Fred Phelps is Dead. Our Thoughts.

It was September of 1999 when our little site took off - namely because an anonymous benefactor redirected godhatesfags.com to our URL - godlovesfags.com - and we figured we should do something positive with the site.

Times have changed a lot - marriage is legal in several states and seems to be on a trajectory to be broadly legal across the U.S. in a matter of years. Acceptance of gay and lesbians in general is at an all time high, though there is still work to be done.

One thing that hasn't changed is the message from the Phelps clan. Despite losing a significant lawsuit in 2007 (the last post on this blog) they have continued to protest and preach hate.

Inevitably, with the news this morning of the death of Fred Phelps, Sr. we've had many ask us what we think of his death. And honestly, the answer is we haven't really thought about it.

Phelps was the founder of Westboro Baptist Chuch, but recently became just a figurehead - and one who became irrelevant to the church leadership, so much so they recently threw him out.

We still believe the Fred Phelps was a misguided man. One who had a strong belief in what God wanted him to do. A belief that is in direct contradiction to the loving, kind God we feel in our own lives.

His passing leaves us neither pleased (as some would assume) nor displeased. It's not our place to judge him or his actions.

Some loved the man. Some hated the man. We simply felt it was our place to offer a counter-balance to the hate the church he founded preached. His passing doesn't change that. And as such, leaves us neutral.

Westboro Baptist Church will go on. They've proven they can do that without him.

Fred Phelps, by his own belief, has now come face to face with his creator to be judged for the man he was.

And we'll leave it at that.