The right of free expression?
Right along with book burnings, lynchings, and shouting "Fire" in a theater?
The father of a Marine, at whose funeral the sad-faced wackos from Westboro Baptism Church protested, has successfully filed a lawsuit and won 11.1 million dollar judgment against them.
These sad folks, with placards held high, give thanks for every dead soldier; yup, that's right. According to their skewed sense of things, soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan because of America's tolerance for homosexuals.
A little festering pocket of hatred, the folks of Westboro, nearly all of whom are related, have lost their bearings with regard to the gospel.
Hatred has a life of it's own, and when welcomed and nurtured with fear and prejudice, it becomes the master.
A chilling reminder to every person of faith - that fervor is a kissin' cousin to fanaticism ... and the only hedge against the drift into darkness is the constant practice of love and kindness.
Looking to Jesus always and again ... who welcomed everyone, who spoke kindly to the woman presented for stoning, who brought Zacchaeus down from his tree, who accepted the bad behavior of his disciples, who stood mute in trial and carried the cross to Calvary, and when pinned to the cross, helpless and alone, He cried out, "Father, forgive them."
Indeed, "Father, forgive the Westboro folk" and may they come to their senses, and if not, may the law suit at least cripple them sufficiently to put them out of business.
And may the goodness of God surround those families who have had their suffering multipled by the foolish and evil machinations of Westboro.
