 feet of a facility or cemetery being used for a funeral service.
(c) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.
Added by Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch. 2, § 1, eff. May 19,
A procession escorting Sergeant Reynolds' body is expected to arrive in Beaumont late Wednesday afternoon.
The public is invited to show its support for the sergeant's family.
For more information about the route, look at the next story on our web page.
scottl@kfdm.com
and when the time comes he will remember them