I heard an interview today with Megan Phelps, the granddaughter
of the infamous Fred Phelps, reverend of the Westboro Baptist Church. She and
her sister left the church a few years ago, and in the interview she describes
what it was like to grow up in and be a part of the fundamentalist, hate-mongering
group.
One of the most interesting things she described was how her
family (which makes up most of the church's seventy or so members) were as
individuals. She describes them as loving, as teaching her the importance of
being kind and polite and of getting good grades in school and contributing to
society. They see the hateful signs they hold while picketing as messages of
love. When they hold up a sign that says, "God hates fags," they
don't see themselves as expressing something hateful, but as informing people of
the error of their ways so that their fellow countrymen may repent and save
their country from God's wrath in this world and themselves from an eternity of
torture in Hell in the next. They do this out of love of their fellow man in an
attempt to save them, not out of hatred.
I can't help but draw parallels with the Chareidi world. Not
with the picketing and hateful signs. Most Chareidim are not so crass. But with
the people who are warm as individuals and obnoxious as a group. With the
people who say awful things about others, and sincerely believe they are just
giving mussar. With the people who justify distasteful attitudes and behaviors
with passages from holy texts and a conviction that they are doing the will of
God.
It never ceases to fascinate me how different religions all
follow the same patterns. The details differ, but the outlines are the same.
