Heath Ledger Found Dead

[IrishJedi]

Seriously, how can anyone take people seriously (other than seriously wanting to kick their asses) who carry around signs that say this:

God Hates You
God Hates Your Tears
God Hates Fag Enablers
God Is Your Enemy
Thank God for 9/11
Thank God for the Tsunami
Thank God for Katrina[26]
Thank God for Dead Soldiers
Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices)
Thank God for California fires
Thank God for AIDS
Fag Santa (carried at Christmas time)

:emperor:emperor:emperor:emperor:emperor

 

[MaulFan]

To be honest, I am Christian and a core Christian goal is to "witness" to nonChristians and turn them into Christians. Now, the bible is a little hard to decifer how to do that, so you've gotten a lot of history of, lets say "harsh" conversions and other things to get the point across.

Some tact is needed to be affective IMO, but not everyone believes that obviously.

That's all fine, I won't get far into my religious background, but I believe in promoting your faith to others. It's not the same, but you can equate it almost to like telling someone to go see a movie because you saw it and liked it. You have your faith, you believe in it and you want to see others share in because of how much you believe it, but as you say, it does take tact and somehow some people have gotten the impression that extremism is the way to make your point, when most often, it just pisses people off. If this group really believes poorly because of his involvement in a homesexually themed film, fine, if anything, they should go to the funeral to pray for his soul instead of condemn him.

 

[Darth Caedus]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

They hate Catholics and the Irish too, so I am officially one of their enemies. I feel privileged.

Well, I am Irish and "raised" Catholic, I give a big F.U. to them

 

[pixletwin]

I had Whoppers for breakfast.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Seriously, how can anyone take people seriously (other than seriously wanting to kick their asses) who carry around signs that say this:



:emperor:emperor:emperor:emperor:emperor

I can't, but as I said, there are a lot of people out there who feel the only way to get their point across is to be extreme about it.

 

[pixletwin]

I had Whoppers for breakfast.

Oh, and they were delicious.

 

[DarkArtist81]

Oh, and they were delicious.

Whoppers are awesome.

 

[Bannister]

Whoppers are awesome.

 

[Boba Fett]

Well, before this thread gets eventually closed, I would like to express my condolences to Heath's family and to his daughter. It's sad that such a good talent of an actor had to pass away so early.

To me, I thought he nailed the role of Joker and I think he will be remembered for that coming this summer.

R.I.P. Heath.

 

[IrishJedi]

I had Whoppers for breakfast.

God hates you!

 

[ProgMatinee]

God Hates Whoppers.

 

[pixletwin]

God Hates Whoppers.

But they were GOOD, DAMN YOU!!!!!??!!

 

[Wetanut]

Regarding Westboro Baptist "Church" and the Rev Phelps. Folks, no right thinking human being here in Kansas or anywhere else takes these people seriously. Really. Phelps is considered, at best, a whacko and laughable, and at worst, a very very sick person. Having been involved in an activity targeted by them as immoral (live theatre), I and my cohorts have had the honor of being picketed and called all kinds of interesting names. Trust me, they want and desperately need attention. Continuing to discuss these people gives them exactly what they seek. Don't give them the satisfaction? How about putting this thread to rest until we can find out what ACTUALLY happened to Ledger?

 

[tomandshell]

Letting the Westboro lunatics represent the average American Christian would be like letting Bin Laden represent the average Muslim. It is tempting to take the most extreme fringe caricatures and let them speak for a larger group that has nothing to do with them--while that makes more entertaining television news, the Christians and Muslims that I know are turned off by the extremists even more, because they themselves can be made to seem guilty by association. Judging good people by such a twisted exception to the rule simply breeds misunderstanding and frustration. America is going to be in real trouble if we assume that all of our Muslim neighbors are suicide bombers and our Christian neighbors are all picketing funerals with signs that say "God Hates Fags."

The average Christian will tell you that the Westboro lunatics have grossly distorted and ignored the message of the Bible to get where they are, and the average Muslim will tell you the same about what the Taliban has done with the Koran.

 

[pixletwin]

Maybe we should send them Whoppers. I am sure the malt and chocolaty goodness will help them see the light and stop the hate.

 

[Bannister]

Maybe we should send them Whoppers. I am sure the malt and chocolaty goodness will help them see the light and stop the hate.

 

[Ktjn]

Eric Roberts is on foxnews now, if anyone cares.

says jack and Heaths jokers are different. Interesting.

 

[The Mike]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

They hate Catholics and the Irish too, so I am officially one of their enemies. I feel privileged.

Hey I'm Catholic! I'm in the hated group!

Here are a couple of the WBC's highlights:

When Kevin Oldham, a homosexual musician, died of AIDS-related causes in 1993, Phelps Sr. sent a photo of Kevin to his parents. The photo contained the caption: "Kevin Oldham: Dead Fag".

The group came into the national spotlight in 1998, when they were featured on CNN for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man from Wyoming who was beaten to death by two men because of his homosexuality. Phelps Sr. claimed that Shepard's murder was unjust (and the Westboro's website states that Shepard's murderers face the same fate as Shepard – eternity in hell unless they repent), his overt activism against Shepard's sexual orientation, regardless of the mourning of Shepard's family and friends (he called Shepard's mother, Judy, a whore and a "mother from Hell" during the memorial service and told her she'd "soon be joining Matthew").

