This is Evil

No matter where you stand on the war in Iraq, or on homosexuality, can we at least agree that this behavior is beyond the pale of decency?

From the Washington Post today about a group of picketers outside Walter Reed Army Medical Center:

Phelps and his followers have shown up with their placards at soldiers' funerals in Maryland, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky and elsewhere. Yesterday, he said: "They are not heroes. They chose to fight for a sodomite nation.... God almighty has killed these soldiers to inflict pain upon an evil nation, a severe stroke of divine judgment, retribution and vengeance."

To be clear, the placards they are carrying say things like "Thank God for maimed soldiers" and "God Hates America." Their justification? According to Phelps's daughter, "Every soldier in that building has been maimed by the Lord ~ a direct judgment upon this nation for its perversions and its rejection of His word."

I cannot recognize their actions or attitudes as Christian, no matter how they describe themselves. In my view, these religious zealots are none other than kissing cousins to the fundamentalist Islamic terrorists who rejoice in the wounds they inflict on the infidels.

Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you is a very difficult teaching. These people are really hard to love; for now, I'll have to let God do the loving while I work on, at least, not hating.