Fred Phelps "on the edge of death"

[Bob Kelso]

Pastor Fred Phelps, founder of the loathsome Westboro Baptist Church and since kicked out, doesn't have much time left according to this Facebook posting by his estranged son Nate:

I've learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the "God Hates Fags" Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the "church" back in August of 2013. He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made.

I feel sad for all the hurt he's caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I'm bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.

So far there's been no mention on their site, blog or Twitter feed.

Though it would be churlish to take joy over the death of another, even one as hateful as Phelps Sr has been in life, as Hemant Mehta of the Foundation Beyond Belief wrote on the Friendly Atheist blog would it "make a larger statement to picket his eventual funeral or ignore it and turn the other cheek"?

I recently had this conversation with a coworker of mine, he was of the opinion that people should picket or otherwise harass Phelps' funeral while I'm of the opinion that if you detest his actions then one shouldn't stoop to his level. While the world would be demonstrably better without reprehensible slime like the WBC one shouldn't revel in their deaths or place yourself on their own, disgusting level.