On Westboro's website, Phelps Sr. maintains a "Perpetual Gospel Memorial" to Shepard. There is a similar "memorial" to Diane Whipple, a lesbian woman killed in a dog attack. Some direct quotes/images from the Shepard page:

A photograph of Matthew Shepard's face with animated flames dancing across it. When the cursor is moved across his face, viewers with a sound card will hear screams and a high-pitched voice shrieking "For God's sake, listen to Phelps!"

A counter which displays how many days Matthew Shepard has "Been in Hell".


The group has also picketed Billy Graham revivals, alleging that the evangelist will burn in Hell for failing to propagate the "God Hates Fags" doctrine. In October 2004, the group protested Graham's mass meetings, calling the 85 year-old preacher a "Hell-bound false prophet".

In press releases, WBC referred to Topeka mayor James McClinton as a "wife-beating tyrant". McClinton, who is black, was portrayed in the press release as a gorilla in a suit with a swastika armband.


A WBC member picketing the memorial in Buckhannon, West Virginia on January 15, 2006, Westboro members protested the memorial of 2006 Sago Mine disaster victims claiming that the mining accident was God's revenge against America for its tolerance of homosexuality.

The Westboro Baptist Church declared its intention to picket the funerals of other soldiers as well and did so in August 2005. A group from the church protested at the funeral of Spc. Edward Myers, a soldier from St. Joseph, Missouri, who died in Iraq. Shirley Phelps-Roper (one of Phelps Sr.'s daughters and the main author of the WBC Epics and Hate Letters) told a television reporter, "Who would serve a nation that is Godless and has flipped off, defiantly defied, defiantly flipped off, the Lord their God?" She then reiterated her belief that Myers was burning in Hell.

After University of Missouri coach Kyle Hawkins "came out" as openly homosexual, WBC members announced plans to picket the University and all of Missouri's lacrosse games.

In the wake of the Amish school shooting, members of Westboro Baptist Church planned on picketing the funerals of the five girls killed in the shooting. Their signs were going to call the girls "whores" and that they are "burning in hell". In an attempt to stop them, news radio personality/host Mike Gallagher attempted to dissuade them. After WBC first rejected a monetary offer, Gallagher offered them an hour of unrestricted airtime on his show. WBC accepted, and the picket was called off.

In February of 2007, the WBC threatened to picket the funeral of ten Bardstown, Kentucky family members who died in a fire as well as a similar one in Tennessee where four children died in a fire. In both instances, fliers were sent to the communities stating that God “hates” both states “for promoting sodomy and immorality” and for the states “rabidly persecuting” the church. However, on the Friday before the Bardstown funerals, the church elected to use an hour of radio time to promote their message.

The WBC has also been picketing against Sweden because the pastor Åke Green was convicted for hate speech after having called homosexuality a cancer in one of his sermons. WBC has also been sending abusive faxes to Princess Madeleine of Sweden.

On the day of the April 16, 2007 campus massacre on the Virginia Tech campus, the church declared its intent to protest the funerals of the students killed. In a deal similar to that struck for the victims of the Amish school shooting, Gallagher and the church have independently announced that the church has agreed to not protest these funerals in lieu of three hours of unrestricted airtime on his show.

On August 2, 2007 they have announced they will be picketing those who have died when the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapsed.

On December 6, 2007 they announced they would be present at the December 8, 2007 re-opening of Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska to "thank God" for the Westroads Mall massacre and would be present at the victims' funerals.

On January 22, 2008 they announced they will be picketing at Heath Ledger's funeral.

Shirley Phelps is routinely on the Adam Carolla show having to defend her policies she often contradicts herself and returns to the same "God Hates Fags" rhetoric. She believes and many in the WBC believe that any "glorification" or "support" of homosexuality is as bad as doing it yourself and you deserve the eternal fire for "making fun" of the Lord's doctorine. If you've ever heard her actually speak she is actually very well-spoken but her messages or interviewing skills are always skewed or off leaving her open for ridicule....

 

[The Mike]

Eric Roberts is on foxnews now, if anyone cares.

says jack and Heaths jokers are different. Interesting.

This is nothing new. Jack Nicholson's Joker was done more humorous and slapsticky paying homage to the Joker's before him but undoubtedly Jack Nicholson. Nolan wanted his Joker to be really jaded and even darker than what was in the comics.....there was no real way that there portrayals could have been the same...

 

[Les Walker]

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain, and am not that interested in it, but I accept it for the class act it must be for them to honor him with an Oscar nod for it. And bear him no grudges about having made it. I really enjoyed his other roles, namely A Knight's Tale, one of my favorite movies ever, so who cares.

Add to this, I have an absolute abhorance of religious zealotry that goes way back. For personal reasons I don't discuss my personal beliefs, as I refuse to gauge true friends on those merits. Those are sacred and personal beliefs, and I have no say in what another person thinks. Nor will I ever try to assuage some soul on my belief's behalf. Not that that is always a bad thing. I respect anyone who humbly asserts to try and share their beliefs with others that are willing to listen. Such is the foundation of shared goodness. At times.

Anyway...

But this ad, this THING so posted in here...man...that is beneath all dignity in my mind. Such judgementalism is beneath all of us and should be ignored. I certainly will. Decrying a dead soul, especially one so respected, is just an attempt at attention. That is all. Sad, and sorry.

I think Pix is right. Time to discuss Whoppers. That makes a whole lot more sense. Thanks Pix. You made me smile in the midst of this. Much obliged.

Now, moving on. Hope that we learn what happened, and that his family and daughter can get past this sad time intact. I pray for that. I pray for his child.
And, I hope his performance in Dark Knight only adds to his legend and we all look on him and his all-too-short career in wonder.