Here's A Quaker Action Evangelicals Seem A Little Shy On

Westboro Church Meets Its Match 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2010/11/westboro_church_meets_its_matc.html

In Lamar, Mo. the Patriot Guard and others use flags to block Westboro Baptist Church protester at Army Pfc. Dylan T. Reid's funeral Oct. 30. (Emily Younker/AP)

"For years, bright, rainbow-colored signs have greeted family members on their way to one of the worst events in their lives: a loved one's funeral. Rather than giving them comfort and aid, the signs celebrate the death and curse the country that the dead men and women fought for.

"Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, based in Kansas, have attended hundreds of military funerals toting signs that read, "God Hates the USA" or "Thank God for 9/11." They call the deaths punishment for Americans' immorality. Their actions have created outrage and anger throughout the country, and they have been taken to the Supreme Court in a case that pits free speech against the privacy owed a grieving family burying a son or daughter.

"While the case isn't likely to be decided until next summer, the church, consisting almost entirely of the family members of its founder, the Rev. Fred W. Phelps, continues picketing funerals.

"But rather than waiting for a court decision, counter-protesters are fighting Westboro with the church's own weapon: protests, staged to block the Westboro signs. Bikers' groups have patrolled funerals to hide the sight of the Westboro Church members. For a recent funeral in Lamar, Mo., hundreds of people lined the street waving American flags in front of the Westboro protesters."

from:  Westboro Church meets its match in counter-protesters,

 By Melissa Bell (The Washington Post)

We Quakers weren't there.  Leastwise as far as I know.  But we should have been.  Historically we wold have been.  Hundreds of funerals earlier we would have been. And we Evangelical Friends should have been front and center, leading the way.  After all it is our Christ whose name was being dragged through the mud.  It is His Church that was being defiled by this groups actions.

When law and the enforcement of law stand against compassion, kindness, and gentleness Christians can do something.  Since Acts 5:28-30 Christians have been doing something. Not just talking but doing. Titus 3:1 and Romans 13:1-6 not withstanding, situations where individuals and the churches have chosen to obey God rather than man have been some of the most powerful evangelistic and image building actions for the Name of Christ in a hostile world.


On The Crest Of The Wave

In fact Christians should be on the Crest of the Wave.  We should be leading the action.  We should be creating the solutions like Lamar, Mo and the following town did in the face of the Christ defying, Christ shaming, actions of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas:



"And in a different town on Saturday, the Westboro members never even made it to the protest. Nearly a quarter of the residents of Weston, Mo., turned out with huge American flags and patriotic music. When church members saw the crowd, they left the funeral." by Melissa Bell (see above)

Christians should be leading the action.  When  you grasp that watch out!  You can expect, you should be wanting, a transformation.