Steve Jobs' Funeral to be Picketed by Westboro Baptist Church for His 'Sins'
The funeral of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be picketed by the extremist Westboro Baptist Church, spokeswoman Margie Phelps announced via Twitter Thursday.
The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., has about 70 members, mostly the family of founder Fred Phelps. With their demonstrations at the funerals of celebrities and American soldiers, carrying messages like Thank God for dead soldiers and Thank God for 9/11, the church has risen to international infamy.
Margie Phelps, who is a lawyer by profession, was among the Phelps family members who tweeted about Jobs' death using Apple products. The Westboro members say God is punishing America for its tolerance of sin, homosexuality and abortion.
Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin, Phelps tweeted Wednesday night using her Apple iPhone.
When others revealed that she had made the announcement through an iPhone, Phelps replied, Rebels mad cuz I used iPhone to tell you Steve Jobs is in hell. God created iPhone for that purpose!
The many funerals Westboro has picketed include those of Elizabeth Edwards and the victims of the January Tucson, Ariz., shootings.
Reaction on Twitter has been outraged.
Westboro Baptist Church is a disgrace to all of us who call themselves 'Christians.' Theirs is a religion of hate, mine is of love and hope, Stephen Christian tweeted.
Westboro Baptist Church picketing Steve Jobs funeral? Can we legally remove the word Church from their name? Doesn't fit there, Lino Rulli tweeted.
Unbelievable...I'm speechless. Not a church group...a Hate Group, wrote another Tweeter user, Chris O'Neil.
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