Upon Heath Ledger's untimely death, thousands across the country were shocked at the abrupt end to the young actor's life.
Later that evening, after reading about the Westboro Baptist Church's public announcement that they intended to picket Ledger's funeral, I was even more shocked.
Everyone knows that Brokeback Mountain was a hit during its time, but was also widely controversial, petitioned against by various religious and conservative groups for its obviously "sinful" theme.
While perusing the Internet, I encountered a statement released by the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Kansas. The WBC announced Wednesday that it would picket Ledger's funeral, calling him a pervert who has mocked god.
"God hates Fags! & Fag-Enablers!" the posting reads. "Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there - beside which, nothing else about Heath Ledger is relevant or consequential."
While I'm not a supporter of gay marriage, life experience has taught me that people transcend archetypes of homosexual and heterosexual. People are not defined solely based on their sexuality.
The WBC is associated with an anti-homosexual organization - God Hates Fags.com - and they've gone as far as to have the godhatesfags.com link direct you straight to the WBC locale on the web.
Well, there aren't a lot of things I know about God for certain. One thing that I do know is that the Bible repeatedly states that our God is a loving God. Personally, I couldn't ever imagine God encouraging picketing a funeral out of hatred.
It's like my father always used to tell me when I would do something wrong - he didn't hate me, he hated what I had done wrong. It is my belief that God is similar to my parents - while he may see the sin itself as an abomination, how could he hate anyone he has called his child?
Despite this, there is an obvious hypocrisy associated with the WBC's picketing against the deceased Ledger: who are they to judge?
Who are they to put the word "hate" in God's mouth?
After all, the Bible states that God himself will judge who will be saved and who is a sinner - it isn't for mortals to suggest whom God hates, or whom God has condemned to burn in hell.
There is one thing I am almost certain about when it comes to God - he would not want people to carry hate in their hearts. Picketing at a dead man's funeral, whether he is homosexual, heterosexual, or just a featured actor in a controversial film, is one such display of hatred towards others.
The Bible also states repeatedly that we are to love others and do unto them as we would ourselves. What good does this hatred do? Would the members of the WBC prefer to see homosexuals repent for their sins and live their lives according to the strict word of the Bible?
From the looks of www.godhatesfags.com and other related material, my thoughts are that members of the WBC do not have the redemption and salvation of sinners in mind, but simply to put themselves on a high and mighty pedestal, giving themselves the power to judge and condemn others while not realizing that their hatred only begets hate.
Heath Ledger's family may or may not see the WBC at funeral services this week - if they do, it will do nothing to console their grief. Conversely, it will only lead to more sorrow and pain for them.
The grief of Ledger's family transcends any sin he may have committed - what church wishes to worsen the pain of those who mourn for anyone, even if deceased was a sinner?
The world is flawed, and the world is filled with sinners - I don't contest this. The WBC can throw Biblical excerpts from Galatians 6:7 and Ephesians 5:6, that man shall not lie with man as he does with woman, and that God will not be mocked, but there is one excerpt that comes to mind transcending any condemnation for homosexuals or any other sinners:
John 8:7: "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
