On Tachmonites

Update: “Why the Westboro Baptist Church is a Scam” — interesting insight from a SomethingAwful Forums thread, surmising that the “Church” is actually a litigatory racket whose modus operandi is provocation aimed at collecting income from free speech settlements.

Most people assume that Fred Phelps (of Westboro Baptist Church/”God Hates Fags” infamy) is an over-zealous anti-gay Baptist, but it looks more like he and his kin are in the process of starting a homegrown cult. They’re not “Christians” or “Baptists”; apparently they refer to themselves as “Tachmonites.” So Phelps is the “last prophet” with power over his followers’ souls, and the members of his church believe that they are essentially God on Earth, with sole authority to condemn and forgive others. They seem to be developing their own invective-filled scriptural addenda derived from references to homosexuality in the Bible, complete with epistles soundly insulting any who write to them. (No wimpy gay sola fide or sola scriptura for these true chosen ones of God, eh?)

For more info, Wikipedia has an entry on Writings from Westboro, and of course on Westboro Baptist Church itself. Funny part is, the more that they show the standard trappings of a spinoff cult, the less inflammatory I find them, since it becomes much easier to dismiss them as kooks. (Not that it wasn’t already easy to begin with.)

(Links found via rhesagirl.)

Washingtonians can see the Phelps spectacle for themselves when he comes to DC on September 11th to protest the “America Supports You” Freedom Walk. (Not that there’s much to see — some old guy with his folks carrying “God hates fags” signs and acting weird.)

Translation Note: The word “Tachmonites” is derived from an alternate transliteration of the proper name “Hachmoni” or “Hachmonite” mentioned in 1 Chronicles 11:11 and 27:32, also spelled “Tahchemonite” in 2 Sam 23:8.

Comments

  1. Beverly Jones says:

    To the matter of the tahmonites, they also in their pea-sized brains consider our country evil. Question I have is, if they so hate our country and America then why are they here? Why not pack up and go find some other place to infest. I think maybe the deep recesses of Antartica would be a wonderful spot for them to go. Considering in my opinion Hell is too good a place for this group of parasites.

    Also as far as them desacrating the symbol of freedom (The American Flag), they have no right to justify that in the least. They enjoy freedom is that not so? Then if they so enjoy it then why take that very symbol of freedom and show no respect or feeling for it. Freedom has been fought for, and so many have lost their lives for it. So many have died for the meaning behind that precious flag and will continue to do so.

    In retrospect of this I close this letter with one final thought, Americans should stand tall and proud, these self-righteous individuals are nothing more than terrorists and should be eradicated to say the least.