Hackers and Westboro Baptist Church Square Off!

The Westboro Baptist Church, better known as the Fred Phelps family cult, never fails to raise ire in anyone who has even a cursory understanding of Jesus message of love, inclusion and compassion.  Fortunately, most of the folks I know whose blood pressure automatically rises when they see the utter crap these sad folks spew have learned to ignore them.  The Phelps cult thrives on publicity and deprived of it, they look exactly like what they really are, as sad little group of disturbed hate-filled people.

My friends and myself, though we have encountered the WBC folks on several occasions, now give them a wide berth.  Their whole trick seems to be to aggravate people to the point of assault and then sue for damages.  To seriously consider them in any way representing God's message makes me glad it is not a God that I believe in.

Meanwhile, their hateful web site has been hacked by a group calling itself "Anonymous".  It may or may not be the same group that disabled Hosni Mubarak's websites during the Egyptian revolt as they claim, but now they have chosen the Phelps cult as their latest target.  They temporarily disabled the WBC website and issued a letter which follows:

TO THE CONGREGANTS OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH:

    We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People - have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.
    Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.
    Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man - except for yourselves - has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.

    ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
    Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.

    The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.

 Well as I expected, Westboro Baptist Church will not be denied the added publicity this gives them.  Their response begins:

"Open Letter from Westboro Baptist Servants of God to Anonymous Coward Crybaby 'Hackers'             BRING IT!"

 So to those who follow this stuff, it should be interesting as the folks living in their mom's basement square off against the trailer park wackos with the storefront church.  Stay tuned.

Me, I am not taking sides, but if WBC disappeared from the web, it wouldn't upset me at all.