Posted by Hemant Mehta in If Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church are protesting in your area, you should take a lesson from the good people in Arkansas.
The Central Arkansas Pastafarians group made an appearance next to the Phelps’ protest (not coincidentally during International Talk Like a Pirate Day) and managed to drive the group away!
Yep, the cuckoo Phelps hate group walked the plank this morning after a happy bunch dressed like pirates and holding signs saying “God hates shrimp — Leviticus” and “God hates cotton-polyester blends” stood opposite them at the corner of Markham and Scott streets. The group, made up of Central Arkansas Pastafarians, waved swords and growled “Arrghh!” in a manner that would have made Abbie Hoffman proud.
With cars honking and waving at the pirates and a TV crew giving them all the attention, the Phelps group — with a child in tow, sadly — picked up their “fag” epithets and went away. Pitiful.
*Applause*
Well done, Pastafarians. Well done.
(Thanks to Phil for the link!)
Arrrr, this be Brilliant, says I! *claps heartily*
Fucking awesome! I guess that tops Brother Jed Smock’s appearance at Missouri State Univ. last year, when the Pastafarians at said school surrounded & out-shouted said fundy.
Six clips of said incident:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tsukmeibols
Beautiful
Awesome!
The thought occurred to me just now…does anyone know if any of their protests have ever been shut down by another group of Christians?
Considering that the Phelps are not supposed to be ‘normal’ Christians by other Christian groups, I am wondering why it took a group of atheists in pirate clothes to do what should be done at every Phelps’ rally by Christians who disagree with their hateful message.
This is FABULOUS, and exactly the right way to treat hate groups…they are ridiculous, and deserve to be ridiculed.
Bravo!
Members of my church (a UCC congregation) went to protest the Westboro Baptist Church’s protest. So yes, there are Christian groups who protest their events.
It really is assuring when a more rational and effective response to Phelps’ bigoted rantings is “AARRRRRRGHHHH”.
I kinda like them for the entertainment value.
Uh-oh….. I can see Westboro’s next website. “GodHatesPirates.com”
What a great idea though! Every time those Westboro freaks show up in town, let the nearest Pastafarians, Parrothead club members, and everyone else who wants to join in counter-protest. Hey, maybe even that FreeCreditReport.com guy might show up dressed in his seafood restaurant pirate garb and serve some chowder…..
Love it… finally, a group that has learned how to fight these useless humans. Hate has no place…. Arghhhh!
Yes, thank you Pastafarians. Somebody asked why Christians don’t usually do something like that, especially since its our image being tarnished. I think it mostly comes down to fear in some way or another: fear of showing clear division and generally of breaking out of the usual feeling that we need to be gentle with each other even when someone is blatantly wrong and hateful. And thanks to those few Christians who have stepped out and protested because we need more of it.
Arrrrrrrr matey! I be glad to see some good pirates makin’ that Phelps clan walk the plank! Arrr!
Wonderful. It is great to see the power of comedy. A postive response that drove away the hate crowd. This should be a blue print for all of the counter protests. And the counter protestors should point out that they are atheists and ask where the christians are who claim that they disagree with Phelps.
[...] by KTC on 21 September, 2008 I really needed this story. My day’s been going not so well. It’s nice to have something good to [...]
You know if Phelps isn’t careful, his group could come off as anti-gay.
Nothing like men in eyeliner to scare away ol’ Phelps.
yogamama7 and Ryan, I’m very encouraged to hear Christians talk of protesting against Phelps and other hate mongers who corrupt your faith. Good for you. Between your gentle marchers and our jolly pirates we’ll rout the scurvy blaggards! Arrrrgh!
Some time ago I saw a video of the Phelps clan (back when Fred still toured with them) doing one of their protests. Suddenly a small RV pulled up and out poured several flamboyant gay men clad in bright, spangled clothing. The men proceeded to make quite a spectacle of themselves kissing each other and making racy though never obscene comments to the Phelps group.
At one point the Phelps family actually picked up everything and moved on, but the men followed them along with their video camera. Once Fred realized they weren’t going to lose their “fans” they decided to give up their protest for the day.
It just goes to show they’re really cowards under all that bluster.
Buffy,
The video to which you referred may be from an episode of Michael Moore’s ‘The Awful Truth’, where he drove up to a few WBC rallies in a big pink RV, called “The Sodomobile”, that was packed with enough flamboyance to run off Fred himself.
Buffy:
Is this the one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_fAYl4Th4
[...] Mary handed us (yet again!) something new to look at - a nugget mined from the 1940 Hymnyniminal - and she laid out her plans for gradually differentiating the service music and even some special anthems between the 9am and 11am services. We’ll be one choir for monthly anthem Sundays, where we sing both services. This was in reaction to a growing feeling that if we’re going to sing out of different hymnals for the program year, why do we keep using the Gather service music at the early service? I’m afraid I’m one of the murmurers, but Mary clearly wants to do it this way too, so I’m happy with it as long as no one is truly bothered by the prospect of a “two churches under one roof” split along musical battle lines. I don’t think this is the case; it’s a stylistic choice and also a matter of “whatever floats yer boat (ARRRR!! in honor of The Great Observance of the Feast of the 19th of September)” [...]
Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!! Fantastic even! Bout time, I am sick of these loony bin rejects (the Phelps’)and their obnoxious protests! I raise a pint of rum to the pirates for fending them off their city streets! Bravo!