Westboro Baptist Church and Bombings in Boston

Last Monday, a horrible tragedy struck Boston. Two crudely fashioned bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing 3 and injuring 175 runners. This seemed to hit home for me: both my sister and Dad were in Boston on Monday, and although neither of them were hurt, the terror evoked on that day seemed very real to me. In a time when everyone is shaken by this act and in the process of mourning, there are people who see it differently.

The Westboro Baptist church are these people who see it differently. According to an article by Steven Nelson titled "Westboro Baptist Church Plans to Picket Boston Funerals", the members of the church "celebrated this carnage" and claimed that it was God's way of punishing the same-sex marriage that was first made legal in Massachusetts. They plan to picket the 3 funerals of those who were killed. A disturbing tweet was sent from one of the members of the church saying "Westboro Baptist Church to picket funerals of those dead by Boston Bombs! GOD SENT THE BOMBS IN FURY OVER FAG MARRIAGE! #PraiseGod".

I find it incredibly disturbing that these people are preaching such hate in the name of God. When families are in the midst of painful grieving, the last thing they want to hear is that God meant to kill their loved one out of spite and revenge for granting same sex marriage. I don't understand how anyone could see God as a wrathful being who should be feared, and how anyone could find inner peace and contentment with worshiping such a being. I really hope someone stops them from picketing the funerals, this is such a disgrace to Christianity and humanity.

If God had bombed and killed their children and relatives in the Boston Marathon race, would they react differently? We must give compassion and love to those who are grieving, because it could have happened to any of us.

Find the article I got my information from here.