Filmed for the BBC, this is a documentary trying to make sense of the madness that dominates the members of the Westboro Baptist Church led by Pastor Fred Phelps. The congregation is comprised almost exclusively by Phelps family members.
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. (born November 13, 1929) is an American pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas. His church is monitored as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center. He is a disbarred lawyer, founder of the Phelps Chartered law firm and previous candidate for political office and was a civil rights activist in Kansas. He and his daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, are banned from entering the United Kingdom. He and his family are notorious for their anti-gay protests, claiming that most natural disasters and terrorist attacks are God’s punishment for a society that tolerates homosexuality.
Phelps says he is an old school Baptist, and holds to all five points of Calvinism. Phelps particularly highlights John Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional election, the belief that God has elected certain people for salvation before birth, and limited atonement, the belief that Christ only died for the elect, and condemns those who believe otherwise.
Phelps views Arminianism (particularly the views of the Methodist theologian William Munsey) as a “worse blasphemy and heresy than that heard in all filthy Saturday night fag bars in the aggregate in the world.” In addition to John Calvin, Phelps admires Martin Luther, Bob Jones, Sr., John Gill, and has stated that “what this country needs is 50 Jonathan Edwardses turned loose in it.” Fred Phelps particularly holds to equal ultimacy, believing that “God Almighty makes some willing and he leads others into sin,” although Phelps denies being a hyper-Calvinist, even though he is.
Phelps is against common practices like Sunday school meetings, Bible colleges and seminaries, and multi-denominational crusades, although he attended Bob Jones University and worked with Billy Graham in his Los Angeles Crusade. Phelps accused Graham of changing his views on a literal Hell and salvation outside of Jesus Christ. Billy Graham has always taught the same gospel for 60 years. Anyone is free to visit Graham’s website to check for themselves http://www.bgea.org Phelps considers Graham the greatest false prophet since Balaam, and also condemns large church leaders such as Jerry Falwell, in addition to all current Catholics. Most Calvinists oppose Billy Graham.
Other Calvinists, such as James White, do not acknowledge Phelps. Even though James is a 5 point Calvinist. White claims God ordains everything, even child molestation and rape. Calvinists call this doctrine ‘determinism’, which means we have no freewill and that God determines everything that occurs, even the HOLOCAUST.
Determinism – The doctrine that all acts of the will and events in time are decreed & ordained by God.
John Wesley called Calvinism blasphemy and rightfully so.
Calvinism is extremely anti-semitic. It makes no sense for Calvinists to say they love Israel or the Jews, yet buy into a belief system that maintains God ordained 6 million Jews to be slaughtered. Dave Hunt gave the perfect title to his book about Calvinism…. ” What Love is This?” There is no love or salvation to be found in Calvinism (Reformed Theology).
The Calvinist who preaches, teaches and witnesses the Gospel is in reality lying to people who hear him and he’s doing so in Jesus’ name. It is a lie to tell a man that if he will believe in Jesus Christ that he shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10) while, at the same time, believing and teaching God has already done the choosing. (cont. Part 7)
Calvinist preachers:
James White, John MacArthur, John Piper, Paul Washer, and Matt Slick who owns http://www.CARM.org
1 Timothy 4:1 ¶Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Peter 2:1 ¶But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.