The Cult at Westboro

Part of me hates to dignify the Westboro Cult with a blog post, but in light of the tragedy in Connecticut, the Mephistophelian fringe of Topeka has resurfaced, grinding on American consciousness. The inconsistencies between Westboro’s message and biblical Christianity are immediately evident, and much tedious effort could be given to their ill-informed use of scripture. But more fundamental errors are at work in Westboro.

The most observable trait of the group is its inflammatory speech, which by definition is designed to arouse anger and hostility. This seems to be completely antithetical to the rules of engagement exemplified by the Apostles. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:6, “Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”

There’re generally two types of discourse on either side of controversy, seditious and conciliatory, both with different outcomes. One produces strife, the other curiosity. If Westboro had any God-ordained mission to win converts, they would heed Proverbs 16:21 which reminds us, “pleasant speech increases learning.”

But it’s not only the tenor of Westboro’s rhetoric that’s problematic, but also the content of their rant, or lack thereof. Not the faintest resemblance of the biblical gospel can be found in Westboro’s message, but rather they rail almost solely against homosexuality. They fail to communicate enough doctrine to even be accused of preaching a false gospel. As a result, there message only qualifies as the hateful raving of misguided souls, led by the Enemy himself. Truly a tragic masquerade.

Westboro is also unwilling to entertain offers of correction. Their website reportedly says, “Zero is the number of nanoseconds of sleep we lose over the opinions of others.” Being willfully unteachable is a dangerous state, even for true believers. Proverbs 19:27 says, “If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.”

So what needs to be said? Numbers 14:18 says, “The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished.”

Yes, God is good. He is so good, He will punish evil. If a man who breaks the law comes before a judge, and that judge fails to bring justice to bear upon the situation, he would be considered a poor judge. God is a perfect judge, and will bring perfect justice to bear upon the sin of mankind, which includes us all.

Yet, there is another dimension of God’s goodness which is displayed in His mercy. God offers the sinner forgiveness on the grounds that He himself provided a means for justice to be done. The message of Christmas is God becoming a man. This Jesus Christ lived the sinless life we should have lived, a life of perfect trust in the Father. Then He died on the cross, receiving in Himself all the Father’s wrath for our sins. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, displaying the sufficiency of His sacrifice to appease Divine justice, therefore validating His offer of mercy to the weary sinner.

“Therefore repent and turn back, that your sins may be wiped out so that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” Acts 3:19.

Image Credit