| Updated: 10/20/2009 8:19 am |
Published: 10/19/2009 7:22 pm |
Members of Westboro Baptist Church and Equality Arkansas exchanged words Monday near UALR’s campus.
The Kansas-based church stages protests around the world, speaking out against gays, Jewish people and President Barack Obama. The posters church members use to convey their messages contain some very strong language.
The church started daily protests all over the world in 1991.
"You haven't cracked a Bible, so you don't have any idea," shouted church member Margie Phelps.
"Actually, I have read the Bible front to cover. Every single verse," responded a counter-protester.
"Every single verse? Name me one verse that says God hates the sin and not the sinner," said Phelps.
"God is love," answered the counter-protester.
Phelps has a problem with young people who don't read the Bible, and one look at her signs shows that's not all she's against.
"Is anybody going to seriously dispute that this is a nation of fornicators, of gay people, of homosexuals, of divorced and remarried people and idolators?" she says.
Phelps' family started Westboro Baptist Church, and she's driving cross-country spreading its views.
When Drew Pritt, founder of Equality Arkansas, heard about Monday's protest, he organized a counter-protest.
"We have to have an equal response to those who wish to spread hate, and, you know, we're the Diamond State. We shine, and it's just awful when we have people that aren't even part of our state come in and really kind of besmirch us," Pritt says.
UALR’s spokesperson tells FOX16 the group is allowed on campus, but it did not happen Monday.
So FOX16 asked each side what they'd say to each other if they actually sat down for a conversation.
"Obey God! This nation is going down. If you want to have any hope, get a Bible out, actually read the words and obey them," says Phelps.
"I would ask that they use the Bible in the correct way. They have a right to free speech just as much as I have a right to free speech, but, you know, there's more to just having freedom. You have to be accountable," says Pritt.
But for now, that discussion will have to wait.
After the protesters packed up, they drove to Magnolia. Later this week, church members go back to Kansas to protest a high school production of Rent.
Phelps’ church has also protested military funerals. Because of that, there are now laws banning protests within certain distances from cemeteries. Phelps says this violates his First Amendment rights.
